Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday: The Flaming Lips + David Gray + Emmylou Harris

The Flaming Lips at DMB Caravan. 7.10.11

• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips5.jpg148470471
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips2.jpg148470412
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips3.jpg148470433
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips.jpg148470394
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips32.jpg148471015
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips4.jpg148470456
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips6.jpg148470497
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips7.jpg148470518
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips8.jpg148470539
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips9.jpg1484705510
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips10.jpg1484705711
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips11.jpg1484705912
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips12.jpg1484706113
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips13.jpg1484706314
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips14.jpg1484706515
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips15.jpg1484706716
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips16.jpg1484706917
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips17.jpg1484707118
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips18.jpg1484707319
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips19.jpg1484707520
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips20.jpg1484707721
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips21.jpg1484707922
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips22.jpg1484708123
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips23.jpg1484708324
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips24.jpg1484708525
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips25.jpg1484708726
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips26.jpg1484708927
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips27.jpg1484709128
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips28.jpg1484709329
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips29.jpg1484709530
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips30.jpg1484709731
• 

  The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Nicholas Foli333.mu.Caravan.TheFlamingLips31.jpg1484709932

PreviousNext

The Flaming Lips play Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

Nicholas Foli

You know that Sesame Street song "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other"? I couldn't help but think of it as the Flaming Lips delivered their epic live rendition of Pink Floyd's multi-platinum classic Dark Side of the Moon at the Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Chicago Sunday night.

The set, complete with about 20 sexy Dorothys apparently flown in straight from Oz, giant balloons filled with cash, confetti cannons, a featured singer in a winged gold lamé body suit, handheld smoke machines and all manner of sonic shenanigans, stood in such stark contrast to the mellow feel-good grooves surrounding it that many of the young bros in attendance wandered off mid-set in a beer-addled ADD stupor.

Which was all the better for the rest of us who were able to steadily advance into the abandoned territory and immerse ourselves more in the experience.

If aping a Floyd album is all a big joke to the Flaming Lips, it is a joke very well told. The band committed fully to the bit, and the only thing the extravaganza lacked was a lead guitarist better able to approximate the stylings of David Gilmour.

David Gray at DMB Caravan: Slide show

• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray74.jpg148468271
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray75.jpg148468292
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray76.jpg148468313
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray77.jpg148468334
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray78.jpg148468355
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray79.jpg148468376
• 

  David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.davidgray80.jpg148468397

PreviousNext

David Gray plays Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Sunday, July 10, 2011.

Daniela Montelongo

Leading into the Lips was the more conventional choice of David Gray. Someone in the newsroom recently told me that every Gray song is the same one. An unfair assessment perhaps, but I more or less agree with it. I happen to like the ubiquitous David Gray song, and if you do, too, you would have enjoyed his pleasant but workmanlike performance. He kicked off with the not-so-new single and led the crowd in a singalong of "Babylon" for his penultimate number. There was quite a bit of crowd swaying in between. Not much else to say.

Emmylou Harris

• 

  Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris52.jpg148467751
• 

  Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris53.jpg148467772
• 

  Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris54.jpg148467793
• 

  vEmmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris55.jpg148467814
• 

  Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris56.jpg148467835
• 

  Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

  Daniela Montelongo333.mu.caravan.emmylouharris57.jpg148467856

PreviousNext

Emmylou Harris at Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Sunday, July 10, 2011.

Daniela Montelongo

Earlier, Emmylou Harris shook off the midafternoon doldrums with a set that showcased what is still one of the most affecting, magical, clear and true voices in popular music.

Harris was the picture of laidback country elegance in white blouse and black pants as she mined her own catalog and went back for classics by Bill Monroe, the Carter Family and Townes van Zant.

"I had a happy childhood but I like to write sad songs so I had to make some stuff up," Harris said as she launched into "Red Dirt Girl." That was a highlight of a strong set as was a later rendition of her "Born to Run," not to be confused with the Springsteen number that overshadowed it.

There was good reason why she and her crackerjack band were introduced by Dave Matthews himself: Emmylou Harris is roots royalty and proved the perfect act for a mellow festival afternoon.

The way she leans into the wistful chorus of "Pancho and Lefty," well, look, if you haven't heard Emmylou Harris live, put the experience near the top of your bucket list.