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The boundless energy of Red Hot Chili Peppers entertains the sold-out Star Lake

VaselineJuly 3, 2024

0 2 minutes read

The boundless energy of Red Hot Chili Peppers entertains the sold-out Star Lake

Flea, the bassist, did a walking handstand as his dramatic entrance on stage

BURGETTSTOWN ― Bass guitars took a hit.

Guitar strings are torn.

And Anthony Kiedis beat out anyone who dared to claim to be alternative rock’s most vibrant frontman.

In other words, Tuesday night saw another energetic performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a sold-out Pavilion at Star Lake.

Famed bassist Flea performed a walking handstand for his dramatic entrance on stage. Once upright and his long yellow sarong in place, the shirtless Flea tore into a frenzied jam, fixated on Chad Smith’s heavy, fast drum beats and guitarist John Frusciante’s fiery licks.

Kiedis took the stage to run laps for “Around The World.” He rarely stayed in place all night, pantomiming hand gestures and elastic leg movements. You could give names to his prolific stage antics, like the sideways gallop, the condor takeoff and the dice warming. At one point, he did a double arm gesture like a baseball umpire calling “safe” twice.

Flea’s rubbery movements were also entertaining, especially when he performed his slap bass technique, where he hit his strings with his open hand. His bass was emblazoned with the words “Support your local freak.”

Smith followed up the third selection of the night, “The Zephyr Song,” with an impressive drum solo. Then came the first big hit of the night, “Dani California,” punctuated by a thundering Smith finale, a Flea karate kick, and Kiedis holding the microphone with both hands and singing with verve.

“That’s for Andy Warhol,” Flea said randomly at the end of the song.

Many fans held up their phone cameras to capture “Otherside.”

The 2022 Eddie Van Halen biographical tribute, “Eddie,” featured fitting guitar work from Frusciante.

Keidis sang a verse of “This Is Radio Clash”, after which his bandmates played a snippet of The Clash’s “London’s Calling” as a prelude to 1999’s “Right on Time”.

Red Hot Chili Peppers kept the hard-edged funk going. The four band members formed a circle in front of Smith’s drum kit for the slower “Soul to Squeeze,” a number that had many in the audience moving along to the chorus rather than singing out loud.

There were many parents with children in attendance at the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first show in Western Pennsylvania since May 2017 at the PPG Paints Arena.

A Flea-Frusciante tandem solo preceded “Californication,” one of the few songs on which Kiedis stood relatively still, indirectly lending extra weight to the song’s lyrics about the glitz and excesses of the California dream.

2022’s atmospheric “Black Summer” was a standout, driven by Frusciante’s atmospheric guitar wail. Kiedis toned down the over-enunciation of the “archers on the run” line a bit.

The middle section could have benefited from a “Mother’s Milk” gem like “Knock Me Down” or “Higher Ground.”

And unlike alt-country star Tyler Childers two nights earlier at an also sold-out Star Lake, Kiedis didn’t give us much insight into his personality with clever or witty jokes.

But the fans got what they wanted: a show full of radio hits, not so much melodic as full of energy, rousing choruses and enthusiasm.

The openers, alt-jazz duo Domi and JD Beck, brought virtuosity, or as they both joked, a lot of notes. French keyboardist Domi sat opposite drummer Beck as they tore through fast-paced instrumentals. Beck acknowledged that many in the audience had bought tickets expecting to see rapper Kid Cudi. But the Kid broke his leg when he fell off the stage at Coachella.

Although it was unusual, Domi and Beck kept it interesting enough.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and can be reached at [email protected].

VaselineJuly 3, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Flea, the bassist, did a walking handstand as his dramatic entrance on stage

Vaseline

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