The Red Hot Chili Peppers brought their iconic blend of funk, rock, and punk to a sold out audience at Ruoff on July 25th delivering a performance that were full of greatest hits and deep cuts alike.
Don’t Light My Fire
Opening for RHCP was Otoboke Beaver, an all-girl Japanese punk band that sounds like real life Aggretsuko. Though I enjoyed them for what they were, I think they were a bit too obscure for the average attendee. The band’s style was fun; they were all dressed in 60s mod dresses, but it did not stop the guitarist from stage diving into the pit. But these ladies were loud and energetic and fun and in the right setting, I would absolutely watch them play again.
Like Freaks of a Feather, We Rock Together
From the moment the band took the stage, the energy was substantial. The crowd was ecstatic as Flea, John Frusciante, Chad Smith entered the stage, particularly when Flea (who is 61 years young) kicked into a handstand, and walked on his hands over to his spot onstage. They started out jamming together, then as Anthony Kiedis took the stage, they launched into theopening notes to “Can’t Stop.”
Flea’s frenetic bass lines and boundless energy immediately set the tone for the night. His stage presence is a show in itself—constantly moving, jumping, and engaging with the audience.
The set list was full of crowd favorites, including “Dani California” (which I was speculating on whether or not they’d include since they literally shout out Indiana in the lyrics), “Suck My Kiss”, “Scar Tissue,” and ending the night with “Give it Away”. There were also some sleeper hits, like “Throw Away Your Television” and “Me and My Friends”, the latter of which is an absolute earworm. They also had a couple of homages to The Ramones in “Havana Affair” as well as “I Remember You”, which featured a solo from Frusciante.
Kiedis was in generally good form, his distinctive voice and charismatic stage presence kept the audience captivated. His vocal performance was strong for the most part, though I did not enjoy his rendition of “Scar Tissue” much; he seemed to be lagging about half a beat behind and had some random key changes. The rest of the performance was very tight and clean though, so it may have just been a fluke or just an experiment on his part. This man was also in a walking boot, but it did not stop him from literally skipping around stage, mugging to the audience.
The lead in to “Californication” featured an extended jam session of Flea and John Frusciante, during which Frusciantebrought out his ethereal Gretsch White Falcon guitar.
Throughout the show, the Peppers easily proved that they are still at the top of their game. Their musicianship was impeccable, and you can tell that they truly love what they do.
As the concert came to a close, I felt exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to be able to see a band who I’ve been listening to my entire life. This 2 year world tour may be close to wrapping up, but I am already looking forward to when they come around again.