The Flaming Lips Bring Holiday Cheer to Chicago

After the relative disappointment of opener Phoenix's brief performance at XRT's Big Holiday Show at All State Arena in Chicago Friday night, headliner the Flaming Lips cheered up the crowd in a big way. In typical Lips fashion, Wayne Coyne and band brought the raucous -- specifically, confetti, helium balloons, sensual visuals, an eight-foot-tall dancing caterpillar and snow flurries.

Friday was the Lips' first appearance in Chicago since their show at the Pitchfork Fest in July. Not much had changed from their set list except the addition of three new songs from their latest album, 'Embryonic.' 'Silver Trembling Hands', 'See the Leaves' and 'Convinced of the Hex' represented the album, while the rest of the songs were a mix of oldies but goodies.

'Race for the Prize' opened the evening, with Coyne transforming into a human gerbil and rolling himself in a gigantic bubble across his fans' heads, while confetti sprayed out of cannons and balloons bobbed high into the air. Repeatedly yelling, "C'mon motherf---ers!" in a drill sergeant demeanor, Coyne got the audience to maintain a high energy level throughout the set.

The band turned political on 'The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song,' when Coyne explained, "Joy is ten times louder than anger." During 'Taps,' Coyne somberly blared his trumpet to the crowd, who had formed peace signs with their fingers. The dirge was immediately juxtaposed with 'The W.A.N.D,' which featured ebullient costumed friends, flashing strobes and a smokey haze that engulfed the band. The Lips have always been good at interacting with their faithful followers, and this night was no different. For 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,' Coyne dragged a few lucky audience members onstage, sat down on a couch with them and sparked a sing-along.

Right before their last song, Coyne gushed about Chicago's radio stations being the first to give their 1993 smash hit 'She Don't Use Jelly' airplay, which led the rest of the country to eventually discover it. With that sentiment in mind, the Lips burst into 'Jelly,' accompanied by an array of streamers shooting out from cannons, pieces of confetti scattering all over the place, visuals of breakfast food being eaten in a bathtub, and the audience contentedly waving their hands back and forth in unison.

The band ended on usual closer 'Do You Realize??' But in the spirit of the season, they threw in a surprise with a rendition of 'White Christmas.' Coyne placed a megaphone over his mouth and sang the classic tune in a distorted, robotic voice as another band member sprinkled fake snow onto his salt-and-pepper hair. Absorbing the heart-warming moment, couples throughout the venue embraced one another before heading out into the chilly night.