by Dennie Chong
Photo Editor

The Flaming Lips brought their colorful, live show to a very
receptive Seattle crowd a couple of weeks ago. If you’ve
never heard about the Flaming Lips or their live shows, then
the sign on the door at the Paramount Theatre will give you
a small hint as what to expect.

“Strobe lights in use throughout performance” might have been an understatement for the visually and emotionally rich show that the Flaming Lips put on. Not only were they backed with strobe lights and a large video screen, but their show also includes costumed dancers drawn from the audience, fake smoke, lots of confetti and balloons and the lead singer crowd surfing in a giant plastic bubble.

But it’s not just the stage show that helped the band gain so many faithful fans. Despite odd sounding songs and album names like “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”, the Lips’ blend of catchy beats, interesting music and optimistic lyrics have fans following them around parts of the country.

The Flaming Lips’ biggest single and video was probably “She Don’t Use Jelly” from the early nineties. However, this is a band that’s been around for over 20 years. They have morphed from their early career of punk/guitar/ garage band songs to parking lot experiments with boom boxes, and now into what some would call “pop orchestral masterpieces.” At the Paramount Theatre show, they performed a variety of songs from their career and it helped make the show sonically interesting. Although they are currently touring to promote their recently released live DVD “U.F.O’s at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City,” it was great to hear them play songs from older releases like “Zaireeka” and “In a Priest Driven Ambulance.”

Another attraction to their live shows is the audience “sing-along” aspect that has been added during certain songs. At times it was encouraged by lead singer Wayne Coyne, like for “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song… (With All Your Power),” but at other times it was done from the fandom of songs like “Free Radicals” or “Yoshimi….”

One of the few criticisms that I’ve heard about the Flaming Lips’ live show is that Coyne’s singing voice is a little weak. At the Paramount show, I thought that Coyne’s voice was in great form. Steven Drozd displayed his musical versatility and genius as he played the guitar, keyboard and sang vocals. Drozd was very subtle and creative with his singing and noise making, but that didn’t overpower or ruin any of the music.

To finish the evening’s set, the Flaming Lips played a surprisingly good cover version of the Rolling Stone’s “Moonlight Mile.” Although the Lips have often covered other classic rock bands in the past such as Queen and Black Sabbath, I didn’t think that Coyne’s voice would have been well suited for this song. I was happy to be proven wrong when their straightahead version of the piece became a great ending to a very memorable night.

For more info on the Flaming Lips, check out their official website at www.flaminglips.com. The website contains a wealth of background history, band merchandise, music and video streaming. If you find yourself hooked and want further insight into the band, there is an incredible documentary DVD about them called “Fearless Freaks,” and it was done over their career by their hometown friend Bradley Beesley.