Words by Martin Halo | Photos by Jeremy Gordon

New York, NY — The Flaming Lips never fail to make an impression and their performance at Central Park Summerstage NYC was an evening filled with jubilation and laid back fun. Emerging in a gigantic bubble, Wayne Coyne greeted his devotees by crawling over the crowd as sexually psychedelic images were projected on large monitor behind the band.

Confetti was blasted out of air cannons. When Coyne finally returned to the stage and was birthed from his womb, the scene could be described as nothing less but a crazy New Year’s celebration. Everything, including the amplifiers, mic stands and lighting rigs was painted in a peeling industrial orange including the 30 or so young children packing both sides of the stage decked in orange jump suits. For the duration of the set these kids would physically act out the lyrics to all of the Flaming Lips songs, the scene was incredible.


www.flaminglips.com


“She Don’t Use Jelly” way back from 1993 made an early set appearance. With a small camera placed on the back end of his microphone, Coyne’s mouth was magnified to the faithful. “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” set NYC on fire before smoke filled the stage and Coyne brought out a psychedelic gong.

For the encore the band launched into the commercially viable “Do You Realize??”. The stage lights cut directly through the leaves on Central Park’s trees and the wind carried confetti out the exits. A group of fans were lying in the grass on blankets outside of the venue hugging funny balloons straight from the tanks of the nitrous mafia.

What an evening, thank you NYC!




www.flaminglips.com


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