flaming lips yoshimi 20th anniversary tour

Flaming Lips Add ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ Anniversary Shows

• By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

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The Flaming Lips have added more shows celebrating (a little belatedly) the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed album , Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots .

The new dates include a trio of shows in North Carolina and Tennessee in May, which have been slotted in amongst some previously-announced Yoshimi shows. The Lips also added a slew of summer concerts, starting with a June run that includes stops in Brooklyn, Cleveland, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Omaha, and Tulsa; that’ll be followed by four West Coast shows in August in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Bonner, Montana. (A full itinerary is below, with new dates in bold.)

Tickets for the new gigs will go on sale March 3 at 10 a.m. local time, with a pre-sale scheduled for March 2 at 10 a.m. local time. Full details are available on the Flaming Lips’ website . 

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The Flaming Lips will kick off their busy year on the road tomorrow, Feb. 28, at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. Before playing their Yoshimi anniversary shows, the band will warm up with their “An Evening With” tour , which will find them playing two-hour sets filled with material from throughout their catalog. 

Flaming Lips Yoshimi Anniversary Tour Dates May 5 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed May 7 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival May 8 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore May 10 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre May 11 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium May 11-13 – Live Oak, FL @ Echoland Music Festival May 25 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem May 27 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling Festival June 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre June 11 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater & Ballroom June 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater June 14 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park June 16 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse June 17 – Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theater August 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater August 22 – Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square August 23 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo August 25 – Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheatre

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Published: 2024/02/21

The Flaming Lips Extend ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ 2024 Tour

The Flaming Lips have extended the Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 2024 Tour, continuing to celebrate two decades of the band’s breakthrough 2002 album of the same name. Each night, the band will perform the project in its entirety, as well as other favorites from the band’s celebrated 41-year catalog. This update adds 15 shows to a tour that has endured since last spring and will now continue through the end of this summer.

After a previously announced week of Deep South dates that will run through Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana from April 20 to April 26, The Flaming Lips will venture into the desert, for a May 17 show at Albuquerque, N.M.’s Revel. The following night, the band will headline the hotly anticipated Pure Imagination Festival in Prescott, Ariz., alongside Sylvan Esso, The Pharcyde and Tanya Tucker, capping off its first 2024 run.

The Flaming Lips will return on June 21 to bring the reinvigorated Yoshimi tour to The Buddy Holly Hall in Lubbock, Texas. Through the next week, the band will make five stops around the Midwest, including appearances at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Mo. and the Everwise Amphitheater in Indianapolis, before concluding its June series at GLC Live at 20 Monroe Grand Rapids, Mich. on June 29. 

The band will kick off the East Coast leg of its tour with a show at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, N.C. on July 16. The following evening, the Flaming Lips will light up the summit of West Virginia’s Showshoe Mountain as it headlines 4848 Festival in the company of St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Greensky Bluegrass. Next, the band will veer north for a series of dates in Pittsburgh, Lewiston, N.Y. and LaFeyette, N.Y. on July 20, 22 and 23. After four months on the road, the pioneering indie outfit will wrap up its tour with engagements in New England, first at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine on July 25, and finally on the shore of Lake Champlain at Burlington, Vt.’s Waterfront Park on July 26.

The Flaming Lips released the 100-track 20th-anniversary edition of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in 2022. This reissue includes a sprawling collection of live versions and demo tracks beyond the original 11 entries. Upon its original release, the groundbreaking album marked a sonic shift for The Flaming Lips, as the group embraced electronic production even while staying true to its space rock and psychedelic roots. 

Tickets for the Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 2024 Tour will go on sale on Friday, Feb. 23 at 10:00 a.m. local time. More ticketing information is available on flaminglips.com . Read on for the complete list of tour dates. 

