The Best Concert of Our Lives

So when Dave and I heard the Flaming Lips were coming to Chastain Park, we knew we could not miss this concert. It has been a summer of concerts for us, but if this one broke the bank - we were still going. They have been notorious for their over the top performances. I can't really describe them, but Wikipedia tried to.....

The band is known for their lush, multi-layered, psychedelic arrangements, spacey lyrics and bizarre song and album titles. They are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which feature costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, giant hands, large amounts of confetti, and frontman Wayne Coyne's signature man-sized plastic bubble, in which he traverses the audience. In 2002,^[update] Q Magazine named The Flaming Lips one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". As of 2007 the group has collected three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

A typical night with The Flaming Lips


In da' bubble...


Lead singer, Wayne Coyne, riding atop a Monkey Man
(unfortunately, not our pic but had to include it since it's such a great shot)


It's not uncommon to see a collection of costumes, from both the audience and the band. Up on stage were a diverse collection of yeti men and women, captain catfish, a sunflower, butterfly and god knows what else. In the audience we caught glances of fairies, chicken costumes, astronaut outfits complete with helmet, iguanas wearing sombreros, and complete body paint suits. We can't wait to partake the next time we track these guys down in concert again. Yes, you heard that right, we vow to see this band again. And yes, we will be decked out in full garb just like the rest.
I promise you. :)

The thing about these performances The Flaming Lips put on can't be described without going yourself. It's just a completely new level.. The energy that night was just unbelievable. On top of it all, there was a huge storm brewing above the outdoor venue all night. It sent beautiful breezes with out a single drop of rain. It was perfect. Several times you could catch lightning crackling above our heads. There was one specific time when a huge bolt just fingered throughout the sky right above the stage. Everyone died in silence and after a few seconds, once it disappeared, everyone just screamed at the top of their lungs in enthusiasm. Just simply wild.

Enjoy this video of the infamous space bubble suit :)
*Please do not watch if you are prone to epileptic attacks*



The release of confetti and balloons
which the crowd bounced around the venue all night.


And if you're dying to see other videos that aren't ones we recorded that night, here's a youtube link of other recordings from that night for anyone interested...

To sum it all up, Brette got a t-shirt that had an illustration of the band with the following text below:
"I saw The Flaming Lips in concert and it made me a better human being"
and this ladies and gentlemen, is nothing closer to the truth...

Longest Yard Sale

The 127 Corridor or otherwise known as the Longest Yard Sale was one hot, three day marathon of digging through junk and treasures, eating homemade ice cream, and meeting interesting folks. The yard sale runs 654 miles from Gadsden, Alabama to West Unity, Ohio. However, we only covered half starting from Gadsden up until Crossville, Tennessee. Here are a few photos of items for sale that were captured along the way.

Chandeliers

This entire table of boxes are salt and pepper shakers.

Silverware

Tarnished Silver

Colorful Glass Bowls and Vases

Lots of old cars for sale.
Too bad I didn't have a way to get home a motorcycle side car for Dave.

Night shot of Chattanooga from our hotel room...
The Bavarian Inn, a nice quaint motel close to Ruby Falls.

Willie, John, and Bob

Long fans of Bob Dylan, this concert was not one to miss! We thought we would never have another chance like this again...especially since as of 2 months ago we thought he was dead. After disappearing for a while, and then seeing the movie "I'm Not There", well...who wouldn't think the same? But Dylan was not always keen about being in the public eye it seems, so just another reason to appreciate the great experience!

But Willie Nelson and John Cougar Mellencamp were very cool too! Willie had everybody singing along while he strummed his guitar and pointed to the sky. Mellencamp had lots of energy and everyone sang along "Little Pink House for You and Me"...

It was incredibly hot and Dave sported a new fashion!

Dylan was last and he didn't sing many oldies but goodies that we all know. Mostly new stuff from his latest album "Together Through Life". When the show was over and the crowd dissolved, Dave turned to me and said:
"Could you understand a single lyric he said?"
So it was a little disappointing that we couldn't sing along. I think we got to hear "Like a Rolling Stone", (again, I think). However we wished that he would have played one of Dave and I's songs "Buckets of Rain"....sing along!

Buckets of rain
Buckets of tears
Got all them buckets comin out of my ears.
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand,
I got all the love, honey baby,
You can stand.

I been meek
And hard like an oak
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke.
Friends will arrive, friends will disappear,
If you want me, honey baby,
Ill be here.

Like your smile
And your fingertips
Like the way that you move your lips.
I like the cool way you look at me,
Everything about you is bringing me
Misery.

Little red wagon
Little red bike
I aint no monkey but I know what I like.
I like the way you love me strong and slow,
Im takin you with me, honey baby,
When I go.

Life is sad
Life is a bust
All ya can do is do what you must.
You do what you must do and ya do it well,
Ill do it for you, honey baby,
Cant you tell?