Pic: Suddenly, everything has changed. Flaming Lips with the Colorado Symphony, Red Rocks Amphitheater, CO
When I left California twenty-two days ago, today was one of two dates on my calendar: the Flaming Lips playing their incredible 1999 album The Soft Bulletin at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony!
The groundwork was laid back in February:
Matt: Whoah. I would go to Denver to hang out for a weekend and see this show.
Ben: I’ve always wanted to go to Red Rocks for a concert. I’m in.
Tyler: I can be in Colorado by late May. Let’s do it.
Nat: Sure.
Matt: Fuck! I can’t go.
Ben: lol
Nat: lol
Tyler: lol @ u
Further excerpts from the ensuing conversation:
Ben: People are “not” “allowed” to “smoke” “weed” in Red Rocks.
And:
Ben: My new boss (~same as the old boss) “warned” me that if you go to Red Rocks since marijuana legalization, you should expect a contact high.
Ben: Thanks, guy.
Tyler: As opposed to before legalization, when a psychedelic rock concert in the Denver area would have been more like a meeting of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Red Rocks is a pretty sweet venue. I heard a lot of complaints about all the stairs but DAT VIEW.
The symphony aspect was mostly pretty cool, e.g. for the opening track. However the arrangement of Buggin’, one of my favorite tracks from the studio album, was symphony-only with no percussion. I didn’t like this since the best part is when the drums crash into the sweet harmonies and Wayne croons, “Well they flyyyy in the air…”. Without the snare hits, the transition felt a little flat to me.
The encore section, after TSB ended and the orchestra exited, was short but strong:
- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
- Do You Realize??
- Space Oddity (David Bowie cover and classy nod to the first big celebrity death of 2016)
- The W.A.N.D.
We marched back down the long flight of stairs, rescinded our doubts about the seemingly-awkward-but-actually-brilliant way the traffic control dudes had arranged parking, and drove home with the sky accelerating.
Danger Beyond This Point 