The One Reason You Need To See The Red Hot Chili Peppers Live

It's quite simple.
Reuters

There’s one reason why you should see the Red Hot Chili Peppers live ― because 11 studio albums and 34 years in, they’re still wicked good.

The group has been performing for three decades, and while frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea have seen their fair share of revolving band members, the group is reliably stellar. Epic. Mischievous. Playful. Wonderfully themselves.

Flea, wearing who knows what God-forsaken outfit, walked onstage Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden for the first of three sold-out shows in New York City. His shredding, alongside drummer Chad Smith and lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, felt immediate and titillating. Kind of like the first sip of a familiar, but strong, stiff drink.

Mike Coppola via Getty Images

At the Garden, Flea pranced around stage on his tippy toes and screamed “peace and love and good stuff.” Kiedis ended up topless, sporting a foot cast and cartoon-animated tights. Smith wore a casual red jumpsuit and, as always, looked like Will Ferrell. Klinghoffer contorted his body as he ripped through their new (and awesome) album, “The Getaway,” as well as fan favorites “Suck My Kiss” and “Californication.”

Trippy visuals played on the big screen behind the band, and the beautiful cascading lights hanging above the arena resembled the Pacific Ocean waves from the coast the Chili Peppers embody most.

There’s no big production at a RHCP show. They don’t need it. For them, the recipe for a stellar show is their long-lasting talent, merrymaking and overall tomfoolery. For the encore, Flea came back onstage in a handstand that took him all the way from stage left to stage right.

Kira Brekke

The California cool Chili Peppers will continue their worldwide tour through September with various openers, including Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jack Irons, BABYMETAL and IRONTOM. So, get tickets if you can. It’ll cost a pretty penny but it’s worth it, because seeing them live is just part of being a music fan.

Before You Go

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot