Live Review: The Flaming Lips + Modest Mouse + Friko @ Coca-Cola Roxy, Atlanta GA – Aug 1st 2025

Chris Collett
3 days ago
4 min read

The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse opened their summer tour at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta with a show that was completely over the top in all the right ways. With Friko kicking off the night, the lineup flowed from raw indie tension to noisy chaos to full-blown psychedelic joy. For a first night, everything already felt dialed in.

Friko opened the show and didn’t try to win anyone over with gimmicks. Just a tight set full of emotion, huge guitar swells, and sharp vocals. No talking, no wasted space. It was the kind of set that made people pay attention even if they’d never heard a song before. They set the tone with honesty and left the stage with a few new fans.

Modest Mouse followed with a set that stayed in the shadows. Isaac Brock barely spoke, and the band leaned into their darker, more angular material. Songs like “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes,” “Doin’ the Cockroach,” and “Bukowski” hit with raw energy and zero polish. “Float On” and “Dashboard” showed up, but nothing felt cleaned up for the casual crowd. “We Are Between” blended into “We're Lucky” for a moment that almost felt soft before diving back into the noise. It wasn’t warm, but it was gripping.

Then The Flaming Lips came out, and everything shifted. Four massive pink robots were already prepped on stage before a single note played. The show opened with “Sleeping on the Roof,” and before the last note stuck, those pink robots were already glowing and standing guard like sentinels. The show just kept getting bigger from there. The giant rainbow, dancing sun, and inflatable aliens came out later, building the visual madness with every song. Balloons bounced over the crowd. Confetti blasted to the ceiling. “Yoshimi Pt. 1 & 2” brought the first big singalong and reminded everyone that the spectacle wasn’t just for show, it had heart behind it.

By the end of the set, the band brought out Isaac Brock one more time for a surprise cover of “War Pigs” as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. It wasn’t just a guest spot. Brock and Coyne took turns trading lines back and forth, each pushing the song into a different kind of chaos. The Lips gave it that thick, fuzzy tone, and Brock’s delivery added a layer of grime that made it feel like a basement jam session more than a polished encore. It was loud, imperfect, and completely earned.

After that, they closed the night with “Race for the Prize,” sending one last blast of confetti into the air. “Waitin’ for a Superman” and “Do You Realize??” were both there too, slowing the pace just enough to remind everyone why this band matters. Coyne doesn’t need to fake sincerity. He talks about love, life, and hope in a way that feels grounded even while inflatable aliens fly around behind him. The Flaming Lips don’t just put on a show, they throw you into another world. Atlanta got the first look on this tour, and it was magic.