Indie rock favorites The Flaming Lips canceled their performance at Houston’s 713 Music Hall due to a “family emergency.”
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The venue announced last week that the band had dropped out. However, Modest Mouse and Friko still performed the Wednesday concert. The “Do You Realize??” rockers added in the venue’s announcement, “The Flaming Lips will always love you.”
The Lips’ frontman, Wayne Coyne, took to social media to give fans more details beyond the aforementioned “family emergency” for why they pulled out of the show.
“This is from [drummer Matthew Duckworth Kirksey],” Coyne wrote alongside a screenshot from his bandmate’s Instagram story.
“Hey, friends,” the drummer began in his message. “My Dad went in for a relatively minor procedure yesterday, and things took a very bad turn. He coded on the operating table, and the whole day was touch-and-go. I was able to fly home from tour and be by my mom’s side for a long and difficult open-heart surgery that lasted into the night.”
“Although we aren’t out of the woods by any means, he is currently stable, and we are full of hope,” Kirksey added. He went on to thank Modest Mouse and Friko for playing the gig and the fans for their understanding.
The Oklahoma-based band, a fan favorite for their experimental sound and elaborate live performances, has yet to announce if the show will be rescheduled.
Ticketmaster Denies The Flaming Lips Fans Refunds After They Pulled out of a Show Last Minute
Meanwhile, Ticketmaster denied refund requests, stating that Modest Mouse remained on the lineup alongside an opening act by the indie-rock duo Friko.
Jamie Ruggiero, a ticket holder, told the Houston Chronicle he spent $500 on a Flaming Lips VIP package and parking. “It is an understatement to say I am gutted to the core by the last-minute cancellation,” he told the newspaper. Ruggiero, who attended solely to see the Flaming Lips, was informed by Ticketmaster that no refunds would be issued.
“Trying to push Modest Mouse as the no-refund alternative was also like adding insult to injury for me,” Ruggiero added. “I never liked them and certainly wouldn’t pay to see them.”
The Flaming Lips will continue their “The Good Times are Killing Me” tour with Modest Mouse on Sept. 3 in San Diego, followed by shows in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Troutdale.