CONCERT REVIEW: The Flaming Lips, PawPaw Rod, and Citrus at Ogden Twilight!

Photos by Monet Moss

Your typical Ogden Twilight show will usually feature a slow, but steady stream of concertgoers trickling into the venue across a couple of hours. But on Wednesday, September 17th, the Ogden Amphitheater filled up almost immediately. After all, this was for The Flaming Lips.

This was the fifth time the Oklahoma psych-rock band had played in the city. I was lucky enough to make it out to this sold-out event, and it was truly a sight to behold. But before The Flaming Lips took to the stage, we were treated to some truly wonderful opening acts.

Our pals Citrus! were the first opener to take the stage. Last spring, this Ogden-based rock band performed at our own KWCR Fest, and they crushed it! It was truly exciting to be able to see them here, sounding bigger and better in front of a much larger crowd. All dressed in pastel suit coats of orange, yellow, and green, and with a mannequin with a lemon for a head, they took the stage and immediately started tearing it up with their signature calculated chaos. Songs like “Not About You” and the currently unreleased “Shangri-La-La” filled the amphitheater so nicely. The band even gave away free wristbands to some audience members before the show, even though they totally skipped past me on their path across the lawn. No hard feelings, though.

After a brief break, the second opener, PawPaw Rod took the stage. Just a few songs into his set, and everyone was on their feet, starting to dance. His sound blends the past fifty years of rock and R&B together into a streamlined concoction of pure musical electricity. His live band was locked in the entire time, giving him the perfect amount of energy to coast off. I was truly surprised by how instantly I was charmed by him. He gave it his all, dancing and running back and forth across the stage- so much so, that by the time he got to his final song, “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS,” he was nearly out of breath. But it was all worth it, as his excellent stage presence- and phenomenal outfit- surely left an impact on the crowd.

But then, at long last, at roughly 7:15 PM, The Flaming Lips took to the stage. 

It was then we realized that the strange barricade that was set up at the back of the stage was actually a large display of LED lights They began to play the two-part title track from their album, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” and as they do, four gigantic inflatable pink robots rise up onto the stage, confetti and streamers start flying everywhere, and the gigantic wall of lights starts flashing to an almost disorienting degree. Most bands would save this level of extravagance for their closer- but The Flaming Lips are not like most bands.

The sheer maximalism on display during their performance is very difficult to describe (which certainly makes my job difficult.) But a lot of The Flaming Lips’ songs feature them trying to describe the indescribable, with rigid lyrics contrasted by lavish production. Performing them live would require nothing less than sheer excess. You do need a gigantic spotlight spinning around on a rope. You do need two men in only their underwear and inflatable eyeball costumes onstage. You especially need lead singer Wayne Coyne to come out onstage wearing an American flag like a cape and then step inside a giant bubble mid-song. If you’re going to perform in front of an audience, they deserve spectacle, right?

The true highlight of the night for me, though, was right after the band performed their signature songs “Do You Realize??” and “She Don’t Use Jelly” back to back. I was already feeling quite elated after hearing those anthems live, when suddenly, the band launched into a phenomenal cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” An incredible tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, and quite possibly the best cover of the song I’ve ever heard (though that T-Pain rendition is quite stellar).

Afterwards, they brought out a giant stack of balloons that spelled out “F*** YEAH OGDEN TWILIGHT” in all caps, shot out an absolutely ludicrous amount of confetti, and cranked up the volume irresponsibly high for their closer, “Race for the Prize.” It was pure euphoria. 

When The Flaming Lips inevitably return to Ogden for their sixth performance, don’t miss out. It’s a loud, bizarre, and overwhelming experience that somehow comes together unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. And while you wait, give PawPaw Rod and Citrus! a listen, as they’re both great projects well worth your time. Thank the heavens for Ogden Twilight.