This issue of The Observer is dedicated to:
To all the freaks around the world in 2026!
Happy New Year!!!!
FIND TICKETS HERE
HAPPIEST OF NEW YEARS
In the waning moments of 2025, while in the depths of the song The Process, The Flaming Lips arrive yet again at the fleeting doorway to nirvana; the moment that keeps all of us coming back time and time again.
Within each Lips performance, there is a transcendent moment when the band and audience slip into an otherworldly synchronicity. Though elusive and difficult to define, this shared experience has been a vital and enduring element of The Lips’ live shows for decades.
Here, time itself stops. There is nothing worth anyone’s thoughts beyond the walls of the Anthem Theater on this chilly New Year’s Eve. In this moment and place, the music pours over the soul like summer rain on skin, releasing a deep, internal warmth and shimmering waves of light that blend into a single, dissolving sensation.
The band took the stage in peace and delivered fire. Whether it was the location, just a short distance from the wallowing war pigs of Washington D.C., or motivation from the recent online drama and criticism following the departure of longtime member Steven Drozd, here the band seemed to take the stage with superb confidence, ready to bring the cosmic heat to remind everyone of why this band and its music is so important to the world right now.
From the start, the latest edition of The Flaming Lips New Year’s Eve Freakout, their first since 2022, began with Sleeping on The Roof, the carefully fingered notes by Derek on piano cracked the silence that drew everyone in. Above the audience, hundreds of colorful balloons, sitting in darkness were poised in preparation for the midnight celebration.
Following Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots parts one and two, the power only increased with Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung, The Spark That Bled, Five Stop Mother Superior Rain and Christmas At The Zoo.
The band was under a bit of a deadline to complete a majority of the setlist before the new year countdown. Wayne said in past new year celebrations, “about 23 now”, he remembered he wanted to make sure the band was prepared and not too late to start the countdown.
The last Flaming Lips song of 2025 was The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song before the band took a quick break.
While the band walked off stage, someone from the audience yelled “we’re all going to get laid”. However, The Observer was not able to confirm if any of this happened as of press time.
After the stage was set and prepared, the band returned to perform the Scottish traditional holiday tune Auld Lang Syne before the start of a one-minute countdown at midnight.
Then, as the old year surrendered to the new, the band gently entered into The Process, a rare and relatively old piece of music. The song, although lyric-less, is poignant in its power to lead the listener into meaningful reflection. Celebrating the new year, love began to spread as quickly as the soft balloons bouncing through and over the audience.
The notes of The Process delivered perfectly as a love-filled pandemonium broke out from the balcony to the floor. Here, fans were not dreaming, yet simply in the throws of a short, but delightful vacation from their cordial selves. Within peace and punk rock, they were thrust amongst the happiest of the living, within a small venue, within a large city, that seems to need love and unity now more than ever.
By the end, a Lips audience never wants it to end. The crowd left floored and the Anthem had been transformed into something resembling a Seussian tale, interwoven melted faces, smiles, hugs and hi-fives that can only be described as one beautiful sea of humanity, that this band leaves in its wake at every stop.
Outside the chill air from the Potomac River snaps the wandering freaks back into reality as they stroll, the happiest of happy, into the dark Virginia night reborn from the nirvana of another Lips show.
So what now?
A new year begins. And, in the months to come the band will start another trip around the world to fans who will be waiting.
If leaving 2025 behind meant thumbing over a page to a new chapter, a new path of the band, then 2026 could be time when The Flaming Lips reintroduces to the world who they are. This new iteration of the band does not need to befriend or persuade its haters to continue their quest. With confirmation of a new album on the horizon, the path lies ahead of Wayne, Derek, Matt, Tommy, and AJ is there and theirs alone.
In 2025 fans were reminded that change can come unexpectedly and leave a period of pain and uncertainty. One day it will all be over, but right now “all we have is now.” The blessed memories of each time this band has taken the stage serve to remind the world that every show, is a gift.