The Flaming Lips 2024 Tour Dates:  April 20 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, Fla.  April 21 – High Water Festival – Charleston, S.C.  April 23 – Avondale Brewing Co. – Birmingham, Ala.  April 24 – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans April 26 – The Adderley Amphitheater – Tallahassee, Fla.  May 17 – Revel – Albuquerque, N.M.* May 18 – Pure Imagination Festival – Prescott, Ariz. June 21 – The Buddy Holly Hall – Lubbock, Texas* June 23 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, Mo.* June 25 – McGrath Amphitheatre – Cedar Rapids, Iowa* June 26 – Everwise Amphitheater – Indianapolis* June 28 – Iroquois Amphitheater – Louisville, Ky.* June 29 – GLC Live at 20 Monroe– Grand Rapids, Mich.* July 16 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater – Wilmington, N.C.* July 17 – Koka Booth Amphitheatre – Cary, N.C.* July 19 – 4848 Festival – Snowshoe, W.V.* July 20 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh*  July 22 – Artpark – Lewiston, N.Y.* July 23 – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards – LaFeyette, N.Y.* July 25 – Thompson’s Point – Portland, Maine* July 26 – Waterfront Park – Burlington, Vt.* *new dates

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The Flaming Lips to Perform Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots on Newly Announced Tour

A run of headlining shows and festival appearances

The Flaming Lips will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by performing the album in full on an upcoming run of US tour dates.

Beginning in May, The Flaming Lips will stage performances of the album in Brooklyn, Cleveland, St. Louis, Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more. These new shows are in addition to previously announced festival gigs at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees and Boston Calling , as well as a run of career-spanning west coast shows taking place through early March. Check out the band’s full tour schedule below.

Tickets are available to purchase via Stubhub — where orders are 100% guaranteed through Stubhub’s FanProtect program.

The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne recently spoke to Consequence about 20 years of Yoshimi and the time Jack White gave him a fiber-optic Jesus at a Beck show. Revisit the conversation here .

Along with the upcoming tour, The Flaming Lips have several archival releases on the way: two sought-after fan favorite EPs, Fight Test and Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell , will be pressed on limited-edition vinyl for the first time on March 17th. Then on April 14th, their 20th anniversary edition of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots will be released as a 5xLP box set.

The Flaming Lips 2023 Tour Dates: 02/28 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * 03/01 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * 03/03 — Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe * 03/04 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl * 03/06 — Del Mar, CA @ The Sound – Del Mar Fairgrounds * 03/07 — Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues * 03/09 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre * 04/25 – London, UK @ Troxy ^ 04/28 – London, UK @ Eventim Apollo ^ 05/29 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo ^ 05/05 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed ^ 05/07 — Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival ^ 05/08 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore ^ 05/10 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre ^ 05/11 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium ^ 05/12-13 – Live Oak, FL @ Echoland Music Festival ^ 05/25 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^ 05/27 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling ^ 06/08 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre ^ 06/11 – Cleveland, OH @ Aragon Theater ^ 06/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater ^ 06/16 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse ^ 06/17 – Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theater ^ 08/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater ^ 08/22 – Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square ^ 08/23 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo ^ 08/25 – Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheatre ^

* = An Evening With… ^ = Full performance of  Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 

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The Flaming Lips announce ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ 20th anniversary reissue and concerts

The band will play their 2002 album in full in London and Washington next year

The Flaming Lips will celebrate two decades since their 10th studio album ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ with a deluxe reissue, as well as anniversary shows in London and Washington, DC.

• READ MORE: Life, death, love, drugs and spider-bites: Wayne Coyne looks back on 20 years of The Flaming Lips’ ‘The Soft Bulletin’

The band will release a six-CD box set edition on November 25, with a five-LP vinyl edition following on April 14 next year, both via Warner. The CD version – which will also arrive on streaming platforms – includes 50 previously-unreleased tracks, and “dozens” of rare cuts such as B-sides, demos, remixes, live versions and other rarities. The collection will also include hard-to-find covers of Pink Floyd , Radiohead and Kylie Minogue songs.

The vinyl edition, meanwhile, will contain “40 tracks never released on vinyl” and “over 30 previously unreleased tracks”. It will also come in a limited edition baby pink colourway. The songs in the CD box set that are not part of the vinyl edition will be released separately on vinyl in 2023, such as the 25-minute ‘Psychedelic Hypnotist Daydream’ demo and the ‘Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell’ and ‘Flight Test’ EPs.

To coincide with the announcement, the band have shared a version of ‘Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell’, recorded live during an XFM session in 2003. Listen to that below:

In addition to the reissues, the Flaming Lips have also announced two anniversary concerts for next year where they will perform ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ in full. The first will take place at the London’s Eventim Apollo on April 28, with another at The Anthem in Washington, DC on May 25.

‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ was originally released in July of 2002. Several of its songs have gone on to become among the band’s best-known, including the title track and ‘Do You Realize??’ In a four-and-a-half-star review at the time, NME described the album as “confident and imaginative”.

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“ ‘The Soft Bulletin’ may remain their ultimate masterpiece – in the way that it referenced every other record in the Lips’ career – but try to name another band who have lasted ten albums, each one more visionary than the last,” it read. “Can’t, can you?”

The Flaming Lips’ most recent album of original songs was 2020’s ‘American Head’, which NME called “a soft, reflective moment of taking in and appreciating the vista once the trip has worn off… and the dust has settled” in a four-star review .

In 2021, the band teamed up with young Canadian musician Nell Smith for an album of Nick Cave covers titled ‘Where The Viaduct Looms’. The collaborators performed ‘Red Right Hand’ together on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert earlier this year.

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Here Is The Flaming Lips’ ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 2024 Tour’ Setlist

Psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips kicked off their Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 20th anniversary tour last Saturday, and now, courtesy of Setlist.fm , we know what songs they’ll be playing in addition to their critically-hailed 2002 tenth studio album. The setlist is broken down into two pieces: the namesake album to open, followed by a selection of fan favorites from across their discography. The album recently came back into the public consciousness when the band’s de facto leader Wayne Coyne explained why famed director Aaron Sorkin dropped out of the project’s accompanying stage musical .

You can see the setlist below:

Set 1: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

01. “Fight Test” 02. “One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21” 03. “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1” 04. “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 2” 05. “In the Morning Of The Magicians” 06. “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell” 07. “Are You A Hypnotist??” 08. “It’s Summertime” 09. “Do You Realize??” 10. “All We Have Is Now” 11. “Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia)”

Set 2: 12. “She Don’t Use Jelly” 13. “With You” 14. “Flowers Of Neptune 6” 15. “Waitin’ For A Superman” 16. “What Is The Light?” 17. “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)” 18. “The Gold In The Mountain Of Our Madness” 19. “Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung”

Encore: 20. “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion” 21. “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” 22. “Race For The Prize”

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The Flaming Lips to Reissue Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots for 20th Anniversary

By Jazz Monroe

The Flaming Lips are reissuing Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots for its 20th anniversary year. A 6xCD box set arrive November 25, with a 5xLP package to follow on April 14 next year, all via Warner . The CD set has more than 50 unreleased tracks, and the vinyl set has more than 30, plus several that have never been on wax before. Among them are B-sides, demos, remixes, radio sessions, two live albums, and other rarities, such as covers of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam” and “Breathe,” Radiohead’s “Knives Out,” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.”

Any songs in the CD set that are not part of the initial vinyl collection will be released on vinyl separately next year, according to a press release. Those separate knickknacks include the two live albums (recorded in Boston and London) and the 25-minute demo “Psychedelic Hypnotist Daydream.” Additionally, the Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell and Fight Test EPs will be released on vinyl for the first time next spring.

Flaming Lips will also perform Yoshimi in its entirety in London and Washington, D.C., at Eventim Apollo (April 28) and the Anthem (May 25), respectively.

Read about The Soft Bulletin in Pitchfork’s new rundown of the best albums of the 1990s:

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By ABC News | February 20, 2024

The flaming lips announce 2024 ’yoshimi’ anniversary tour dates.

The Flaming Lips have announced a tour continuing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2002 album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots .

The newly added dates run from May 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to July 26 in Burlington, Vermont. Each night, the Lips will play Yoshimi in full.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 23, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit FlamingLips.com .

The Flaming Lips first launched the Yoshimi  anniversary tour in 2023. They also put out a deluxe reissue in honor of the milestone.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Flaming Lips to Issue 20th Anniversary Box Set of ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’

by Alli Patton October 1, 2022, 10:00 am

Yoshimi is back to battle the pink robots in a style fit only for a 20th-anniversary celebration.

Videos by American Songwriter

Comprised of an assortment of rarities from B-sides and demos to remixes and radio sessions, The Flaming Lips are issuing a box set in honor of the 20th year of their 2002 classic album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.

The limited edition deluxe anniversary set includes 5 LPs on baby pink vinyl, two live albums, and two records made up of exclusive content, such as covers of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam” and “Breathe,” Radiohead’s “Knives Out,” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” There are 56 tracks in the box set, 30 of which are previously unreleased with 40 that have never before been pressed to vinyl.

A digital version along with the 6 CD set is scheduled to arrive Nov. 25, the exclusive 5 LP package will follow next April 14. The band’s best-selling release, Yoshimi , was certified Gold with over 700,000 copies sold.

In 2023, the Flaming Lips will perform the album in its entirety at London’s Eventim Apollo in April and at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. in May.

Revisit Part 1 of the title track and get an idea of what to expect from the box set, below.

LP 1 – Original Album

• One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 2
• In The Morning Of The Magicians Side 2
• Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell
• Are You A Hypnotist
• It’s Summertime
• Do You Realize??
• All We Have Is Now
• Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon

LP 2 – Demos+

• All My Life – Morning Of The Magicians (Demo)
• Ego Tripping Part 2 or 3 (Demo)
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Demo)
• Hypnotist: Early Version (Demo)
• Epic Systems Delirium (Demo)
• In The Morning Of The Magicians (Demo) Side 4
• Do You Realize?? 1st Chords Wayne (Demo)
• Do You Realize?? Steven New Part (Demo)
• Fight Test: Primitive Demo With Helium Voice
• If I Go Mad/Funeral In My Head (B-Side of Do You Realize?? UK CD 1)
• Syrtis Major (B-Side of Do You Realize?? UK CD 1)

LP 3 – Non-LP+

• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Japanese Version)
• SpongeBob & Patrick Confront The Psychic Wall Of Energy (From The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
• Seven Nation Army (From LateNightTales: The Flaming Lips)
• Go (Sparklehorse with The Flaming Lips) (Alternative Version from The Flaming Lips Archives)
• The Deterioration Of The Fight Or Flight Response (B-Side of Fight Test UK CD 1)
• Fight Test (Live on WXRT)
• Do You Realize?? (Live on CD 101)
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (AOL Session)
• Waitin’ For A Superman (Live on WXPN)
• In The Morning Of The Magicians (Live on KCRW)
• White Christmas (Live on WXPN)
• The Golden Path (The Chemical Brothers, Feat The Flaming Lips)

LP 4 – Radio Sessions

• Suspicious Minds (Live on Cover-ed)
• Assassination Of The Sun (Live on BBC Radio 1) Maida Vale Session July 2002
• Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (Live on BBC Radio 1) Maida Vale Session July 2002
• Do You Realize?? (Live on BBC Radio 1) Maida Vale Session July 2002
• One More Robot (Live on BBC Radio 1) Maida Vale Session July 2002
• Do You Realize?? (Live on KEXP) Aug 5, 2002
• One More Robot (Live on KEXP) Aug 5, 2002
• Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (Live on KEXP) Aug 5, 2002
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Live on KEXP) Aug 5, 2002
• Breathe (Live on XFM) June 26, 2003
• Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell (Live on XFM) Nov 11, 2003
• Sunship Balloons (Live on XFM) Nov 11, 2003

LP 5 – Radio Sessions+

• Fight Test (Live on XFM) June 26, 2003
• Thank You Jack White (Live on XFM) June 26, 2003
• Do You Realize?? (Live on XFM) July 11, 2002
• One More Robot (Live on XFM) July 11, 2002
• Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (Live on XFM) July 11, 2002
• Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell (Live on BBC Radio 1) Oct 31, 2003 BBC Janice Long Show
• Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Live on BBC Radio 1) Oct 31, 2003 BBC Janice Long Show
• Sunship Balloons (Live on BBC Radio 1) Oct 31, 2003 BBC Janice Long Show
• Up Above The Daily Hum (B-Side of Do You Realize?? UK CD 2)
• Xanthe Terra (B-Side of Do You Realize?? UK CD 2)

Photo credit: Blake Studdard/Warner Records

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The flaming lips: yoshimi battles the pink robots: 20th anniversary edition.

