These Days: the LIPS

We saw The Flaming Lips at the Aragon on the 7th. It was by far the best live musical performance I've ever seen. It's more than just a musical performance - the lights, balloons and confetti, props and Wayne's antics make it more of an alternate universe experience created by the consummation of love and peace. Thirty minutes before they started playing, Wayne made several appearances on stage either to shoot confetti, blast smoke or take videos on his phone, which he then tweeted, naturally. I was most excited to see his 'hamster ball' show in person, never expecting he would roll right over us. Thank my lucky stars, he did! Unfortunately, I got elbowed in the eye which was both painful and tear producing. I had to watch the opener with only my right eye. They played the Soft Bulletin album all the way through which is a mesmerizing conglomerate of fast and slow songs. My favorite moment was the very last song "Do You Realize??" in which all of us formed a line, arms on each others' shoulders, swaying and singing in sync, eyes closed in Flaming Lips Utopia. Covered in confetti and drenched sweat, we enjoyed the final moments of the concert and exited the Aragon. After, we raved about the awesome-ness of the night over Chicago style char dogs from the Wiener Circle. Clips and footage below - ENJOY!