To say the Flaming Lips are energetic is putting it lightly. “Insanely hyper” better describes this band that was formed in the 80s and hit it big in the early 90s. Performing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul on Sunday night, the Flaming Lips made a fun mess with tons of confetti and monster-truck-tire-sized balloons. They did their own sound check while people were filing in, and frontman Wayne Coyne came out just before the show to warm up the surprisingly young crowd.
What would a Flaming Lips concert be without a singer in a giant bubble crowd surfing to get things started? By the end of the three songs I was out of breath, and I hadn’t even moved. It was a circus on stage, with moving drum kits, a black bear, and an inflatable sun man. Not to mention the groups of “cheerleaders” in orange jumpsuits on either side of the stage. There was so much going on I didn’t quite know where to focus my camera.
Above: Singer Wayne Coyne starts the night off with some bubble surfing.
Above: Orange jumpsuit-clad cheerleaders come out with the blast of confetti.
Above: The crowd is blanketed in confetti and giant balloons.
Above: Coyne getting a piggyback ride from a black bear.
Above: Multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd (foreground) and percussionist Kliph Scurlock feeling the vibe.
Above: Bassist Michael Ivins was surprisingly calm throughout the mayhem.
Above: Raining confetti.
Above: Coyne hopping off the bear.
Above: the crowd fully enjoying themselves.
Above: Wayne Coyne Preparing to crowd surf.
Above: The “Sun Man” would soon get blasted with a confetti gun.
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