One of my all-time favorite discs from my early days of collecting music has to be the Chili Peppers masterpiece, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Ever since I first heard what has to be one of the greatest Rock albums of our lives, I've been a fan of this band from beginning to end. Fascinatingly enough, I've never actually seen them perform live, mostly because their overwhelming popularity leads to rapid sell-outs. Lucky me, this time around I was able to get tickets to their first night at the Forum.
Well, what really sweetened the deal was their opening act, The Mars Volta.
For the uninitiated, there was a burgeoning group of the early decade by the name of At the Drive-In that was hailed as the next big thing. What happens most often in these situations is either tremendous legendary status or implosion.
They opted for the latter.
From the debris of an old group sprang two very different parts of an old whole, Sparta and The Mars Volta. Sparta, being a bit more of a straightforward rock band is a solid group, but comparatively, they lack the progressive nature of TMV (which is what I like most about TMV in the first place). TMV's two albums function almost on an experimental level, but underneath an eccentric mixture of jazz, rock, funk, and otherwise astrological psychadelia, you find an extremely unique and compelling musical construct. It defies explanation only in that their an intensely progressive group with very specific artistic aspirations (which, no doubt, led to the split).
So I was pumped to see both of these acts, when else would I get an opportunity like this? It was also very special since RHCP happen to be from the city of Angels and as a matter of fact, are huge fans of the Lakers. I was looking forward to this so much so, that the realization that the "COL 10" on my ticket was in the upper section was a bitter pill to swallow.
Despite having most of TMV's opening ruined by foul ticket bitterness, they killed their set. Mostly focusing on their new album, Amputechture, and a couple of songs from their sophomore effort, the set was a continuous aural assault. I wish, very much, that they'd played more music from De-loused in the Comatorium, but I think it's a lot to ask from a band who's constantly looking forward to look back. A very surprising addition to their sound was actually a saxophonist! This only means I can anticipate their latest much more than I had before.
After a short wait, RHCP made their way onstage. They opened with a solid jam session with Flea and John Frusciante vamping the funk until Anthony Kiedes joined them to break out with "Can't Stop." From this moment on, I knew it was going to be a set filled with crowd-pleasers. If that opening number wasn't enough, they blasted through some very old songs, "Me and My Friends" to their latest hits from Stadium Arcadium. My favorite moment had to be when John Frusciante broke out into an impromptu version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." Classic.
I could have been disappointed that they never played "Under the Bridge" (which I was expecting as an encore), but it was a really impassioned performance all-around. Anthony Kiedes leapt around the stage like a mad punk jumping jack, Flea's head must be missing some vertabra, and every time John Frusciante let fly on a solo, I swore I could see smoke billowing from his fingers. Even Chad Smith broke into the act with a solid solo opening up several songs.
The best thing about the show is what I love about the band in the first place. RHCP always plays some great melodic songs that make me smile. It's inspiring to me that while they have had shake-ups and transitions, this band can keep plugging away and enjoy every second of it.
I can't say it's the best show I've seen all year, but it's very close.
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