The Flaming Lips have always been a multisensory interactive experience, with concert stunts ranging from a bring-your-own-puppet sing-along to the giant inflatable ball that allows singer Wayne Coyne to skip along the surface of the audience’s hands. But last month, they took it one sense further, as the Lips allowed their fans a chance to taste their music.
That’s right. The most recent Flaming Lips release is a seven-and-a-half pound gummy bear skull that has a USB port embedded in its cherry-flavored brain.
“We’re going to suggest to all of our fans out there that you get a group of your friends together and you eat your way through the skull and into the brain and retrieve this music that’s going to be embedded on this little drive in there,” enthuses Coyne, whose previous high-water mark for getting Lips fans to listen with friends was in 1997, when the band released “Zaireeka,” which was four CDs meant to be listened to simultaneously by pressing “play” on four different disc players at once.
But the band shows no signs of slowing down. This month they plan on releasing four songs on randomly-colored 12-inch records, and next month they may even top themselves with a gummy skull that will only be available at their L.A. shows and be flavored like marijuana.
“We’re going to be putting out a song each month,” says Coyne about the initiative his band just began. “Any band can do that, but we’re trying to put it out on a totally different format.”
Flaming Lips
July 27
Bank of America Pavilion
$25-$45, 800-745-3000
www.livenation.com
Other hot tickets
Sangita: The Spirit of India
Friday, 8 p.m.
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
$10-$52, 617-585-1260
www.bmop.org
The Boston Modern Orchestra concert presents this evening of India-inspired orchestral music. In keeping with the whole “modern” thing, all the pieces are brand new: Three are world premieres and one is a North American premiere. The Silk Road Project’s Sandeep Das will join the BMOP on tabla for Evan Ziporyn’s “Mumbai.”
Worried All the Time Launch Party
Saturday, 7 p.m.
Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave., Somerville
$10, 617-718-2191
www.artsatthearmory.org
This is the premiere of what’s being billed as “Boston’s only kid show for adults.” Based on the book “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It stars local musicians and artists, and features campy costumes, public access special effects (green screen!) and songs addressing such pressing concerns as proper mustache care. The screening includes performances by the bands and some food for the road. –Matthew Dinaro/Metro
Follow Pat Healy on Twitter @metrousmusic.
