Neon Indian, Grimes and Gary Clark Jr. are three of several rising musical stars set to join the Flaming Lips on their quest to break Jay-Z’s world record for “Most Live Concerts in 24 Hours (Multiple Cities).”
The Flaming Lips will set off on 24-hour road trip through the Mississippi Delta June 27 as part of the Viacom Music Group's O Music Awards. Starting in Memphis, they will stop in six towns on their way to New Orleans, including Oxford, Mississippi and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
New Fumes will be the first opener for the Oklahoma City-based rock band, followed by Gary Clark Jr., Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Neon Indian, Hunter Hayes, GIVERS and Grimes.
Other bands have yet to be announced, but if these first names are any indication MTV is aiming for bands steadily gaining a larger audience.
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The Canadian Grimes, ne Claire Boucher, surged onto the scene this year with her third album, “Visions,” drawing a rave review from powerhouse music site Pitchfork.
Clark Jr., an Austin, Texas-based blues guitarist, earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 50 albums of 2011 for his “Bright Lights EP.” Neon Indian first rose to prominence with their 2009 release, “Psychic Chasms,” and then charted much higher with their latest album, “Era Extrana.”
The O Music Awards reward the intersection of music and digital, handing out awards like “Best Music App” and Must Follow Artist on Twitter.”
Still, the Lips will board a bus, the “Endeavor,” for a trip through the heartland of rock ‘n roll.