Photos and Review by Chris Berry
The Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined a sold out show at Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien Center, NY, just outside of Buffalo on Friday July 12th.
The show kicked off with their infamous intro jam, where Chad Smith, John Frusciante and Flea showcased their energy and skill. Flea was rocking his yellow and purple, to go along with his handwritten tattoo that reads “¡GO LAKERS!” Smith had an all red, sleeveless jumpsuit with a red hat to match, and Frusciante wore comfy shorts and t-shirt. The six-ish minute long intro gave each musician an opportunity to show off both their chemistry and individual skill and got the crowd fired up. Anthony Kiedis joined the rest of the band as they transitioned to “Around the World.” You’d never know that Kiedis was recovering from an apparent foot injury, as he did not let his walking boot slow him down!
After the third song of the set, Kiedis looked at keyboard player Chris Warren and asked “Chris, who is your favorite all-time person from the greater Buffalo area? And don’t f*** this up!” Warren replied with PeeWee Herman, who was way off as he is not from anywhere near Western NY! He quickly changed his answer to Rick James, prompting cheers and screams from the crowd. The crowd was engaged throughout the show, singing word for word. They also enjoyed a colorful and psychedelic video and light show displayed on the large backdrop behind the stage.
The Chili Peppers showed love to The Ramones, by covering two of their songs. Frusciante did a solo performance of “I Remember You,” just him and his guitar. Later in the set the band played their rendition of “Havana Affair.”
Fans got to hear a mix of new music, like “Black Summer” and “Aquatic Mouth Dance” as well as some of the classics like “By the Way” and “Californication.” They also performed an encore with “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away.”
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