The Flaming Lips at the Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 21 2010. Steph Willer photo

Review and photos – The Flaming Lips at the Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 21 2010

– review by eugene osudar/photos by Steph Willer

(note: The Flaming Lips play the Malkin Bowl in Vancouver Sept 26 2010)

it was twenty
years ago
(probably more)
when last
Peter and i saw

The Flaming Lips

it was in a bar in
Minneapolis

The Uptown.

here’s what i recall,

one,
feedback

beautifully
gorgeously
ear,
split,
tingly
ringingly
buzz
zing
lee!

awe,some

feed,
back

(twenty years on
and yes

i’ve lost some hearing,

oh, those
lost
conversation tones)

two,
their covers
of John Lennon’s
mind games
and
Louis Armstrong’s
it’s a wonderful world

the best covers
of those
songs
i have
Ever heard.

here’s what i forgot,

the smoke
from the machines

Peter reminded me
from the back of
The Uptown
we really didn’t
see
the band
until the very last song!

The Flaming Lips at the Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 21 2010. Steph Willer photo

it’s a wonderful world.

on Tuesday night,

there was smoke
lots of smoke/.
lots of lung
choke,
hack/hack.

itchy lungs.

smoke.
a thick
fog.

and feedback,
yes.

beautiful feedback.

not like it was
that first time.

feedback in the hands
of great bands,
expansive imaginations
like,
Sonic Youth
Husker Du
The Nils
Crucifucks
Nirvana
Squirrel Bait
Jesus and Mary Chain

is a work
of exquisite
aural art.

Live and immediate.
Piercing,
Frightening
in its penetration
of your muscles
bones
sinew
guts.

this time they played
for nearly two hours.

some songs
were ten minutes
some
more.

this time
in

“every song there
was something
different.”

the same quote
at different time
s
after the show
from two different
young women
who Loved
the show
the experience
The Flaming Lips.

The Flaming Lips at the Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 21 2010. Steph Willer photo

this time
there were balloons
scores and scores
so many
colors
blues and greens
reds and orange
and big white moons
and tasty lemons

this time
Wayne Coyne
(the megaphone showman)
rolled
far and wee
in his giant
plastic bubble ball
into the audience
with hands
rolling him along
to the end of the floor
seats
and lifting him
towards
hands
touching the bubble
and feeling his hands
reaching for theirs
in the first row
of the first balcony,

and rolling him
back again
(beautiful, loving
hands)
and to the side
towards me
but not quite
to me.

this time
he stood
on the shoulders
of a big
black
bear
and sang

this time
he banged a large round
gong
over and over and over

this time
he had giant
hands
that lay,
zerrrrrred

green beams
of laser light
at two giant mirrored
disco balls
and as the disc (oh) balls
turned and twisted
the laser
lights
shot out
and bent in
every direction

everywhere

beams of green light

this time
the lights went off
during a song
and we could do anything

anything.

we could conceive
we could receive

Love.

do you realize?
was the last song
this time
of the live set
but after The Lips
left the stage

on came,

Louis Armstrong’s
beautiful
masterpiece

it’s a wonderful world.

The Flaming Lips at the Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Sept 21 2010. Steph Willer photo

and it is.

when music
fills
our souls
with light and love.

some souls
like mine
are hurting
still
some souls
are Loving
always
in the light

and ticker tape
confetti
as cannons
blast
over and over
smoke and streamers
and colored
twirling
swirling
paper
every,
where

into this
old place
over 100 years old

“the tallest theatre
i think we’ve ever played,”
in awe
in wonder
in love
with the design
the architecture
Wayne Coyne
marveled.

he warned us
before the set
of the powerful
strobe lights
in case
some
are prone
to seizures,

just look away.

there was even
a complete
power
outage!

and dancers on stage
with furry hats
all orange
and loving smiles.

1 hour
55 minutes

the fear
worm mt.
silver trembling hands
jelly
sparrow looks up
morning of the magicians
i can be a frog
yoshimi
see the leaves
laser hands
ego’s last stand
pompeii
silver announcement
wand

do you realize

(thank you
Sam
for the set list
found/saved
from under
3 inches of confetti!)

oh!
this time,

(i forgot about) the acting out song
with drummer Cliff
leading the fun
monkeying around, motorcycling
bee/buzzing, sneezing
tornado/ing
lion roaring

okay, we began strong
but faded fast!

c’mon
kids,
you’re not too cool
are you?
to let go?

this time,
we danced
if we wanted to
we played with balloons
for 30 minutes
there were sing alongs
clap alongs
and a right fist raised song

and everywhere
on facebook
and twitter

immediately

“the greatest show ever”

peter just told me
it was the greatest show
he’s seen in years.

i see/experience too many
great
shows

it was
beautiful
it was colored
lights
and
Love
a wondrous party
and Love
a beautiful healing

do you realize?
you have the most beautiful
smile/face/heart
when you surrender
your
self
to love,
to a wonder
full
world

now go and seek
it
on the internet
the record
of the night

The Light

the awe/some photos
on facebook and guttersnipe
of the show
the video
the light
the love
of
The Flaming Lips
at the Burton Cummings
Theatre
on a Tuesday
night
in Winnipeg.
September 21st.

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