A tribute to the music and images of Norman rock legends, the Flaming Lips, will start at 7 p.m. Saturday at Opolis Production, 113 N. Crawford, next door to The Opolis.

The rock and photo tribute, Placebo Headwound, will begin with the "Waking up with a Placebo Headwound" book release party. J. Michelle Martin-Coyne, wife of the Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne, will be selling the books for $125 and 20 framed 20 inches by 30 inches photographs of the Lips, said Jill Mellgren, tribute organizer.

Fourteen bands will play two of their favorite Lips songs each in a Flaming Lips tribute concert at 9 p.m. following the art show.

"It is an edition of 1,500 copies, and as of two weeks ago, she had sold 400 already," Mellgren said.

Ty Kamm, lead singer and guitar player for Norman band Klipspringer, said he is excited that his band will play the tribute show.

"We are doing the tribute mainly because the Lips are the kings," Kamm said. "They are the kings of Oklahoma rock. They are the best band to come out of Oklahoma rock by far."

Kamm said he has always been a fan, but the band's latest two albums have blown his mind. He said the Lips' members have influenced him by showing him that a band can make it by being original and doing its own thing.

Todd Fagin, member of Anvil Salute, said he loves the Lips' music and has listened to them since the late '80s. Fagin said he doesn't know the band on a personal basis, but as with many people in Oklahoma who were in the scene in the '80s and the early '90s, he has seen them on many occasions. He said he knows the manager, Scott Booker, from his high school days when he would shop at Rainbow Records where Booker worked.

He said his band has a much different sound than that of the Lips.

"I believe [Anvil Salute] might approach music similarly in that neither the Lips nor Anvil Salute are necessarily constrained by a particular genre of music or even the desire to appeal to the masses, but that is just a guess on my part," Fagin said.

"I have been a fan of the Flaming Lips for about 15 years now," Fagin said. "It's an honor to get to butcher two of their songs that I love so much. I mean that without any sarcasm."

Mellgren said fans should expect to see some of the visual treats that the Flaming Lips have offered at its live shows over the years.

"This includes bubbles, fog, balloons, confetti and projections, to name a few," Mellgren said. "There will also be party favors while they last."

Mellgren said some of the bands will feature special guests that have been influenced in one way or another by the Lips.

Fagin said their two-song tribute will feature local disc jockey DJ Bronzai, who played guitar for the Lips during one show back in '91 at the Tiger's Den in Noble.

Dennis Coyne, Coyne's nephew, will be performing with his band, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Mellgren said.

"Dennis was in the Flaming Lips video for "Fight Test" and frequently goes on tour with the Lips," Mellgren said.

She said Locust Avenue will feature a former bandmate of the Lips drummer Steven Drozd.

"Locust Avenue will feature Billy Egle on lead guitar. Billy spent time in a band called Janis Eighteen with Steven Drozd before Steven joined the Lips," Mellgren said.

Mellgren said she is putting on this tribute because she wanted to show appreciation to the Lips for all of the inspiration it has given musicians in Oklahoma.

"As you can see the local bands around here are heavily influenced by the Flaming Lips and we all seem to be linked to each other in some way or another," Mellgren said.

"It seemed like the perfect combination to say thank you to the Flaming Lips and to help promote Michelle's book and her hard work," Mellgren said.

Kamm said he hopes that people will come out to pay ohmage to the Lips.

"It will be fun reguardless. we'll all get drunk and act stupid. Maybe a couple of us will fall down," Kamm said.

"It'll be a good night."
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