KOL, Lips to headline OKC benefit

BECAUSE OF THE TIMES: The Flaming Lips and Kings of Leon will headline the Rock for Oklahoma tornado relief concert July 23 in Oklahoma City, with Jackson Browne and Built to Spill also part of the talent lineup, Tulsa World reported. The Followill brothers spent a good part of their childhoods in the small town of Talihina, to which they returned for the documentary feature Talihina Sky. The Flaming Lips are based in OKC and were founded in Norman. "We couldn't be more proud to lend a hand to our home state,” Jared Followill said in a statement. “We were all devastated by what happened there… We have family and friends that were affected by the tornados… This is the least we could do.” Offered Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, whose house in was damaged by recent flooding, "Shakespeare said, 'It is not enough to help the needy up, but to support them after and in our small way we are trying to not just be here at the moment of immediate need, but to stay and help with the rebuilding. After all, this is our home and they are us and we are them." Tickets for Rock for Oklahoma will go on sale today at 10AM CST. All of the proceeds will be dispersed to central Oklahoma community organizations and charities, via local charities. (6/14a)