The Flaming Lips perform at Rock the Garden 2016
June 30, 2016
Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips bent concert procedure even before his set began, taking advantage of the Lips' and Chance's set break and telling a couple stories (reminiscing that the Lips played one of their first shows at the 7th St. Entry). It wasn't long before the full band took the stage, though, and they played a monster set full of Coyne monologues and shenanigans. From the first-song confetti blast to the game-show-looking cymbal gong to the track performed from Chewbacca's shoulders in a flowing cape of LED lights, Coyne and the band kept a woman behind me excitedly asking, "What is he doing?"
Coyne noted that many people treat festivals as an escape from their "profound sadness," and he said it was the "perfect night to be optimistic – to be happy." The Lips brightened the night with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for nine-year-old Matt in the front row. They always dedicate "Pompeii am Gotterdammerung" to "our fellow cosmic warriors," Coyne said, and lately, they've been playing it for Prince ("I think we'll keep dedicating it to him," the frontman decided). Coyne sang David Bowie's "Space Oddity" while crowdsurfing in his hamster ball.
Setlist
"Race for the Prize"
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
"The Mountain of Our Madness"
"Pompeii"
"What Is the Light"
"The Observer"
"Superman"
"Happy Birthday"
"Space Oddity"
"W.A.N.D."
"Do You Realize???"
Words by Cecilia Johnson
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Mike DeMark
Mixed by David Fridmann
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