December 31: NYE Freak Out:
The Anthem Theater: Washington D.C. December 31, 2025 – January 1, 2026
Sleeping on the Roof
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2
Turn It On
Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung
The Spark That Bled
Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
The Golden Path
Vein of Stars
She Don’t Use Jelly
Christmas At The Zoo
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
BREAK BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Auld Lang Syne (traditional Scottish folk song)
The Process
Do You Realize??
War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)
Race For The Prize
from the archives:
January 10, 2006
“The W.A.N.D. (The Will Always Negates Defeat)”
Single
January 25, 2013
“Sun Blows Up Today”
Single
January 6, 2017
“We a Famly”
Single
January 13, 2017
“Nigdy Nie (Never No)”
Single
January 13, 2017
Oczy Mlody
Studio Album
38 years ago
The Flaming Lips – Black Easter Concert (January 30, 1988)
Video: thesatellitehead
Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)
One Million Billionth Of A Millisecond On A Sunday Morning
Ode To C.C. Pt. 2
Can’t Stop The Spring
Unplugged
With You
Prescription: Love
Maximum Dream For Evil Knievel
Scratchin’ The Door / Who Do You Love
Staring At Sound
9 years ago
The Flaming Lips – Live at O2 Academy Brixton in London, England (January 21, 2017)
Video: thesatellitehead
Race For The Prize
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1
There Should Be Unicorns
Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung
What Is The Light?
The Observer
How??
Space Oddity (David Bowie cover)
The Castle
Are You A Hypnotist??
The W.A.N.D.
A Spoonful Weighs A Ton
Do You Realize??
New Album Rumors True!
The Flaming Lips have confirmed that the band has been working on a new album with producer Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios. The news was posted on the band’s Instagram page. The post included a screenshot of Fridmann’s Tarbox News/Notes summay of 2025.
In the notes the studio reported that on December 3 2025, the band was at the studio working on a new album. There is no other news posted in relation to the new album, a release date is unknown at this time.
Tarbox Road Studios also confirmed that the band has been working on a couple of other projects with Fridmann, including an possible anniversary edition of “At War With The Mystics” and a “live show” from the band’s recording archive.
First U.S. Dates Announced For 2026 As World Tour Continues To Build
Fans in the United States celebrated the announcement of the band’s first domestic shows of 2026, with spring performances in Wyoming and Colorado.
The first show in the United States will be held in Teton Village, Wyoming, near Jackson Hole, Saturday March 28, as the band headlines the Rendezvous Music Festival.
The Flaming Lips will perform on Saturday May 30, along side My Morning Jacket and Dawes at the Outside Days festival in Denver.
Outside Days, rebranded from the Outside Festival, is a creation of Outside Inc., who is hosting its annual festival for the third consecutive year. Outside Days will take place at the Auraria Campus located at 1201 5th Street in Denver from May 28 through 31. The music is in conjunction with Outside’s annual outdoors industry conference set for May 28-29.
The festival was originally held in Denver’s Civic Center Park, but due to construction the festival venue was changed to the Auraria Campus, located on the southwest edge of the Denver metro area.
The band then prepares for thousands of waiting fans in Europe and the United Kingdom this summer. Click here for more information about tickets.
Confirmed dates for 2026: … so far
March 28 – Teton Village, Wyoming: Rendezvous Music Festival
May 15 – San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico: Chrysalis Festival (other notables include Empire of the Sun, Disclosure)
May 30 – Denver, Colorado: Outside Days festival
June 15 – Vienna, Austria: Gasometer
June 17 – Milan, Italy: Parco Della Musica
June 18 – Bologna, Italy: Bonsai Gardens
June 20 – Prague, Czechia: At the Letnany Airport (other notables include Nick Cave, Sting, Slowdive)
June 22 – Belgrade, Serbia: Luka Beograd
June 23 – Zagreb, Croatia: Inmuic Festival (other notables include Gorillaz, Idles, Jack White)
June 25 – Athens Greece: Release Athens Festival – SOLD OUT
July 16 – Galway, Ireland: Galway International Arts Festival (with Mercury Rev)
July 23 – Halifax, United Kingdom: The Piece Hall (co-headline with The Beta Band)
July 26 – Suffolk, United Kingdom: Latitude Festival (other notables include David Byrne, Lewis Capaldi)
So What’s In A Tour?
