Precisely at 6pm, the crowd erupted to Wayne Coyne and company taking the stage with four enormous and bright pink inflatable robots while simultaneously shooting off four large confetti cannons into the crowd. The plan, to play Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in its entirety, and that they did, from start to finish.

The band treated the vibrant crowd to a lush and welcoming presentation of a fan favorite album, and played with finesse, to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the release of said album. The Flaming Lips played as if 20 years had not passed. The energy and quality of their sound held up very impressively, as they danced through roughly 1 hour of music and crowd interaction.

Speaking of crowd interaction, since the show was at the local zoo, Wayne had requested that the crowd respond with animal noises when they cheered, only animal noises. This layer helped create a mood in a crowd that they had never witnessed before, and he had commented on just how fun and unique this was, and requested that the band come back again for a headlining show in the near future. After Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was done being played, the large pink robots were deflated.

The band took a break to clear the stage and bring out more antics with an hour and a half long set that included an inflatable rainbow, a Wonder Woman slanket, a flower suit, a remote control flappy bird, bubble guns, and a huge balloon sign that read "FUCK YEAH SEATTLE". The treat of the night was a unique cover of Madonna's "Borderline", that got the tripped out psychedelic treatment that only The Flaming Lips could achieve when covering a pop artist's song. To close out the evening, they left the stage as the crowd was yearning for more, and they got their wish.

Wayne came out in his infamous bubble, and while he didn't roll over the crowd, they certainly wanted him to, he bounced around in this bubble for their three song encore. The Flaming Lips played for a total of two and a half hours, and it was a delightful experience. It was my first time seeing them live, but it will not be my last. To be honest, I never really listened to them before this week. I had heard stories from my photography community of friends that highlighted just how fun they were to photograph, and they were not wrong. What a great way to be introduced to such an enigmatic and talented band.

Plain and simple, if The Flaming Lips ever come to a city or state near you, it’s a must see event! We’ve got an extensive photo gallery below to give you a taste of what you’ll see once you hit a show. Don’t miss it!

Review & Photos by: Keith Stein

Like what you read? Follow our social media and playlist for the latest in independent music: