Red Hot Chili Peppers, Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Still funky

The Red Hot Chili Peppers would give me another opportunity to cross a band off my bucket list, and a pretty highly ranked one might I add. Considering how prolific the Chili Peppers have been since I was in grade school, consistently releasing albums and touring on the every couple of years, I’m surprised it took me this long to get to a show. With Rick’s expert manipulation of the Live Nation website, we were able to get some pretty good floor seats, towards the back of the middle front section in Row X. I would have preferred a general admission layout, especially for something as funky as the Chili Peppers, but I guess many of their fans have aged quite a bit and aren’t too interested in that anymore.

The Chili Pepper took to the elaborate stage set up well, utilizing some drop down movable screen that I first saw pioneered by U2 a few years ago. They immediately busted into a song from their newest album with a lot of energy for guys their age (though not quite as much energy as the still older Bruce Springsteen).

The cycled through a good setlist, both old and new, that included two songs from Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), four from Californication (1999), three from By the Way (2002), two from Stadium Arcadium (2006), and five from their newest album, I'm with You (2011). I would have liked for some from One Hot Minute (1995) to be included in there as well, but I was fine without anything earlier.

Lead singer Anthony Kiedis led the troupe as the seasoned professional that he is, playing frontman well and energizing both the band and the crowd. Longtime drummer Chad Smith was solid but did not add a whole lot of style to the show. With John Frusciante’s second exit from the band a few years ago, the Chili Peppers were now supported by Josh Klinghoffer on guitar. While certainly a fine guitar player, he lacked the flamboyance and flair that I’ve seen Frusciante bring to the stage via live concert DVDs. However, it was Flea, the bassist, who stole the show with his musicianship, energy, and onstage antics. He was the most athletic musician I’ve ever seen, jumping and dancing around the stage. He even walked on his hands the entire way across the stage when returning for the encore. The beginning of the encore featured a Flea solo that shook the building. I’ve never heard or felt base so loud. My whole body reverberating; I was thankful for my earplugs.

The show was solid but perhaps not quite as hard hitting as what I was hoping. It was by no means a top contender for the year, let alone ever. They certainly are consistent though, they approached their new songs with just as much vigor as crowd favorites and in fact several of their new songs, despite my not being as familiar with them, were my favorites they played that night.

Setlist:
Monarchy of Roses

Dani California

Otherside
Can't Stop
Ethiopia
Throw Away Your Television
Hard to Concentrate
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Right On Time
Look Around
Under the Bridge
Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder cover)
Factory of Faith
Californication
By the Way
Encore:
Around the World
Give It Away
[Jam]