From performing in some of the oldest PLACES on earth, to reuniting with members of Mercury Rev, the 2026 tour is shaping up to be an incredible exploration of music and the human experience
Following 60,000 miles of touring all over the world in 2025, The Flaming Lips are using some much deserved down time to recover, and plan the road ahead. With a flurry of announcements over the past 10 weeks, the band is set to perform in some pretty incredible locations in 2026.
When spring arrives in North America, the band will absorb itself within arguably one of the most fascinating tour stops of the year; The Chrysalis Festival.
Located near San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, The Chrysalis Festival is an all encompassing fusion of art and music spanning three days from Thursday May 14, through Saturday May 16.
The Flaming Lips are set to perform on Friday May 15, on one of three stages within the festival grounds.
The festival unfolds in a wide open natural setting, where the horizon and the sky becomes part of the stage. Temporary structures such as translucent domes, fabric sculptures, and glowing installations that shift with the light from day to night are erected all over the place.
By day, the land is calm and expansive. By night, it transforms into a bioluminescent village of sound, color and movement. Music drifts from multiple directions, blending electronic, experimental, and ritualistic performances with moments of silence and ambient sound. Art isn’t confined to galleries; it surrounds the audience with interactive pieces, roaming performers, and communal spaces designed for reflection, collaboration and play.
Empire of the Sun is the festival headliner and host, while workshops, ceremonies, and shared meals invite strangers to connect, creating a temporary community built on openness, love and curiosity.
The idea of The Chrysalis Festival is that attendees will arrive carrying their everyday identities and leave with the sense that something has shifted — perspective widened, habits softened, imagination reawakened.
Sounds like a great fit for The Flaming Lips.
When The Lips begin their summer campaign on June 15, their first performance will be within a 19th-century relic of European industrial power, the Gasometer in Vienna Austria.
Built between 1896 and 1899, the Gasometers’ original purpose were to store natural gas and other raw materials that were used to power Vienna. In 1984 the facilities were shut down and abandoned until 1995, when the city of Vienna hired architects to redevelop the buildings for modern uses. One of the Gasometer buildings was transformed into a concert venue that has hosted some of the biggest bands in the world.
Seeing a concert inside the Gasometer in Vienna is a little surreal — in the best way. From the outside, the building still feels monumental and industrial; a massive 19th-century brick cylinder. Walking in, you’re aware you’re stepping into history, but the interior has been transformed into a modern, vertical concert space that feels both intimate and dramatic.
Inside the hall, the circular architecture shapes the entire experience. The stage sits low, and the audience of about 2,000-3,000 rises around it in tiers, so even when the room is full, there’s a sense of closeness between the performers and the crowd. The brick walls curve upward, enclosing the sound and giving the music a weighty, resonant presence, especially powerful for rock or electronic music, or atmospheric theater. The Gasometer dosen’t feel sterile like a typical modern arena; it feels textured, alive and slightly raw.
Just two days later, the Lips will perform at the Parco della Musica auditorium located on the eastern edge of Milan, Italy as part of the city’s summer concert series.
The next night, just 130 miles down the road in Bologna, the band will perform at the BOnsai Garden on June 18.
“BOnsai is the link between sound and nature, between music and the environment. A summer music festival amidst the greenery of Bologna, under a starry sky”, according to the BOnsai website.
Following 20 years away, The Lips return to Prague to perform on June 20 at the Metronome Festival. Held on the grounds of the Letňany airport, the outdoor festival will also feature performances by Sting and Nick Cave.
On Monday June 22, the Luka Beograd venue will host the Lips in Belgrade, Serbia. The following night in Zagreb, Croatia, the band will perform at the Inmuic Festival with other notable bands including Gorillaz, Idles, and Jack White.
