The Flaming Lips concerts are worth every penny spent, and ever mile traveled. This show at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. was my fourth Flaming Lips show - the other three I've experienced were in New York City, Boston and Madrid - and this was probably top two because we were so close to the stage. Also, it was the first time I'd seen them in three years, so it was even more awesome.
Wayne came out in the space ball, as he had promised before the show started, and with the epic, loud music in the background and technicolor background images, it was a great start. Add confetti and balloons and you've got yourself a party, which is what Flaming Lips concerts are like. They played all their big songs including "Race For the Prize" and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" and got the audience to sing along to a heartfelt "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" and add animal sound effects to "I Can Be A Frog." After a crazy rendition of "The W.A.N.D." complete with lots of fog and flashing lights. I was having a little trouble dealing with the strobe lights, so I closed my eyes for some of it, but apparently someone in the audience had bigger problems. The show ended for some time, and Wayne came out and said they would wait for that audience member to recuperate before coming out again. When they were ready, they came out with a riveting "Do You Realize."
The coolest part of the show, for me and my friends at least, had to be watching what I will call "The Sage Saga." It was Sage's 9th birthday, and her dad drove her to the show from Rhode Island. She even painted a colorful picture telling the band that it was her birthday. We were near them during the opener and Sage's dad said she loves Yoshimi. Nice. Coolest 9-year-old ever. When Wayne checked out the stage after Fang Island's set, Sage held up her poster and got a nod from Wayne. Her dad had two words for his daughter: "Mission Accomplished."
Halfway through the show, I noticed Sage and her dad had moved from their spot to stage right. Awesome. I was really hoping she'd get a "Happy Birthday" from the band, and she did. Wayne brought her to the center of the stage and the band plus audience sang "Happy Birthday" to her and a guy on the tour named Terry. Best birthday ever. I only hope that when she goes back to school and shares this story as part of what she did on her summer vacation, at least one classmate will know how cool it is.
Fang Island was the opener, and they were very fitting for the Flaming Lips. We had seen them just a few weeks before at a Brooklyn Pool Party, and they rocked it with their building riffs and overall progressive rock sound.
