Column: The Flaming Lips switch from album to musical

Rolling atop fans in a hamster wheel, composing a 24-hour-long song and selling music in an edible gummy fetus: These are the workings of the Flaming Lips.

With the band having such an eclectic history, it was only time before fans wondered: What will they do next?

The answer has finally arrived. The Flaming Lips will debut a musical this year.

The world premiere of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” will be in November 2012, with the show continuing through December. The story encompasses music from multiple Flaming Lips albums, including “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” “The Soft Bulletin” and “At War with the Mystics.”

The story revolves around Yoshimi, a Japanese girl, as the album’s familiar protagonist who must battle for life in a robotic world. 

“Yoshimi” was written by Des McAnuff, an artistic director who is no stranger to rock operas. McAnuff directed “The Who’s Tommy,” the 1993 Broadway show adapted from The Who’s 1969 album “Tommy,” as well as the more recent “Jersey Boys.”

Rock operas based on albums are not a new phenomenon. The Who and Green Day have also had successful musicals. However, there is no doubt that “Yoshimi” will be different. “She Don’t Use Jelly” was the Flaming Lips’ only U.S. chart-topping hit, yet they are critically acclaimed, and their fame is beyond a number on the chart. Their psychedelic rock has a unique sound, but what sets them apart are their marketing and performance.

Their live performances are extravagant, energetic and strange, just like them. Some lucky IU students experienced a Lips concert when Union Board brought them for Little 500 in 2010. The concerts feature costumes, including gigantic hands worn by frontman Wayne Coyne, balloons, confetti and elaborate lights. The group does not just perform its songs — it creates a heightened interactive experience.

The stage of a theater is another outlet for the Flaming Lips’ presentation and creativity to flourish. For a band that has been around since 1983, it is logical to want to try a new format for its music to be heard. The idea of enhancing an audience’s experience through dramatic lights, props and costumes is nothing new to the band, yet the storyline and character development allow them to create an exciting and deep median to listen to its music.

One can only hope that “Yoshimi” will receive positive reviews by Flaming Lips fans and theater critics alike.

And, who knows, maybe they’ll even sell the tickets in edible chocolate puppies.

­— bfinkel@indiana.edu