Just two days later on June 25, the Lips will perform with Gorillaz again at the Release Athens Festival 2026. This festival is already sold out.
Labeled as “one of the most important music events in Athens and across Greece”, the Release Athens Festival is held at an open-air venue on one of the oldest sea ports in human civilization.
Nearby, the 5th-century B.C. temple complex Acropolis of Athens towers over the valley. Fans will be excited to see what songs will shake the ground beneath one of the oldest cities in the world.
Interestingly enough the oldest street in Europe, the 2,500 year-old Tripodon Street, is located nearby.
On Thursday July 16 The Flaming Lips join with Mercury Rev to perform at the Galway Arts Festival at the Festival Big Top in Galway, Ireland.
On Instagram, Mercury Rev said they were exctied to be “playing a show with our longtime friends, The Flaming Lips!”
Will there be any old school song bust outs between Mercury Rev and The Lips? We will be excited to see.
Following the Galway festival, the band returns for another short tour of the United Kingdom with shows planned for Halifax and Southwold, both labeled as outdoor shows.
In Halifax The Lips will perform with The Beta Band at Piece Hall. Three days later the band is on the lineup for the Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk.
The multi-instrumentalist, studio craftsman and overall musical Swiss Army knife, Steven Drozd, has announced his departure from The Flaming Lips following a 34-year journey of musical exploration and creation that has helped to shape one of the most important and impactful bands in the history of music.
Drozd, 56, made his official announcement on December 21, writing on Threads: “Wayne and I have parted ways after 33-34 years. I’m making some new music I’m excited about and plan to have an LP out in spring or summer. I can’t thank all the fans enough for support and concern, and I wish the Lips well”.
Drozd’s announcement followed days of speculation that left fans holding their breath following a cryptic post on Threads where Drozd said the band was “done with me”.
On December 17, Drozd replied to a comment on one of his posts on Threads stating “They’re done with me – but we’re not talking about it. So yes I’m moving on. Just keep it to yourself for now. OK?”
Drozd later deleted the comment, but not before it was widely reported that this comment was his official announcement that he was no longer with the band. The very next day, Drozd followed up on Threads with; “What do you call it when a Gen Xer makes a Boomer mistake? That’s what I did yesterday here on Threads lol”.
This comment further fanned the flames of speculation, as thousands of fans from around the world chimed in. Some fans immediately sought to find blame, some demanded an explanation either from the band or Drozd himself, and many stated their disbelief and sadness that Drozd’s tenure with the band was coming to an end.
After more than a year of absence from performing with the band, Drozd’s post on December 17 seemed to ignite a furious debate about the band’s legacy and future. Following 14 months of online rumors and speculation, Drozd’s absence and the band’s future seemed to come to a head publicly.
Drozd’s initial, and subsequently deleted, comment that the band “was done” with him fueled rumors that The Flaming Lips had already previously removed Drozd from the group. However, after reviewing posts from the past year, The Observer could not find any comments in interviews or online posts that suggested The Flaming Lips had publicly moved on, or removed Drozd from the group.
Early on December 21, drummer Matt Duckworth-Kirksey posted a personal statement that the online comments following Drozd’s December 17 post were “hard to read”.
“Being in a band, for a long time, that never really stops touring is hard. Some People can hack it for 5 years, some people can hack it for 25 years… A lot of great friends and better people have come and gone along the way. I still love them, and miss them, and some of them are my family,” — Kirksey on Instagram
Drozd’s absence was first felt in the fall of 2024 when The Flaming Lips were touring with Weezer during Weezer’s Voyage To The Blue Planet tour.
AJ Slaughter was brought in to fill in for Drozd, but at the time there was no official word as to why Drozd wasn’t performing with the band. Then came the fan comments that without Drozd, The Flaming Lips could no longer creatively function and were finished as a band.
