Author/photographer: Joe Cascio
My first Red Hot experience was Spring Break 1990 in Daytona Beach. Down there for a backstage encounter with Ziggy Marley when the MTV gig with RHCP presented itself. Only saw part of that show, but it got them arrested. Fast forward 27 years to last night and they really don’t seem to have lost a step with as much energy as ever.
Flea, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer, took the stage to mash our faces in with their “Intro Jam”, moments later Anthony Kiedis completed the crew on stage wearing a walking cast on his left foot, which didn’t slow him down for half a beat, and burst into their hit “Can’t Stop”. The interesting fixtures we had noticed while the house lights were up then dropped from the ceiling of the Key Bank Center and the party was on. Waves of light danced up and down throughout the show, not sure how much it blocked the view of those in the back of the house, but pretty cool no doubt.
The sold out crowd was treated to the 1994 classic from the “One Hot Minute” record, “Aeroplane”, played for only the 77th time ever live.
They hit a bunch from their latest record “The Getaway” and mixed in some classics, the short 17 song list seemed twice as long as they tore up the stage. The sold out crowd was treated to the 1994 classic from the “One Hot Minute” record, “Aeroplane”, played for only the 77th time ever live.
The crowd taking over vocals for the 1991 hit “Under the Bridge” from the “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” album, was priceless and to end the night with “Give it Away” from the same was outstanding! It took almost half the show for Kiedis to lose his shirt which I think may have surprised some. Flea’s energy and his driving bass lines were punctuated when he took the stage for the encore and walked a handstand across the stage to the cheers of the crowd, Klinghoffer shredded his side of the stage and Chad Smith chucking his drum sticks up into the 200 level punctuated how he crushed his drums all night.
The band left it on the stage last night and it was a fantastic show for those who were able to be there no doubt. Opening the night, RHCP’s founding drummer who also played with Pearl Jam, Jack Iron did a set and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave from New Orleans set the stage up right.