‘The Fearless Freaks’ (l-r): Wayne Coyne, Michael Ivins, Steven Drozd, and Bradley Beesley

The Fearless Freaks

D: Bradley Beesley

Documentary Feature 24 Beats per Second

Taking a page from the earnest art-rock of the band it documents, The Fearless Freaks sheds a black light on the psychedelic life and times of the Flaming Lips. Regular Lips collaborator Bradley Beesley pulls few punches and manages to get behind the music without becoming Behind the Music. Founded on the punk ethos of if you can’t play well, play fast, the Lips hone their craft of experimentation without derailing along the way – a rare occurrence in the rock world. Freaks trips from home videos of budding Lips to the serendipitous prank call that landed them on Warner Bros. to the promotional nightmare that was the 4-CD Zaireeka to the unbridled acclaim of The Soft Bulletin. Along the way, the band’s friends and family create the backdrop of highs and lows that become the raw materials for the sound waves of every Flaming Lips album.
Paramount, 1:15pm

This article appears in March 18 • 2005.

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James graduated from Columbia University in 2000 and moved to Austin a year later. Ever since, he has followed the arts and video game scene in ATX, editing and writing stories for the Chronicle along the way. Over his more than 20 years with the paper he has climbed the "corporate" ladder from lowly intern to managing editor.