“This idea that Steven was THE musical genius, and Wayne is just some weirdo artist … Its just not true. Wayne pushes the creativity, the sound, and the show forward, like no artist I’ve ever been around. Being in The Lips is hard … I remember before I was in the band, I would see them rehearsing for hours and hours and think… man … thats brutal. But once you get to be a part of that vision… its fucking exhilarating. It’s fucking FUN. Its Wayne’s drive to be great that makes it all possible. Always has, always will,” — Kirksey on Instagram
To understand the impact of Steven Drozd on music and on The Flaming Lips, one would need volumes of materials and oodles of free time to absorb it all.
Drozd joined the band in 1991 and his contributions are credited with helping to transform The Flaming Lips from a noisy, punk-leaning indie band into a lush, melodic, emotionally resonant, and sonically adventurous one.
Over the decades, the fusion of minds between Drozd and Coyne would grow the band into a creative powerhouse, producing multiple records listed in the top 100 albums of all time, earning 11 Grammy nominations and winning six awards in the process.
But fans and critics credit Drozd with the melodic clarity, chord progressions, and structural coherence that define albums like The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Drozd’s writing often carries a sense of fragility, resilience, and quiet optimism. Together however, their songwriting brought a sense of hope, melancholy, and emotional vulnerability that became central to the band’s identity.
The partnership between Drozd and Coyne is commonly cited as one of the greatest creative duos in modern psychedelic music.
From this duo, the songs and their influence are frequently described as comforting, bittersweet, and life-affirming — helping give The Flaming Lips their reputation for music that feels both cosmic and deeply human.
Over the past 34 years, Drozd had not previously taken any extended periods of time away from the band. Sure there have been collaborations, side projects, and other down time, but since the fall of 2024, Drozd’s absence kept fans speculating, with many demanding answers.
But was it up to The Flaming Lips to speak for Drozd?
In an interview in March 2025, just as the band was set to perform in Tokyo, Japan, Coyne tried delicately to describe Drozd’s absence as a result of a substance abuse relapse. Followed by warmth as Coyne fondly said Drozd’s stepping away from the band was for the best and he “genuinely feared Steven wouldn’t survive, due to serious struggles with drugs and alcohol”.
There had been posts online by attendees of Lips shows in late 2024 that suggested Drozd’s use of alcohol and or other substances had been affecting his performances on stage. While some fan comments were posted saying that the band couldn’t survive without Drozd, many more fans reminded others that, given Drozd’s history with substance use, the best thing for everyone to do was to give Drozd and his family the time and space to heal.
That seemed to keep the speculation at bay, for a time.
Over the past year, The Flaming Lips have been performing to sold out shows all over the world. The band has reintroduced older songs back into the performance rotation and AJ Slaughter’s contributions seemed to give new layers and life to the music.
“I just want to say… If you haven’t heard this newest iteration of the band, give us a shot. The music, and the show is better than ever. And remember… NONE of this ever happens without Wayne.” — Kirksey on Instagram
Derek Brown has also responded to speculation, reminding fans that there are other members of the band who are making incredible contributions to the music.
“Derek has been in this band for 16 years. I’ve been in it for 12 years. It’s our blood, sweat, and tears as well. We’ve given our whole selves to this thing … Because we love it, and believe in it.” — Kirksey on Instagram
From December 17, when Drozd first posted on Threads that the band was “done” with him, to his official announcement on December 21, thousands of fans around the world made their opinions known. The rush to judgment, conclusions, or blame seem to have cast a long shadow over the band as it prepared for its New Year’s Eve Freakout in Washington D.C.
So far the band has over a dozen shows scheduled in 2026, as the momentum of the 2025 world tour seems to be keeping the fire of The Lips alive, fueled with the prospect of a new album in production with producer Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios.
“There is new music on the way and I think its the best thing we’ve done in ages. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Come see us this summer if you get a chance.” — Kirksey on Instagram
Going back through the 40-year catalog of The Flaming Lips, this is a band that rarely says goodbye plainly. Instead, they explore what it feels like when things slowly, painfully, or beautifully fall apart, whether that’s love, friendship, certainty, or life itself.
