The Flaming Lips

U.F.O.s at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City (Warner Bros.)

The Flaming Lips’ first live DVD is an appropriately extravagant affair, a two-hour celebration of the band’s notoriously elaborate shows. Recorded at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre, the 2006 hometown performance magnifies every live Lips trick, from the fan-trotting hamster ball and confetti guns to the fake blood and dancing Santas and aliens – coupled with the band’s descending from a Funkadelic-esque Mothership. Anchored by staples like “Race for the Prize,” “She Don’t Use Jelly,” and “Do You Realize??,” the set presents the Lips at their most exuberant, especially on versions of “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song,” blistering jam of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 2,” and exquisite encore of rarely performed “Love Yer Brain.” Though the between-song features with drug-addled fans become tedious, the behind-the-scenes setup of the show is impressive, and downloadable MP3s of the performance and customizable ring tones add solid extras.

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This article appears in December 21 • 2007.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.