I, like many people, became aware of The Flaming Lips via 1993’s “She Don’t Use Jelly.” Weirdness like that occasionally breaks into the mainstream. The hard part is sticking around after.
The band threw themselves at the challenge in the years that followed and gained traction with two albums: 1999’s The Soft Bulletin and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The latter got the 20th anniversary treatment starting this past November, when a six-CD box set hit the market, and a five-LP vinyl version will follow in April.
But, considering their live-show reputation, hearing The Flaming Lips play the entire album in person seems like the purest way to appreciate what a remarkable compilation it is. You’ll have the opportunity to do that when the band brings their Yoshimi show to the Riverside Theater on June 13.
With a runtime of a little more than 45 minutes, the album will occupy a reasonable chunk of your typical Flaming Lips’ sprawling spectacle of a live performance. The tour announcement also pointed out that these shows will also include “a career-spanning selection of some of their greatest hits and fan favorites.”
You can get tickets for the band’s stop at the Riverside Theater via the eMember presale at 10 a.m. this Thursday, March 2 (code: “CHOCOLATE”), and the general sale that starts at 10 a.m. the following day online and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices.