The Flaming Lips at Fox Theater Oakland 2011

The Fox Theater in Oakland is one of the most beautiful venues in the Bay Area - a restored 1928 Art Deco palace with ornate details and perfect acoustics. It's the ideal setting for a Flaming Lips show, where Wayne Coyne's psychedelic circus meets architectural splendor.

The Opening Acts

White Hills

The Brooklyn psych-rock duo brought heavy, droning, cosmic rock. Their extended jams and guitar freakouts set a trippy tone for the evening. If you're into Hawkwind, early Pink Floyd, or any kind of space rock, White Hills delivered.

HEALTH

The LA noise-rock band's aggressive, experimental sound was confrontational and intense. Their use of distortion, feedback, and unconventional song structures challenged the audience. Not easy listening, but definitely memorable.

The Main Event: The Flaming Lips

Wayne Coyne emerged in his signature space bubble, rolling over the crowd. Confetti cannons exploded. Giant balloons bounced across the audience. Costumed dancers appeared. Lasers cut through the fog. And then the music started.

The Flaming Lips don't just perform - they create an immersive psychedelic experience. "Do You Realize??" had the entire Fox Theater singing along, and when Wayne asked us to contemplate our mortality and the beauty of existence, it didn't feel cheesy - it felt genuine and moving.

"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" with full video projections and theatrical elements brought the album to life. "She Don't Use Jelly" was a fun throwback to their alt-rock radio days. Newer material from "Embryonic" showed they weren't content to just play the hits.

Wayne's between-song banter about love, death, existence, and the power of shared musical experiences could have felt pretentious, but his genuine earnestness made it work. The man believes in the transformative power of rock and roll, and his belief is infectious.

The Fox Theater's ornate ceiling illuminated with the Lips' light show created a psychedelic cathedral effect. Confetti rained down constantly - by the end of the show, we were all covered in it, the floor was ankle-deep in colorful paper, and nobody cared.

The Verdict

The Flaming Lips at the Fox Theater was a perfect pairing - Wayne Coyne's psychedelic vision in one of the Bay Area's most beautiful venues. The show was joyful, weird, overwhelming, and ultimately life-affirming.

If you ever get a chance to see The Flaming Lips live, go. You'll leave covered in confetti, ears ringing, and reminded that rock concerts can still be transcendent experiences.