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Granted, Yoshimi doesn’t explicitly sound like a classic rock album. If anything, it’s a more musically adventurous album than its predecessor, with the band more interested in incorporating electronics and noise into the more mellow groove that they found themselves in on Bulletin . However, it feels structured and deliberate in a way that none of their earlier work ever did. Some of this could be chalked up to the concept of the album, a rock opera about a girl who may or may not be Boredoms drummer Yoshimi P-We (except for the moments when it actually is her), but that concept falls apart pretty quickly in favor of Wayne Coyne’s ruminations on love, loss and the passing of time. That’s arguably for the best, as Yoshimi ’s finest moments (“Fight Test,” “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” and the sublime “Do You Realize??”) are among the best things that the Flaming Lips ever committed to record, while the songs that connect more to the concept fall a bit flat. In fact, the concept of Yoshimi is what holds it back from being the masterpiece that Soft Bulletin was, but given that the Lips were on a creative roll at this point in their career, Yoshimi was always unlikely to be a failure.

While the album itself absolutely holds up 20 years after its release, the expansive, 4-disc reissue is more of a mixed bag. There are demos here that unveil an interesting side to the band’s creative process but also sound odd given how intricate their recordings typically are. But this reissue isn’t as interested in showcasing the songwriting process of the Flaming Lips as it is in reinforcing the image that the Lips crafted for themselves around this time. So, rather than Yoshimi rarities, we’re treated to a barrage of covers, two concerts, tons of radio sessions, and the song they did for the Spongebob Squarepants movie. Some of these are larks that are hard to get annoyed with, but one can see the beginnings of the band’s shift from a creative force to a band for whom spectacle trumps everything. I’m not in a position to read Wayne Coyne’s mind, but it’s hard not to hear his pretty limp cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and not think that it exists as a small attention-grabbing stunt that precedes things like doing a full-album cover of Dark Side of the Moon and recording songs with Miley Cyrus. What’s more, while the live material sounds great, it also misses the point of the band’s live shows. Visuals are a crucial component to what made the band such a compelling and joyous live act around this time, and while some of that comes through on the recordings, it ultimately feels incomplete.

Ultimately, the breadth of what the Flaming Lips accomplished around the time of Yoshimi is perhaps too large to be captured on a box set. This was arguably the moment when the band’s lofty ambitions–which were always present but manifested in half-baked experiments like Zaireeka –were finally realized. It wouldn’t live long after this, either; the wan At War with the Mystics would follow a few years later, and a necessary reinvention soon followed. The album itself is the Lips at their peak as songwriters and recording artists, but the extras offer an incomplete portrait of who they were.

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Who are the Flaming Lips? A guide to music and more at the 2024 Word of South festival

T ake 100 artists and 50 events sprinkled across 10 stages over three days at Cascades Park and you have Word of South , a festival of literature and music. The words fly April 26-28 for the 10th year.

It's like everything everywhere all at once. You might miss something you had meant to see but on the way you'll stumble on something else delightful. There are events geared to children near the playground, for example, and cool seats inside for jazz lovers.

First thing, look for a map and schedule to grab when you enter the downtown park at 1001 S. Gadsden St. to help with locating the stages.

Sapped by the sun? There are abundant spots for cold libations, snacks and shady places under trees and awnings to revive yourself. Some events are inside in the air conditioned Marriott AC Hotel Ballroom while many artists perform under tents.

Keep an eye on the weather, though. Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, water and folding chairs come in handy. In case of rain, check Word of South social media .

The festival is all free except for the The Flaming Lips show on Friday.

Here's a guide to navigating all the culture.

Festival updates

• Tommy Prine will not be appearing at this year’s Word of South due to illness.
• Visit Tallahassee Director Kerri Post will replace Jay Revell as the moderator of our Bicentennial Panel at 3 p.m Saturday on the Midtown Reader Stage.
• Rebecca Renner has moved to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday instead of 3 p.m.

More festivals: Looking for fun events? Top 5 things to do around Tallahassee

First up: Flaming Lips kick it off

The Flaming Lips live in concert as the kick-off act of Word of South fest at The Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26. Tickets are $40 to $75. Almost sold out. Visit theadderleyamphitheater.com .

