Flaming Lips play the Pageant, September 28

• Dear Editors of St. Louis Newspapers, I am writing to tell you of an injustice that I experienced while in St. Louis. Actually, I�m an exchange student. I�m a California resident exchanging to University of Misouri for a degree in English. I grew up in St . Louis. I was born in California. I Have a sort of double-consciousness in this arena. While in Humboldt County (my California home), I studied journalism as well Literature. I love both. I�m not an aggressive person. I don�t mean to rely on the stereotype of someone who loves books, but I don�t ever wish to get in a fight. I wrote several articles for the Humboldt State Lumberjack Newspaper; although, I wish that I could have devoted more time to the Lumberjack. My point for this story is that the Pageant treats its guests unfairly. Case in point: I was a guest of the Pageant; I was treated unfairly. Let me tell you how. A friend of mine gave me tickets to the Flaming Lips concert. Few groups have had the effect on music that this group has I terms of not only style, but in terms of genre. This is the reason that I chose to accept the ticket to the concert and follow through and go. I believe that the Flaming Lips are not only transcending Genre, but they are redefining music in the contemporary. So, you ask, why was I kicked out of their concert? Let�s discuss the factors first that surround my personal ejection from the concert and the subsequent ejections of my fellow concert-goers. The moment that I noticed things were awry was when my friend Matt was lifted into the air by those around him. He was not, mind you, lifted above the level of the shoulders. Ask the nameless Pageant guards for specifics. This could be said to be �the crime.� Apparently, one�s feet can never leave the ground in the Pageant else one must be grounded, physically. I was threatened with physical force of beaing beaten if I stood up. Upon asking whom my assailants were, I was brushed off. I needn�t know. Further defintion of the crime came when I, one of the �ne�er do wells,� asked a question. A question, in this instance, is a proposal to another human that gives basis for the transfer of information. This is where I must digress. When did it become wrong to ask a question? I understand that it is wrong to question authority; it�s wrong to question the status quo (it�s wrong to ask why power is power); it�s wrong to question why money must be made; it�s wrong to question arbitrary rules; but when must I be wrong for asking why my friend is getting arrested? I have not yet found the answer. Officer Buchanan of the Pageant has no interest in answering my question, though he was one of the ones to pull me out and push me to the gournd, though I did never resist. I have a question that further explores this issue: when does my ticket mean less than anyone else�s? I had a ticket to the concert too. Why can�t I be told anyone�s names? Why can�t the fat asshole who pushed me to the ground for not doing anything give me his name? I asked. He avoided my questions. Does all of this become okay when a concert venue opens in a poor neighborhood? It seems sort of like the law can be subverted when poor people are the only ones in question of breaking the law. Would these same ideologies hold true if the venue was Clayton? I doubt it. Finally, After posing a number of tough questions, I�d like to ask officer Buchanan at the Pageant to stop abusing his power. I like to ask those that work security at the Pageant to not kick people out for nothing. It looks bad for the band, and it looks bad for the Pageant, too. I don�t feel welcome in St. Louis anymore. Are the Flaming Lips still welcome? Apparently they bring the wrong crowd to concerts. It�s funny that St. Louis is still perceived as a southern, sort of backwards city. The final irony is that they told us that the band requested we personally be escorted out. I�d like to hear from Wayne on this one. Any responses are appreciated. Thanks, Devin Clark

• Ever since they crossed over into the Bonnorroo crowd, the Flaming Lips are kinda getting into Grateful Dead territory for me. Like the music, like the show, kinda wanna mow the fans down with a machine gun. Good for them and all, as their career is destined to last as long as they want it to.

• dear matthurst, i haven't gone anywhere, never fear. i've just been working on a big, huge, involved cover story for the paper that's running next week. it'll be worth your while, trust me. i'll have plenty of interesting outtakes on the music blog from the feature -- that people will be interested in reading. i hope. besides, all the good shows i know about aren't officially announced yet, so i can't spill the beans. :) but the gargoyle *does* have animal collective, the good life, ted leo and nada surf set already for fall. quality! mnago.

• dear annie, please come back. i might miss a show w/o you, and no one else has the kind of reach/access you have

• I will, of course, be there, but... they've been doing basically the exact same performance (and basically the same setlist) for about five years now.

• The Flaming Lips at the Sasquatch Festival two years ago was the best concert I have ever seen (they covered War Pigs there too, along with Bohemian Rhapsody.) They are the perfect mix of awe-inspiring spectacle and sonic perfection. I could not be more excited about this.

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