Confetti, laser pointers, Wayne Coyne in a giant plastic bubble, and straight up good music is what you get at every single Flaming Lips show. When the massive tour rolled into the intimate Fox Theater in Oakland it was no different than advertised. The Lips delivered a 90 minute set that was certainly memorable and unique.

For many years The Flaming Lips have been awing audiences at large music festivals. Most live shows concert goers are accustomed to don’t feature the lead singer in a transparent ball rolling around on the audiences outstretched hands. There usually aren’t balloons full of confetti constantly bursting, free laser pointers and fans donning tiki lamp costumes dancing on stage either. But at this show it’s the norm.

Coyne seems to genuinely enjoy the outrageousness of what he’s put together. There is no big entrance. While his roadies were hard at work Coyne casually strolled on stage to survey the audience, shake a few outstretched hands and take in the atmosphere. The next time the lead singer was seen he was fifty feet away from center stage with a large smile on his face, inside that transparent ball. This is a rock star who is having a great time.

Believe it or not there are actual songs being played in the middle of the constant chaos. A Flaming Lips concert is a lot like Vegas. The sights can become overwhelming and induce sensory overload fairly quickly. Through all of this the music is solid and Coyne belts out the lyrics to his hits with ease. An ease that could only be cultivated through playing thousands of shows throughout the 23 years Coyne has fronted the legendary band.

The Flaming Lips have succeeded at creating a psychedelic wonderland that no other musical act has come close to. This is a band that should be on your concert bucket list. Whether you’re a fan of the music or song titles like "Free Radicals (A Hallucination of the Christmas Skeleton Pleading with a Suicide Bomber)" scare you, it doesn’t matter. The music is good and the show is better. Wayne Coyne and his band mates understand what sells tickets and have mastered the art of the visually stunning live performance.

Review By: Tyler Sobie