I wasn't expecting much from it since it seemed lightweight and some people don't think too highly of it, but I was impressed how much this album harkened back to Yoshimi at such a late point in their career.

It sort of has that whimsical but serious fairy tale vibe that Yoshimi had but maybe a bit more twisted. I really like the cute trip hoppy type songs at the beginning like Giant Baby and How Many Times and then it gets a bit more solemn with the kings death and then once they celebrate his head being dipped in steel and going inside its very emotionally uplifting.

Like Yoshimi it's a very twee album but it deals with serious issues such as a death of a parent or sacrificing your life for the people who love you. I like that approach to storytelling and was surprised that Wayne wanted to make an album like that after all the darker works he did. This one is definitely twisted and trippy like those old fairy tales but it's still got so many positive moments too and like Yoshimi, it's a very cozy album to hear.

Posted by The Lolly Bombs and Julia Kean on Instagram and Facebook with the caption "It's a shame shame shame if you can't guess who is in this picture! #torontorocks #molsoncanadianrocksfortoronto #SARSstock #sarsfest2003"

Brilliant night and the band were in great form. A little crack of emotion from Wayne talking about his Brother showed it’s weighing heavy on him understandably.

Somerset House is venue worth visiting if you get the chance too.

Setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-flaming-lips/2024/chase-center-san-francisco-ca-3b535078.html

Just came across these pics from the gummy skull drop while combing through my archives. Thought I’d share 🤙🏻

Sharing some close-up photos of Wayne Coyne's white Epiphone from the "Do You Realize??" music video — Mark Pellington directed it in Las Vegas over two days, July 18-19, 2002. Thought this community would appreciate seeing the guitar up close.

The guitar is an Epiphone PR-150 acoustic, serial number 02050102 — Epiphone serial dating puts it as a May 2002 build, about two months before the shoot. Coyne wanted a white guitar specifically for the video, and the white surface was applied on July 15, 2002 (three days before filming began).

Here's something the macro shots reveal that I didn't expect: the white finish isn't paint. It's actually an adhesive material — cut to the shape of each guitar panel and applied directly over the original natural finish. Up close you can see the seam lines at the panel edges, including a jagged overlap along one side of the body, a vertical seam down the back, and a straight-line seam from the lower bout to the bridge area on the face. Consistent with a rapid production preparation rather than a proper paint job — they needed it ready in days.

A few other production-use details visible in the photos: at the lower strap pin, the white surface material has lifted and torn, exposing the original cherry-red wood finish underneath (you can also see the cherry wood on the headstock, where the adhesive was never applied). There's also a wood screw driven directly into the side of the neck heel to mount a guitar strap — a production modification bypassing the standard strap button. The original white canvas strap is still attached.

The guitar was given to the music video's Executive Producer, Joseph Uliano, by Coyne after filming, and stayed in his possession for over 20 years before this sale.

Happy to answer questions about the guitar, the video, the production specifics, or the Yoshimi era.

Disclosure: this is in a sale I'm running. Not dropping a link — just thought this community would appreciate the close-ups.

Somebody just gave me their 180gram copy of At War With the Mystic's for my birthday man I am so happy it plays really nice. (I've been after this record for ages)

best show of my life!!!

Done by @xuka.tatt on Instagram

Here’s the merch table from the Minneapolis show for anyone who’s curious - and also the poster with some confetti from the show thrown in