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The Red Hot Chili Peppers, one of the most quintessential SoCal bands of the past half-century, took over the 49ers’ Northern California home over the weekend, playing a sold-out show at Levi’s Stadium on Friday night .
As the crowd marched on, funk bassist Thundercat and alternative rocker Beck warmed up the eclectic crowd with their opening sets. Despite the fact that the headliners were almost elderly, the audience was extremely mixed from one generation to the next. A mother and her young adult daughter sharing a joint as the Chili Peppers took the stage is a perfect example of how the band can appeal to partygoers of all ages.
By the time the lights went down for the main act, the crowd was full, eager to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
Flea, the band’s hyperactive bassist, took to the stage first, announcing himself as the show’s focal point as he leapt and banged his head with raging intensity for a 10-minute jam before sending the crowd into a roar with the riff to “I can’t stop.”
After the opener, the Chili Peppers continued with classics like “Dani California”, “Universally Speaking” and “Snow” before breaking into their new album “Unlimited Love” mid-set. The crowd waited patiently for new songs like “Whatchu Thinkin'” and “Aquatic Mouth Dance” — a few die-hards knew the lyrics to sing along — but the energy clearly dipped between the hits.
Although he was more controlled than Flea – it wouldn’t take much – singer Anthony Kiedis was hardly stoic. Dressed in all black except for a pink flash across his crotch, Keidis ran tricks, pranced and kicked karate around the stage without ever missing a note.
Kiedis’ job is not easy. The Chili Peppers’ catalog is varied enough that it should be able to sing, sing melodically, and rap at Busta Rhymes speed depending on the track. Throughout the nearly 2 hour set, Kiedis did it all without breaking a sweat. And, as always on an RCHP show, Kiedis’ shirt came off about three-quarters of the way from the “Tell Me Baby” set.
Anthony Kiedis and Flea of Red Hot Chilli Peppers perform at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on June 07, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.
Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/^WireImageOn guitar, John Frusciante was the laid-back foil to Flea and Keidis’ manic energy. Frusciante originally joined Chili Peppers in 1989, but had an on-and-off relationship with the band in the years that followed and hasn’t toured with RCHP since 2007. Frusciante showed no signs of rusting, easily following his bandmates from group in technique, if not in energy. The guitarist seemed happiest when playing during the interludes between songs.
John Frusciante and Flea of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers performed in Bratislava, Slovakia on June 12, 2022 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Shlomi Pinto/Getty ImagesThroughout the set, the band mostly stuck to the music, except for a joke from Kiedis about the crowd’s heavy puffs of marijuana and Flea’s occasional unintelligible outburst.
After wrapping up the midsection of mostly newer material, the band upped the ante with “Californication” and “Give It Away” — which garnered perhaps the biggest crowd reaction of the night — before to go black. During a long break before an encore, onlookers burst into an impromptu light show with cellphones and lighters waiting.
Crowds light up Levi’s Stadium with their cell phones and lighters during the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 29, 2022.
Gabe Lehman/SFGATEThe only boos came on the last song of the night. As a sneering parting gift, Flea pulled out her Los Angeles Lakers-themed bass guitar for the final song, much to the chagrin of the Bay Area Warriors-adoring crowd. The insult was quickly forgiven when the Chili Peppers delivered a peak rendition of “By The Way” to close the night.
Flea of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers performs in Bratislava, Slovakia on June 12, 2022 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Shlomi Pinto/Getty ImagesIn a truly surprising turn of events, the band neglected to play their biggest song: the multi-platinum ballad “Under the Bridge.” Was it a senior moment of the aging group? Or, after sifting through four decades of success, maybe they just ran out of time.
