Get Psyched For WeezerLips Extravaganza

The Flaming Lips + Weezer

UPDATE – Full post on WeezerLips Extravaganza is here– including both night’s setlists and pictures, like the above shot via brooklynvegan …

The show ended with both band playing “She Don’t Use Jelly and “Undone (The Sweater Song)” together:

Also check out

 

Original post from July 27th below:

 

WeezerLips Extravaganza is tomorrow night at New Jersey’s PNC Bank Arts Center and Friday at Long Island’s Jones Beach. According to a July 11th press release, “Weezer and the Flaming Lips will trade off songs back and forth for the entire length of each concert, allowing them to take turns playing a few songs each in one big exciting set… This will be a first for both bands as they will take the stage together and trade off songs.”

Since neither band has played a concert like this before, it will almost certainly be unique – even if only for awkward moments, unprepared transitions and the zig-zag, two-ring circus “flow” of the concert.  It seems it will be much more than that though as pictures and videos tweeted by Wayne Coyne of his plans for a special dual-band intro have ticket-holders psyched.  The entrance involves members appearing on stage through the Lips’ giant video screen as it projects images of rainbows and people kissing, followed by Wayne surfing the crowd in a space bubble as Rivers does the same in an inflatable raft.  Pictures and more info here.

How will the band not playing occupy themselves?  Shoot confetti guns? Just stand and look on?  Dance in Wizard of Oz costumes?  Join in and jam?  Whatever happens, the rapport between the two bands should be interesting to see unfold (Weezer are long-time Flaming Lips fans; read more about Weezer hiring Lips producer Dave Fridmann to sound more like the Lips here,  hear Dave discuss his work on Pinkerton here).

There’s been no indication what Weezer or the Lips will play, though Pinkerton songs would be apt (most likely “El Scorcho”, “Pink Triangle”, “Across the Sea”, “The Good Life” or “Tired of Sex”).  Collaborative covers are a logical possibility – MGMT’s “Kids” for example (also produced by Fridmann), which both bands have covered at past shows.  Weezer may take a stab at playing a Lips song, or vice versa.  Also, both played complete albums live this month (on July 13-14th, Weezer are playing two shows in Tokyo, Japan featuring the entire “Blue Album” the first night and Pinkerton on the second; on July 7-8th The Flaming Lips played The Soft Bulletin at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, and on July 10th they covered Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at Dave Matthews’ Caravan Chicago).  Likely some cuts from these classic albums will be included (especially the “Blue Album”) and both bands will play their signature songs: “Island In The Sun”, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”, “Troublemaker”, “Do You Realize???”, “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”, “She Don’t Use Jelly”, “Perfect Situation”, “See The Leaves/ Laser Hands”, “Beverly Hills”, “Race For the Prize”, “Hash Pipe”, “Fight Test”, “Keep Fishin'”, “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”, “Pork And Beans”.

Weezer in particular – who recently played both one of their earliest songs “Longtime Sunshine” and Pinkerton out-take “Devotion” (for the first time since 1997) – will likely dig into some (slightly) deeper cuts as well (“Jamie”, “Photograph”, “Susanne”, “I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams”, “Don’t Let Go”, “You Gave Your Love to Me Softly”, “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)”.

And who knows, maybe they’ll collaborate on some epic Radiohead…

Fans that will be in New York City either day can avoid the pesky commutes to New Jersey and Long Island by traveling on Rocks Off Party Bus.  More info here for the PNC show and here for the Jones Beach show.

rocksoff: “We are running an air-conditioned, bathroom-equipped, sound system stacked, TV screen-rockin party bus from NYC to and from the shows, so you don’t need to worry about finding a ride, staying sober, dealing with the scumbags on public transportation (or the crowded-ass, un-airconditioned, non-bathroom equipped or sound system, NO-TV-having shuttle buses back to the NJT station after the show), or even learning where the hell “Holmdel, New Jersey” actually is…”

Videos and links to get psyched for the shows:

http://twitter.com/FutureHeartDay/status/96269291015507968

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