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Flaming Lips pack summer with festivals, big-name support
The Flaming Lips have mapped out a summer full of festival appearances and headlining gigs supported by a few big names as the band continues to support its recently released "At War With the Mystics."
After finishing up their current European stretch, the Oklahomans will continue their recent trend of showing up where tons of other bands are likewise milling around, kicking off an initial round of US shows with a May 21 appearance at Atlanta's Southern Comfort music festival, where they'll headline a bill that also features Big Star and De La Soul .
Less than a week later, the band will find themselves in George, WA, for the May 27 Sasquatch Festival, also featuring Ben Harper, The Shins, Sufjan Stevens and others.
The Lips will put on their own share of headlining shows this summer as well. A May 28 show in Bend, OR, gets support from Stephen Malkmus and Deerhoof , while the Lips' July 22 Berkeley, CA, appearance, as well as its July 29 date in Morrison, CO, will feature opening slots by Ween and The Go! Team.
Released in early April, "At War With the Mystics" is the band's 12th studio album of a recording career that began with 1985's self-titled debut. The band has described the new album as "space-rock protest songs" on its website.
"I think in a lot of ways [lead singer] Wayne [Coyne] just wanted to be more frivolous with his subject matter," drummer Steven Drozd said on the band's site. "Don't get me wrong, I realize there are some 'heavy' themes, but there are also a lot of silly bits as well. Hell, we're just having fun! But I have to be clear that I'm serious when I say we were all ANGRY and DISAPPOINTED when the Bushies got the second term. And I know Wayne had been itching to try some half baked protest lyrics, so it seemed only right (or left as the case may be!) to go down that road."
