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Michael "Flea" Balzary is one of the most endearing and entertaining musicians around. Full of childlike enthusiasm and an obvious joy for being on stage, he gave the evening a brilliance it would not have otherwise had (okay, other than the moment when Anthony Kiedis took his shirt off). Flea adorned a skeleton outfit and was the main communicator between the band and the crowd. Anthony remained silent and aloof the majority of the set, other than to contribute his incredibly precise and strong lead vocals. John Frusciante on guitar, threw himself around the stage with the commitment of a true rock star. He even sang some spotlight vocals to showcase his voice. Meanwhile, Anthony seemed to be struggling with his temperament after having a clog launch towards him at the beginning of the set. He then spent a lot of time kicking other sporadic items off the stage that had been thrown by the overly enthusiastic audience. But then, having a general admission crowd in an arena that can seat thousands probably isn't the best idea for achieving order. The band obliged the crowd with favorites such as Otherside and Give It Away (a song that had Anthony declaring, "What I got you gotta get it, put it in you"). They also played many songs off of their latest release By The Way. A large screen displayed behind them caught the performance for fans who were not fortunate enough to be up close to the stage. Those fans were probably a lot more comfortable though than the ones being pulled out of the pit. Despite many signs posted throughout the venue prohibiting moshing or crowd surfing, sweaty and disheveled fans consistently flew over heads and into the arms of security guards. A very appropriate song selection for the evening was I Could Have Lied. It seemed to fit Anthony's mood perfectly. His distant presence was apparent throughout the evening (although he did seem to warm up to the crowd towards the end). He sang, "I could never change just what I feel. My face will never show what is not real." For their one encore, Flea walked back out to the stage armed with a trumpet. He played beautifully and had the crowd completely silenced by the intimate solo which was later joined by Chad Smith on drums and John on guitar. After the brief jam, Anthony came back out on stage and they went into the vault and pulled out Under The Bridge. The song brought everyone to their feet. It is strange to think that a band which began nearly two decades ago and was at one time best known for wearing nothing but a sock on stage, is still around and playing to arena sized crowds. But the band has matured while continually remaining true to the sound that brought them their large following. They have the raw energy and gracious passion of a band that has just released it's first record. Red Hot Chili Peppers still know how to put on a damn good rock show. SET LIST
By The Way |
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