The first time the Grammy Award-winning The Flaming Lips played Tallahassee was when the novice Oklahoma City band had just released its debut album “Hear It Is” in 1986. The Lips, which also came back to the capital in 1987 when the follow-up “Oh My Gawd!!!” disc came out, were a loud, noisy, gee-tar band that played a blend of post-punk and psychedelic rock.

Initially, lead singer Wayne Coyne, on his first visit, still held onto his regular job as a fry-cook at Long John Silver’s. Coyne, who is also a gifted visual artist, got hired to draw a cartoon for Student Campus Entertainment T-shirts at Florida State.

In 1993, mainstream success strangely popped up when The Lips scored a hit single with “She Don’t Use Jelly.” Beavis and Butt-head called the song’s trippy video “college music” on MTV and the tune landed The Lips a guest spot on the then-smash teenage soap opera TV show “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Even the non-core audiences who recoiled at the band’s usual freak-out fare loved “Jelly.” Then it was back to experimental ways for The Lips. Just when it looked as if The Lips were destined to become a One-Hit Wonder of the Grunge Era, the band changed its sound, thanks mainly to the addition of multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd. The group transformed itself into something sounding like a symphony orchestra mixing it up in the parking lot with the world’s strangest pop band.

The recording studio practically became part of the new approach. The Lips’ lush album “The Soft Bulletin” blew nearly everyone away in 1999. “The Bulletin” paved the way for the gold-record selling concept album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002). The album’s swooningly melancholy single “Do You Realize??” quickly became a bittersweet anthem that people used on videos taken at births, funerals, graduations, and other major life events.

For a brief spell, “Do You Realize??” was named the state song of Oklahoma before a killjoy governor got elected and decreed, “Enough of that poignant stuff.”  

When The Flaming Lips outfit returns to Tallahassee to kick off this year’s annual Word of South festival in Cascades Park on Friday night, April 26, the band will play the “Yoshimi” album, track for track in order, for the LP’s 20th anniversary.

And, yes, “Do You Realize??” is the final cut on the album. For all the math nerds out there, “Yoshimi” was released 12 years ago but a little thing called the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way. Better late than never. Cue the robots. — Mark Hinson

Here's the whole shebang:

Jazz: Feel the rhythm as Latin and Cuban jazz take an energetic spin at Word of South

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 26

The Flaming Lips, 7:30 p.m., Adderley Amphitheater. Gates open: 6 p.m. Show starts: 7:30 p.m. *This is a ticketed event.

Black Opry: Black artists put folk and country music in spotlight at Word of South

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 27

10 a.m. - Move Walk (Meet behind the Amphitheater)

Adderley Amphitheater Main Stage

11 a.m. - Rickards High School Marching Raider Band

6:30 p.m. - The Currys / The Krickets

8 p.m. - Rising Appalachia

Literacy Lane Kids Events

Noon – 4 p.m. Leon County Schools STEAM Bus

Noon - Bracelet Making and Watercolor Art with FINACIOUS

1 p.m. - Maya Johnson , Founder of Maya’s Book Nook

1:30 p.m. - Good Morning Tallahassee , Leon County Schools

2 p.m. - Dylan Snowden

2:30 p.m. - Anna Blalock

3:30 p.m. - Storytelling Workshop

Salvation South Stage

2 p.m. - Daniel Wallace / Chuck Reece

3:15 p.m. - Abe Partridge / Jim White / Tad Bartlett

4:45 p.m. - Tommy Prine / Chuck Reece

Club Downunder Stage at Centennial

1:45 p.m. - 911

3:30 p.m. - Ally Free

5:15 p.m. - Daniel Bedrosian / George Clinton / The P-Funk All-Stars

Cascades Stage

1 p.m. - Allison Clarke

3 p.m. - Phabrik

4:30 p.m. - Katie Skene Band

Flamingo Magazine Stage

1:15 p.m. - Virginia Chamlee / Frank Douglas / Doug Moody

2:45 p.m. - Hotel Fiction

4:15 p.m. - Anne Hull / Diane Roberts

5:30 p.m. - The Sh-Booms

Florida Jazz & Blues Stage at the Marriott AC Hotel Ballroom

12:45 p.m. - Peter and the Wolf

2 p.m. - Anne Bogel / What Should I Read Next? Podcast

3:30 p.m. - Anne Bogel / Lauren Groff

5 p.m. - The Road to Now Podcast (Bob Crawford and Ben Sawyer) / Jonah Goldberg

Midtown Reader Stage

12:30 p.m. - FBA Fiction Panel: Pat MacEnulty / Thomas Reed / Kweku Abimbola / Jessica Stark

