Concert: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Friday, 06 April 2012 13:47

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been busy. They released I’m With You in August, began their world tour with stops in South America and Europe, and now they started their U.S. Tour with shows in Florida.

I caught them at their show at the Amway Center in Orlando.

Santigold opened the show with a nice set of choreographed strangeness that was well-received by the fans who arrived early enough.

The show featured “Monarchy of Roses,” “Look Around,” “Happiness Loves Company,” “Ethiopia” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” from the new album, their first with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, and the songs worked fine in their set. Several new songs will probably be hits by the end of the year. The set also featured classics like “Me & My Friends,” “Californication,” “Can’t Stop,” “Sir Psycho Sexy,” “By The Way” and “Give It Away” plus a nice production with screens that moved around the stage. “Otherside” was a popular crowd sing-along and “Under the Bridge” inspired the traditional cell-phone sway (replacing the old lighter sway). A cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” was a high point of the show.

Flea and Chad Smith are still a funky rhythm section and Josh was hyperkinetic in Orlando, often thrashing around the stage. The band was augmented by a keyboardist and percussionist onstage.

The tour had been delayed because singer Anthony Kiedis injured his foot. But he did fine (just a little less hyperkinetic) in Orlando, and one leg of his pants was cut off midway down. Then again, Flea was sporting the same fashion statement. Their other fashion statement was near the end of the show. When Anthony sang “Soul to Squeeze,” he wore a hoodie that said “Ode to Trayvon: Stand What Ground.” Josh had sported the hoodie earlier in the set.

If you missed the Florida kickoff, you will have to wait awhile for them to return to Florida. But you can buy a download of the shows at http://livechilipeppers.com/ or get a five-song sampler for free there. And you can catch them at Hangout Festival on May 19 in Alabama (just a five-hour drive).

By John Davisson

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