It seems like all these years performing in bubbles has finally paid off. The Flaming Lips have always been ahead of the game. With a successful run of live (!!) shows earlier this year at the Criterion in Oklahoma City, the Lips attempted yet another run of live shows last month. The catch? Both the band and the audience are placed in pressurized bubbles in separated locations throughout the theater. One ticket allocates for one bubble, which can contain up to three people in your party. Seems like a gimmick, right? Both yes and no. Ever since the debut of Wayne Coyne’s bubble feature at 2004’s Coachella Music and Arts Festival, it’s become a staple in the band’s live show. And for years since, they’ve been very vocal about wanting to play a show with the entire band and audience in their own bubbles. And now, they don’t have a better opportunity to execute such an idea.
It’s also a testament to not just how ballsy they are, but also how innovative they’ve always been throughout their career. They’ve always been able to outdo themselves one way or another, whether it be an album released entirely in fur (Emryonic), releasing an album that’s required to be listened to on four records simultaneously (Zaireeka), or releasing a 24-hour long song on a USB stick encased in a skull (7 Skies H3). Regardless of what you think of them, they’ve always pushed the boundaries and tested the limits of what music can be capable of. Comparing their college-garage rock days of the late 80s and the trajectory they’ve travelled to where they are today, they look like the result of Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols having a baby that fell out of a UFO, and landed in, of all places, Oklahoma. Their audacity to transcend musical limitation has always led me to believe that there are no “good” or “bad” Flaming Lips records, but rather impulsive explorations in how music can be consumed.
And now, the Lips are once again using the times to their advantage, realizing that, even though this is a time of separation, there’s still a viable place for intimacy. It also emphasizes what their music has tackled for decades. From their chaotic live shows to eccentric album releases, they capitalize on what rock music can achieve – a communal experience through personal obsession.
Ever since the 90s, the Flaming Lips have long been rock music’s most inventive band. And surprisingly, most of that time has been on a major record label. But it’s how they’ve marketed themselves that turned these freaks into such a success, being able to develop such a reputation for themselves and subvert expectations. Whether it be trying to record a 24-hour long song, or playing to a theater entirely capsuled in hamster balls, they’ve never been a result-oriented band. They’ve staked their whole career on the premise that it’s not about the destination, it’s all about getting there.
Featured image courtesy of Scott Booker/Warner Records