the flaming lips

balloons, confetti, streamers, glitter, swirling in the air. people, dancing. film clips projected onto a screen: an eyeball, space, a bathtub. people in animal costumes jump up and down around a band onstage. searchlights shine out into the audience. fake blood drips down the singer's forehead onto his white suit. i feel disoriented, elated.

it's not a birthday party on acid, although that's what it feels like. it's not the end of the world, although, in a way, i want it to be. it's a flaming lips concert.

the lips went from being the band i somehow missed in high school (even though it was my scene) to being my favorite band. other than knowing the words to "she don't use jelly," i had zero lips knowledge until emi got their album "yoshimi battles the pink robots." it was epic. it was densely layered. it was sweet. it was about robots. i was hooked.

it's been a handful of years since then and the flaming lips are still kicking my ass every time i hear a song, read an interview, or pass by the band's website. i've seen two lips concerts, both of which count among the most memorable experiences of my life. what is it that makes them so addictive? bittersweet lyrics about saving the world, saying yes (that true, essential yes at the heart of all things), sleeping late, bugs, disintegrating. epic instrumentation. music that explodes with energy. performances that rival the best sixties-era psychedelic all-night jams, with lights and strange characters in your face. the way they play with childhood symbols. it's all that, plus intangible things, the way i feel in the audience at a show or submerged in lips music at home.

disoriented, elated.

the band website: flaminglips.com.
the documentary recently released about the band: The Fearless Freaks
the DVD of lips videos: VOID