Explosions in the Sky beautifully combust at Red Rocks

August 24, 5:06 PMIndie Rock ExaminerAlli Sands

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Photo taken by yours truly at the Explosions in the Sky show at Red Rocks

Opening for The Flaming Lips at Red Rocks last night, Explosions in the Sky’s Munaf Rayani prefaced their amazing, but all too short set with a few words about dreams coming true. Asking the crowd how many concert goers were also in bands themselves, he advised them to keep dreaming because one day, maybe they, too, could have the opportunity to share a stage with a band that has so heavily influenced their musical careers. With that, Explosions began with “The Only Moment We Are Alone”, and before you knew it, the gloriousness of their set was over and The Flaming Lips started to prepare for their spectacular show, filled with all the lights, gigantic balloons, and heady animation that accompany their performances.

Talking to Explosions’ drummer, Chris Hrasky, prior to the show, right after they announced they would be touring with The Flaming Lips, he explained how, “We weren’t planning on doing any touring this year, but when The Flaming Lips called and asked us to open for them; we thought we’d make an exception…It’ll be an honor playing with them.” Reminiscing about their humble beginnings in a pizza place in Austin, Texas, hoping they would get a few gigs around town and listening to The Flaming Lips’ Soft Bulletin, Hrasky comments that, “We get to play music as a career. We’re the luckiest people on Earth. This is a job we used to day dream about.”

While Explosions in the Sky will not be playing any new material on this venture out on the road, Hrasky discusses how, “Hopefully we’ll finish our record sooner or later.”

As for the band’s creative process, Hrasky comments, “It would probably be a lot easier if we had a set process but it’s mostly trial and error. Throw everything against the wall and see what sticks.” Instituting informal democratic procedure, Hrasky says, “The process is much more of a collective, all four of us have to love. All four of us have to contribute to it before it can pass. As much as we are all on the same page, it’s hard to come to an agreement.”

Besides having incredible admiration for The Flaming Lips, Hrasky talks about the awesomeness that is Radiohead, “They are a band that we love and a band that we find very inspiring because they can turn on a dime. They transitioned from OK Computer to Kid A, which were two very different record but they are still Radiohead. They are willing to mess around with things that might freak some people out, but most of the time they succeed, which isn’t easy.”

Now that one of many dreams has come true for Explosions in the Sky, Hrasky says, “The other goal is to go on tour with Radiohead.”