Red Hot Chili Peppers bring their love for California to sold-out Star Lake concert

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ love for California should not be underestimated – some estimates on the Internet suggest that about 20% of their songs contain a reference to the Golden State.

This was evident on Tuesday night at a sold-out show at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, where the Californian funk-rock legends performed as part of their Unlimited Love tour.

Drummer Chad Smith has the Dodgers’ giant “LA” logo on his bass drum and appeared to be wearing a backwards Dodgers cap. And bassist Flea brought out a purple bass guitar with a giant Lakers logo toward the end of the show.

And would your show be complete if “Dani California” or “Californication” weren’t played?

But after an intro jam session between Smith, Flea and guitarist John Frusciante, the Chili Peppers started with “Around the World,” which also includes singer Anthony Kiedis’s salute to the Keystone State: “Born in the north and sworn to entertain ya, ’cause I’m down for the state of Pennsylvania.”

With a giant digital screen filled with psychedelic, lava lamp-like visuals and flashing strobe lights in the background, the Chili Peppers played a high-energy set not often seen among 60-year-olds. (Kiedis and Flea are 61 and Smith is 62, while Frusciante is 60 at only 54.)

Kiedis, wearing a medical boot on his left foot and a brace around his right knee, still danced in circles around the stage. As Flea crossed the stage earlier in the evening, he did a handstand with his loose yoga skirt falling over his head. And Smith drummed all evening long, throwing worn-out sticks into the crowd at least twice. And Flea, who praised Pittsburgh for giving the world Andy Warhol, and Kiedis were both shirtless within 30 minutes of each other – how often do you see that in this age group of bands?

.@chilli peppers at @Pav_StarLake pic.twitter.com/ko9TZ1zLsp

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) July 3, 2024

Flea’s bass lines were up front and definitely more prominent than most bands, but that’s part of the band’s appeal. While Flea and Smith were locked in a groove, Frusciante was able to dive into fiery solos on songs like “Black Summer” and “Eddie,” their tribute to late guitarist Eddie Van Halen. At times, the sound was a little muddy, making it hard to understand Kiedis’ vocals, which otherwise seemed good.

Highlights included “Soul to Squeeze,” which started softly, built to a relaxation, and then calmed down again, and a powerful “By the Way” that closed the regular set. After a few minutes’ encore break, they returned for the somber “I Could Have Lied” before ending on a higher note with “Give It Away.”

For a band that’s been going strong for 42 years, they’ve amassed quite a collection of hits. Unfortunately, many of them, including their biggest hit, “Under the Bridge,” didn’t make the setlist for Tuesday’s show. Other notable omissions included “Scar Tissue,” “Can’t Stop,” “Snow ((Hey Oh)),” “Suck My Kiss,” and “Me and My Friends.”

Replacing these songs included 2022’s “Carry Me Home,” which was played for the first time this year, and Frusciante’s short solo cover of David Bowie’s “Kooks.”

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Domi and JD Beck, an instrumental jazz duo featuring a French keyboardist and an American drummer, acknowledged several times that they seemed out of place at the show’s opening.

“I know we are not who you expected,” Beck said.

Other diverse opening acts on this tour included rapper Ice Cube, Japanese all-female punk band Otoboke Beaver and rapper Ken Carson, while Kid Cudi and Irontom were originally scheduled to open here when the tour was announced.