WATCH:
Dave Fridmann on Triple J’s Producer Series featuring Wayne Coyne
The Flaming Lips Have Landed (2000 Documentary)
Editor’s Message
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL BEAUTIFUL FREAKS!!!
As someone who is forever the optimist, the new year always brings a sense of renewal. As the long, cold, lonely winter gives way to spring -whether you are here in the United States or around the world – I am grateful that The Flaming Lips are continuing to perform their music for the world in some of the most iconic and beautiful venues ever constructed. Just the thought of them on tour again this year warms my soul.
With performing come the rigors of the road and the mental challenges of keeping a band humming along. For me, it’s humbling to know that this band has the freedom to make sure everyone working in the organization has the space to care for themselves, as the world seemingly creates new challenges for all of us to endure.
And it’s also a reminder for us all, to love and care for each other and ourselves.
***
Thank you to Steven Drozd for 34 incredible years. I have stood before this musician in the audience many times left in awe. Thank you for the music. Godspeed and good luck.
The Observer reached out to Steven in early December wanting to know if he would be interested in talking out his posts on social media featuring his new music. His enthusiasm and excitement seemed to radiate from the posts themselves, and we simply wanted to ask where he was creatively. Well, we were surprised and excited to hear back from him that he was open to “having a conversation,” about the new music. So far, the interview hasn’t happened. The recent news seemed to make any conversation moot at this point. But the offer still stands.
***
Well, we are all reeling from the bombshell announcement that Steven has officially left the group. Right now, it appears that sides are being chosen. It reminds me of when The Beatles broke up. At that time fans were either on the side of Paul McCartney or John Lennon.
Buy why should sides matter? Why should anger, blame, resentment matter? Because it’s natural, and part of the grieving process? Or do people just crave drama and want to cast blame?
Personally, I go back to the Lollapalooza 94 tour with The Flaming Lips, and I will not be choosing sides. I will be cheering on the creative force of Steven and wherever that should lead him and continuing to follow and support the collective of the band and their journey.
History is the best teacher, and if history has taught us anything is that some bands go through change. It might not be pretty, or fun, or expected. But the inner addict in me always reminds myself that “we can only change what we can control”.
It probably does not mean much coming from a random blog like this, but we should not throw people in our lives away due to a falling out. If you think about it, Steven and Wayne have spent over half their lives making music together. Does this split warrant ill will between them individually, or, between the other members of the band? Maybe. But time will tell. Time and space to allow these creative forces to reflect, to understand, and perhaps reconcile one day.
Perhaps one day we will see Steven on stage with The Lips again. Down the road, long after the dust has settled and years have passed, Steven could one day sit in with the band again. Well, we can dream anyway.
I just hope that Steven understands that the little boy in the picture below, is loved by fans around the world. And little did this boy know at the time of this picture, that one day, this young soul would go on to influence countless number of musicians, change the world of music, and remind us that artists like him are critical to the human experience.
***
Speaking from my own experience, when I was in the throws of addiction, I ruined lots of relationships. Most I was able to repair during my years of sobriety. Getting sober meant losing relationships. I had lost people in my life due to my substance abuse and I had lost people in my life for choosing to leave substance behind to get sober. One of my best friends was a guy I met from Oklahoma City. Since most of my family lives in Oklahoma City, we knew the same people, places, landmarks and music, including The Flaming Lips.
We would talk for hours about the band, our favorite albums and songs and shows we went to. I ruined that friendship during my addiction due to my lack of honesty. In the immediate years after getting sober, I made my best efforts to make amends to everyone I had harmed. That process took years. This particular friend is the only person who decided my amends and life change were not going to repair the damage. And that is OK; not everyone is going to forgive and forget. Still, when it came to a friendship rooted in music and cultivated through a love of The Lips, losing that friendship still hurts.
But I’ll leave the light on, just in case.
***
As to the future of The Flaming Lips?
