Article and photos by: Wendy Podmenik Woodell
Virginia Beach, VA– Considering it was nearly the middle of summer, the heat was manageable enough to navigate for the sold-out audience at the Virginia Beach outdoor Amphitheater. The crowd was hyper-excited to finally see a long time, all- around legendary favorite: the Red Hot Chili Peppers had come to town, and this was an event with a lot of local buzz.
A bit of history on RHCP- musically groundbreaking in the late 80’s, fusing rap with funk and alt rock. Dancing upon stage in their underwear and not much else, their frenetic energy was amplified by bassist Flea’s innovative driving funky licks and cartwheels across the stage. Vocalist Anthony Kiedis’ muscular build and hip-hop moves combined with the artful tones of guitarist John Frusciante and beloved drummer Chad Smith (aka Will Ferrell‘s twin) made for a rock quartet that created music that still gets major radio play decades later.
All was not peaceful over the ensuing years, as band member turnover, drug use, and tragedy fell upon the band repeatedly. Time and maturity have softened the blows and lent perspective to some members, and with healing, long time players reunited to re-create the closest possible line up of the original artists.
The light show was colorful, not overwhelming but served as a suitable brilliant background to the show; the energy level was high; the set list cruised through most of the fans’ favorite cuts over the years- the show delivered. Strangely enough, the only thing missing was casual banter with the audience that lead vocalists usually deliver between songs. The only time the audience was addressed was at the very end of the show, as Chad Smith stood up behind his drum kit and voiced a heartfelt thank you to the Virginia Beach crowd for a great evening. The musicianship was amazing, each song performed to studio perfection.
The set list drew heavily from the classic albums. They started the evening with a jam, which led into “Can’t Stop” and “Scar Tissue”. Songs from albums Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication dominated the night, and scattered in between were choice cuts from newer work- Unlimited Love and Return from the Dream Canteen. The latter two albums were derived from the same studio session in 2022, indicating a renewal of creative energies with the return of John Frusciante. In particular, “Black Summer” became the Chili Peppers’ 14th number one single on the Billboard charts. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new material retains their distinctive sound, vocal play by Kiedis, sharp shredding by Frusciante and Flea taking a more nuanced stance with the bass.
The evening culminated with a two song encore featuring “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away”, leaving audience members satisfied with a masterful wrap up and a journey through years of favorite songs that defined a genre and a generation.
RHCP is in the midst of a 2022-2024 global tour and winding up this leg in the northeastern US. To download albums, find the latest news and upcoming tour dates, please visit https://redhotchilipeppers.com/ .