Pitchfork

Photos by Rich Orris and Marina Teper

Morrison, Colorado's gorgeous Red Rocks Amphitheatre served as the setting for the inaugural Monolith Festival, which took place last weekend, September 14 and 15. Because a festival's not really a festival until the Flaming Lips play, Wayne Coyne and co. christened Monolith in their trademark style: with costumes, confetti, smoke, and, of course, the bubble.

Missing in action, however, was the UFO. Coyne told the Monolith crowd that the contraption had been confiscated by the Department of Homeland Security, due to the fact that its lights came from the former Soviet Union and were possibly contaminated by Chernobyl radiation. Is it true? We don't know yet. Great excuse, though.

The packed Monolith lineup also included the Decemberists, Spoon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Art Brut, Ra Ra Riot, Matt and Kim, Editors, and many more, all rocking out among the breathtaking geological formations.

FLAMING LIPS

DECEMBERISTS


ART BRUT


SPOON


CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH

MATT AND KIM


RA RA RIOT


EDITORS

FLAMING LIPS










DECEMBERISTS










ART BRUT








SPOON








CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH




MATT AND KIM


RA RA RIOT



EDITORS




THE SETTING