As I write, I’m about five and a half miles above the Earth sailing over a winter landscape in a plane en route to D.C. and I’m listening to the band from 2025, revisiting shows from U.K. to Europe, the summer tour at home and a few other tour stops marvelling of the positive momentum of this band.
If any of you have watched this group play live recently, then you know they are performing at a high level. My frustration with some fans and their comments online is just that, frustration. I am not trying to invalidate people’s feelings towards the recent news, or what it all means to others. I do think the casting of blame is unnecessary.
Art is subjective, it means different things to different people. If art is strong – and is meant to last over time – then it will evolve over time and grow, just like humans grow and evolve over time. And to me, music is the ultimate art-form.
What are The Flaming Lips to do?
Pack it up, call it a career and quit?
Hardly. The notion that The Flaming Lips are finished is laughable to me. From my perspective The Flaming Lips are a collective of artists, each individually brilliant in their own way. When brought together, they give us a musical experience that is as authentic and genuine as music can get.
From the The Flaming Lips we are reminded that parting, separation, and letting go are recurring themes in their music, often framed with tenderness, fear, or cosmic acceptance rather than clean goodbyes.
In “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate“, the music addresses the emotional and psychological unraveling — relationships drifting apart as identity dissolves. In “All We Have In Now“, we are to accept the impermanence and the inevitability of moments passing.
In “Try To Explain“, a farewell spoken in hindsight, as if after the chance to say goodbye has already passed. From the “The Gash“, losing someone to emotional or existential collapse — a separation caused by inner turmoil. And “In The Morning Of The Magicians“, the reference to death and rebirth — parting as transformative.
But this band is also part of a larger fight against the forces of evil in our world today. During the past year, the band has brought back some old songs to remind us there is a stout resistance at work protesting institutions of people who would deny the freedoms of other people, the rights of individuals to live and love freely and make the life choices important to them.
The Flaming Lips are in their own way at work protesting these forces, but not with posts or words in a press release, but from the force of their music. If you can not see this at work, then
I invite you to look deeper into the music and the sets they are performing live. They performed their New Year’s Eve Freakout in Washington DC, I believe, as a way to show to the world and those in power close by, that a group of beautiful humans can gather to share love, honesty, empathy and togetherness, and that those forces are more powerful than oppression and those war pigs that seek to divide us.
But here’s the bottom line. The band decided it wasn’t going to pack it up and lay dormant following Steven’s departure. A lot of credit goes to Derek for keeping the momentum going through all the uncertainty. In October Derek told The Observer that, while the band has been performing on stage this year, he has looked over from his area at Wayne, AJ, Matt and Tommy and “feel like we’re unstoppable.”
I have felt this unstoppable power, I and I know for certain others have too.
I believe The Flaming Lips is a band without creative limits. With Tommy and Matt producing and releasing new music this year alone, it is only natural that there is more new music to come from this group under the umbrella of the band.
At the end of the day, haters are gonna hate, critics for and against will make their voices known if they feel the urge to.
But for me…
… long love The Flaming Lips.
***
Welcome to Issue 13
Well, here is the first issue on the new WordPress system. Watcha think? There is still some work to be done, like archiving our fan interviews so they can have a permanent space on The Observer website for millions of years to come. But for me, this is already a great new space to play with, and I’m proud to report there is much more cool shit to come with video and fun gifs. We got everyone who signed up via email transferred over to this system without any issues.
However, there hasn’t been any responses to our interview requests lately. And that’s totally ok.
So, long story short, we will continue to do what we can to produce this newsletter each month. But, if there is no participation, then, we’ll only be able to publish what we can — when we can — maybe every other month for example. If anyone out there wishes to contribute art, words, pictures, essays, or anything creative, please feel welcome to reach out.
***
Please think about referring this newsletter to your friends, or drop the link into your groups or whatever. This newsletter was designed for fans who maybe are not on social media. The mission of this newsletter is to celebrate the fans and the music of The Flaming Lips. This is a safe space for those wanting to share stories of their connections to the music and the band.
***
Parting shot:
all together again.
Founded January 1, 2025
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– W. Woody
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