The Flaming Lips “The Soft Bulletin” 2-Night Run : The Aragon – Chicago, IL

The disclaimer Wayne Coyne gave before The Flaming Lips 2nd night at The Aragon in Chicago, in regards to the intensity of their high-powered strobe lights, was most succinctly: entirely necessary.  We’ve been to a lot of shows, but those things were ridiculous.  The band opened the show with what felt like a finale, as they embarked on “The Soft Bulletin” in its entirety.  It’s a melancholy yet hopeful record, and was a pleasure, especially after paying close attention to it in preparation for the evening.  As far as records go, it’s definitely extremely cohesive and balanced.  There’s a unique ebb and flow to it, including hallmarks like “A Spoonful Weighs A Ton,” “The Spark That Bled,” and “What Is The Light?” Not to mention ubiquitous sing-alongs like “Waitin’ For Superman.”  Setlists aside, TFL are clearly having fun, with Wayne Coyne positioned as singer slash master of ceremonies amongst a few extra hired hands.  On this night, his warning before the show felt like a more playful version of Timothy Leary, leading 5,000 of his friends into a great night of music. The joy they play with is self-evident and refreshing, especially for a band that has been doing it as long as these guys.

Thanks to The Flaming Lips for having us as their guests, we’re happy to provide some damn fine shots we got of the show! Enjoy them, and if you haven’t yet, go download “The Soft Bulletin”… it’s great Sunday music.

As always, you can view the entire set of photos IPMM shot at The Flaming Lips July 8th show at The Aragon on Chicago’s north side, on the IPaintMyMind Photo Page, right HERE.

(Photos by Evan La Ruffa – IPaintMyMind)