It was one of those magical moments that could only happen in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kelly Corcoran examines a gummy fetusAt about 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, Kelly Corcoran over at Love Garden got a very interesting phone call. Wayne Coyne, of The Flaming Lips, was coming over. And he wasn’t coming alone. Coyne, who had just flown in from the east coast, was driving up to Lawrence from Oklahoma with a little more than a dozen gummy fetuses.
Implemented within these delicious fetuses were flash drives containing new Flaming Lips songs. The band had previously released new music implanted inside gummy skulls. The skulls were pricey (up to $150), but the fetuses were a mere $30 a pop.
It didn’t take long for word to spread in Lawrence, and within five hours, Coyne and Corcoran were waltzing through the front door with boxes of gummy fetuses tucked under their arms. There were quite a bit more fans than there were fetuses, so record store employees drew names out of a hat.
A Gummy FetusYours truly got the very first one.
The fetuses were pretty heavy. The weight was comparable to a premature baby. They also smelled pleasant, like strawberries or cotton candy. One man in the crowd gave the fetus a look and mumbled “I don’t know about this…”
Coyne autographs a fan's headWhile one line was forming to purchase the gummy fetuses, another (much longer) line was forming in front of Coyne. He met with each and every single fan in the record store, discussed music and festivals (including the upcoming Kanrocksas), and even autographed one fan’s head. He also listened to everyone recite their own personal Flaming Lips memories. He was kind enough to sit down with me and discuss the process of bringing the gummy fetuses to Lawrence.
Wayne Coyne and some fans at Love GardenYou may have noticed him getting a little friendly and whipping his underwear out in that clip. The atmosphere at Love Garden on Saturday night was laid back, fun and even at times a little silly. At one point, a fan chowed down on the gummy fetus right in front of him while he happily tweeted a photo of the process. He never pushed a conversation with anyone to end, he let it run its comfortable course. Sure, that may have meant the line moved slower, but everyone got to share a moment with him. That’s what summers in Lawrence, Kansas, are for. A series of one memorable moment after the other. I’m sure years from now every person at the record store on Saturday night will remember “that time Wayne Coyne showed up at Love Garden and handed out edible fetuses.”
To view a photo gallery of the memorable evening, click here.
Fally Afani is an award-winning journalist with a career spanning more than 20 years in media. She has worked extensively in radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and more.
You just made my morning. My wife and I spent the day in the ER yesterday while Wayne was here in town. She’s 25 weeks preggers & was also apparently passing a kidney stone (Yep. WOW. MAJOR pain.). Had I known this was going on, I would have run (not walked) to Love Garden and prostrated myself before Mr. Coyne and his abundant supply of gummy fetuses. Ha! 🙂
Glad your blog exists, fellow Lawrencian. I shall have to return to it again and again. I have music too, You can decide for yourself whether it’s worth listening to or not. Just posted a Mazzy Star cover recently. Have a few records for free download at Bandcamp too. http://chadthomasjohnston.bandcamp.com/
This man is God. I just saw him in Concert in Jersey Thursday. Ill never forget that day as long as I live. I can say “Wayne Coyne Walked on my head” Anyway,you got lucky too I see. enjoy your fetus 🙂
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