Surrounded by a dozen “volunteers” in absurd animal costumes, and shrouded in a cloud of smoke, confetti and balloons stood the only man qualified to conduct such a circus: The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne.
The world’s foremost acid-rock band made one of its increasingly frequent stops in Columbus, playing for a sold out audience on Tuesday night at The Newport Music Hall.
This time, the band came in support of its critically lauded “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” album – a fascinating and textured work generally regarded as one of the year’s best records.
Known for its wild stage shows, the band didn’t disappoint. The set was comprised of at least a dozen dancers sporting full-body animal costumes, including a rabbit, owl, zebra, Santa, Cookie Monster, frog, panda, fish and elephant. Confetti and oversized balloons filled the air, and wild, psychedelic daydream/nightmare videos played behind the menagerie.
Reigning over the chaos stood Coyne – a veritable Christ figure in his white suit – reciting nonsensical lyrics to his adoring fans.
The set was, without exception, entertaining. Had the Lips’ music faltered, the visuals alone would have been enough for the price of admission. However, this was not the case. With few exceptions, the musicianship was top notch, with outstanding moments coming periodically throughout the show.
The highlight of the show came with the title track of the album. Donning a single oven mitt, Coyne crafted an extended version of the song, which included a mass sing-a-long and a bizarrely fitting video that, suffice to say, involved Japanese school girls and a gory shoot-out.
Local boys, The Sun, opened up the show with an energetic garage-rock set. They were the perfect choice to open. The band infused a burgeoning energy in the crowd that grew as the night went on.
Withholding most of its versatility, The Sun passed on some of its more textured songs in a calculated move to engage the audience. The gamble worked, and the band was met with an enthusiastic reaction.
Following The Sun on-stage was an abbreviated set by Virginia indie-rockers Sparklehorse. Playing a mere three songs, Sparklehorse was slow-moving and mellow compared to The Sun, with soaring guitars and interesting vocal work. The band served as a relaxing buffer between The Sun’s raging adolescence and The Flaming Lips’ weird-out noise.
While The Flaming Lips’ show was a categorical success, even the best shows have their weak moments – and this was no different. Like the band itself, the concert was inconsistent. Following a particularly difficult song during which Coyne sang through a megaphone over noisy guitars and a jackhammer drum line, he asked the audience if “everyone survived that one OK.”
Moments like that were rare, however, as The Lips toned down its typical guitar feedback and techno loops in favor of a more audience-friendly format.
Coyne maintained a constant repartee with the audience, cracking wry jokes and repeatedly thanking the masses for their enthusiasm. The crowd left smiling and satiated.
