Wednesday, July 17th is going to be a very good day for me. Why? Because after years and years of yearning, I finally get to see The Flaming Lips in concert! If that wasn't awesome enough, it's only going to cost me $5! The last time The Flaming Lips came to Artpark was in 2010, and I missed it because I was in West Virginia with my dad. I vowed to make absolutely sure the next time the Lips came to the greater Buffalo Area, I wouldn't miss it again.

With the show two days away, I'd like to take some time to reflect on the oft-overlooked masterpiece of Flaming Lips career, 1997's Zaireeka. The album doesn't get anywhere near the critical acclaim given to The Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, but it's quite possibly the most impressive thing he band has ever done. It features a novel concept that has yet to be repeated in the 16 years since its release: four discs that are meant to be played simultaneously, on four different stereos. This presents the listener with quite a challenge, but the concept is so intriguing that the Lips deserve a ton of points for originality alone.

Of course, even if you don't have the four CD players to get the full experience of Zairekka, there's no reason you can't listen to each disc individually, or two or three discs at a time. Even if the experience isn't complete, it's still interesting, as all four discs have their individual charms. In fact, if you don't listen to each disc separately at some point, you're missing out on one of the core ideas of Zaireeka - the idea of deconstructing music, breaking down the individual components of it. Having four discs to make up one song allows you to get in touch with the specific elements of that song. Imagine how fascinating it would be to do this with an album like Kid A, or Loveless. But regrettably, The Flaming lips are the only band to try this concept, and they've only done it once.

Which is a shame, because if any idea was made to be stolen, it's this one. The Zaireeka template presents artists with limitless possibilities. If band thought the four discs was too intimidating, they could reduce it to two, and try the concept on a scale that was less intimidating to listeners. Conversely, a band could expand the concept to eight discs. Sure, it would next to impossible to get eight discs to play at the same time, and only the most hardcore fans of that band would buy it, but the potential would be limitless, and it would be drooled over by serious music geeks everywhere. So many good things could happen if a few bands were willing to steal this idea.

It's strange; just about every other innovation in rock music has been re-used by another artist after its creation. Double albums, concept albums, and rock operas have all been done hundreds of times. And yet, Zaireeka is one of a kind. It's too bad, because The Flaming Lips created a brilliant concept here, one that several artists could do amazing things with. I highly doubt the Lips will be playing anything of Zaireeka when I see them on Wednesday, but I'll always thank them for making it, and in the process, changing our idea of how far music can be taken.