For my first show of the 2012 summer concert series I journeyed up to Philadelphia for the RHCP show at the Wells Fargo Center, where the all new Xfinity Live Philadelphia building is up and running, built on the old site of where the Spectrum used to sit ... grabbing a tissue now!
         Opening the show were Sleigh Bells, a female/male duo from Brooklyn, N.Y. with an extra touring member. They have two albums under their belt which they’re out promoting opening for the RHCP. You can check them out at www.reignofterror.tv   
        As the lights go out and the cell phone and lighters come on, the RHCP take the stage at 9:15 to the sell-out crowd and kick off the show with "Monarchy of Roses", the opening song off the new RHCP album, I'm With You. Now, with the driving drum beat of Chad Smith and Flea stretching his fingers all over his bass, the guitaring of Josh Klinghoffer (replacing long-time Chili's virtuoso John Frusciante), and the powerful vocals of Anthony Kiedis, it was a great lead-in to a sweet four-song run of "Can't Stop", "Scar Tissue" and "Look Around", another song from their new album. The stage featured mammoth vertical spotlight towers and a huge video screen to project hypnotic shapes, constellations and other diversions. The band took the crowd on a nostalgia ride of hits with "Pea", "Dani California", "She's Only 18", and new radio fav, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie".
        Flea, once again, was killer on the bass with "Parallel Universe" before some lesser known songs, "Me & My Friends" and "Universally Speaking." He then went into Stevie Wonder's cover "Higher Ground!" Wow, and to think it’s been since "Woodstock 94" that I last heard them play that cover. Anyway, to close out their first set they crushed it with "Under the Bridge", "Goodbye Hooray", "Californication" and "By the Way". The band could have ended the show on that and everyone would have been happy but no, after a short intermission they returned for a three-song encore which included "Suck My Kiss", a Neil Young cover "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere", and, of course, "Give It Away". The RHCP have lost nothing. They sound great, same crazy sense of style, high energy, and it was beautiful to hear and to witness. I won’t wait that long again to see them when they come close to our area again. And for anyone who thinks the RHCP recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was a sign that they’re getting older and on a downward tempo towards retirement, catching their show live will prove you very wrong!! www.redhotchilipeppers.com