After having to bow out of playing KROQ 106.7/FM’s annual Almost Acoustic Christmas at Kia Forum back in December, Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers made good on the promise to perform specifically for those ticketholders.
Dubbed KROQ March Two Re-Do, the sold-out event at Kia Forum on Saturday, March 2 was to make up for the band’s absence alongside fellow KROQ acts The Offspring, Garbage, Cannons, Love Joy and more back on Dec. 9. 311 also stepped in when RHCP abruptly announced their departure from the bill. We later found out, during a pre-recorded video from vocalist Anthony Kiedis shown during Acoustic Christmas, it was because of guitarist John Frusciante breaking a finger.
On Saturday night, fans packed back into Kia Forum and were ready to rock out with the band, which was supported by L.A. acts Alexsucks and Irontom. Watching and listening to Frusciante, with his appendage all healed up, was worth the wait. He rejoined the band after a 10-year absence in 2019 and that change has definitely shifted the live performance as he’s a phenomenal player. He’s got the vocal chops too, which he showcased on Saturday by leading the crowd in a sing-along of Loggins and Messina’s “Danny’s Song.”
At Acoustic Christmas, fans might have gotten about 8-10 songs max since the radio festival sets are much shorter. But for the re-do, RHCP delivered a 75-minute, 15-song set that included hits like “Can’t Stop” and “Scar Tissue” at the start and wrapped with “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away” in the encore.
The band also played some newer songs including the funky “Aquatic Mouth Dance,” off of 2022’s “Unlimited Love.” The song makes mention of Los Angeles punk rock band X, which RHCP further recognized on Saturday by starting to play a little of X’s “Los Angeles,” before launching into “Scar Tissue.” “Black Summer” is another fantastic song off of “Unlimited Love” that fit well in this set list, and…
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