1:45 p.m. - FBA Non-Fiction Panel: Doug Alderson / Phillip Hubbart / Sarah McNamara / Jacki Levine

3 p.m. - Bicentennial Panel: Jay Revell / Ely Rosario / Mandy Stringer / Tiffany Baker / Rachel Porter

4:15 p.m. - Suzanne Allain / Michelle Johnson

5:30 p.m. - Ed Gray Tribute: Jennifer Portman / Jane Kamensky / Katherine Mooney

FSU Credit Union Stage at the Marriott AC Plaza

1:30 p.m. - Leon Timbo

3 p.m. - Tray Wellington

4:30 p.m. - The Psycodelics

Amicus Brewing Ventures Stage

2:30 p.m. - The Eyrie

4 p.m. - Robocromp

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Salvation stage south.

1:30 p.m. - The Black Opry: Ally Free / Leon Timbo

2:45 p.m. - Blind Boys of Alabama

4 p.m. - Blind Boys of Alabama Book Talk / Charles Driebe

Club Downunder Stage at Centennial Field

2:15 p.m. - Annie DiRusso

3:45 p.m. - Willi Carlisle

3 p.m. - Ginny Myers Sain / Sofia Camille

4:30 p.m. - Pat Puckett

1:15 p.m. - Tananarive Due / Melinda Michelle

2:30 p.m. - Kelsey Barnard Clark / Leon Majcen

4 p.m. - Sarah Morrison

12:45 p.m. - Roger Glenn

2 p.m. - Son d’Aqui

3:15 p.m. - Panel on Latin and Cuban Jazz

4:15 p.m. - Pan Con Bistec

12:30 p.m. - Rebecca Renner / Nancy Klingener

1:45 p.m. - Kyle Kimbrell / Kerry James Evans

4:15 p.m. - Sunshine State Biodiversity Group: Nathaniel Rich / Jeff VanderMeer

1:30 p.m. - Bill Wharton

3 p.m. - DJ Demp / Tokyo Extra0rdinaire

4:30 p.m. - Leyla McCalla

1:45 p.m. - Jim White / Mark Hinson

3:15 p.m. - Grant Peeples / Rosalee Walsh

FREQUENT Q&A

Can i bring my dog.

Yes! Your furry friend will love Cascades Park. Dogs are not allowed in the amphitheater area.

Can I bring a cooler?

No coolers. However, there will be food and drink vendors at the park during the festival.

Where can I park?

All State of Florida parking lots and garages labeled here are free and open starting 6pm Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28. See maps at wordofsouthfestival.com.

Where can I sit?

Word of South has open seating for all performances, except The Flaming Lips performance on Friday, April 26. The Saturday and Sunday Amphitheater shows are open seating in the seats and on the grass. All other outdoor performances will be under tents in the grassy areas of Cascades Park. Please bring your own portable chair, towels, or blankets to sit on. Chairs will not be available for stages designed on grassy slopes.

Is the park wheelchair accessible?

Yes, there is wheelchair accessibility throughout Cascades Park.

How do I access the Florida Jazz & Blues/Marriott AC Stage?

This stage is located in the ballroom of the Marriott AC, the new hotel at Cascades Park. The Marriott may be entered through the main entrance on Gadsden St. or the plaza facing Gaines St. To access the plaza, use the stairs directly behind the Capital City Amphitheater. (Need an elevator? Ask a festival volunteer for assistance.) The ballroom is on the same floor as the bar. Look for Word of South signage.

How do I access the Midtown Reader Stage and Bookstore?

These are both located in the Parkview Event space overlooking Cascades Park. The entrance is from the plaza facing Gaines St. Take the staircase behind the Amphitheater up to the plaza and look for Word of South signage.

What if it rains?

In the event of rain, Word of South performances will be moved to alternate venues. Check Word of South social media pages, or the Word of South app for schedule and location changes.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Who are the Flaming Lips? A guide to music and more at the 2024 Word of South festival