THE FLAMING LIPS LIGHT UP MONTREAL

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Confetti blizzards, strobe lights, smoke machines, Goliath-sized hand lasers, multi-coloured balloons and a giant space bubble…all the signs announcing the 2010 Tour of the Flaming Lips were gathered at Metropolis last Wednesday.

Fresh off their latest album, Embryonic, released last fall, the Oklahoma band presented the hyper Montreal crowd with a very high-energy and festive show despite the death-related themes that prevail on the record.

But death doesn’t always have to be a negative thing. In fact, it serves as a great reminder to make the most of your time on Earth. “If you understand what death is, this will make living so much more believable and wonderful, and you’ll remember that you’re alive”, said lead singer Wayne Coyne.

Which is why when I was asked to wild out on stage with the Lips, I said YES. Looking at previous Flaming Lips videos, my initial thought was that I would be a mascot – something I was really excited about, since every single time I see a mascot I wonder who the hell is in it and how the hell they got there.

As I reached for my costume though, I realized it looked a lot more like an outer-space, eye-popping orange yoga outfit, so I had to put my mascot dreams on hold for the night…but came up with another great idea instead. During the middle of the show, I would run through the stage and throw myself into the crowd. Something I clearly had never done before, except that one time at Osheaga Festival when I lost one flip-flop and had to walk barefoot from Parc Jean-Drapeau all the way home.

I obviously asked Wayne for his permission beforehand and was absolutely not surprised to get his total support on my crowd-surfing adventures.

The Flaming Lips concert turned out to be one of the great, positive, liberating and uplifting shows I’ve seen in the city this year. Now I’m looking forward to 35 more concerts to see this summer in Montreal that will help us all keep our sense of freedom and magic alive.

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