While the Henry Miller Library gives off the vibe of a venue more suited for an acoustic folk show or an intimate backyard wedding, Kiedis and co transformed the grassy starlit dance floor into a private party fit for the funk metal festival headliners. Considering that the price of a ticket to see RHCP at Club Nokia in August starts at $150, the audience shuffled in quickly and prepared for the once in a lifetime show about to start before them.
Coming on late--as every diva rock star does--Kiedis and Flea casually addressed the audience as their close friends and greatest admirers before jumping into a set comprised of 90% of unknown songs.
Semi Big Sur local Flea joked with the crowd as he started up his iconic bass playing, "If you guys know where I live, this would be a good time to rob me...because...you know...I'm not there!"
Even the most reluctant of music lovers couldn't help but get excited by hearing the sounds of a band they have heard on the radio for almost 30 years now. Whether you like them or not, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are iconic and represent the middle school years of almost everyone on the West Coast. There was a sense of warm nostalgia that pierced through the bitter cold Northern California night.
The fun sense of carefree summers can only take you so far before the audience begins to notice that Kiedis couldn't remember the words or get through an entire number without mentioning that his throat hurt. Passing most of the choruses by the end of the gig off to a second banana player, Kiedis continued to command the stage with an air of entitlement even as the light show consistently failed around them.
When they were tight and together, nothing could stop the audience from swaying and dancing, but these moments were few and far between partially because the 250 odd people didn't know any of the words of the songs played. Peppering old classics such as "By the Way" and "Californication" within the masses of new material, RHCP jump started the buzz and demand for their style and talent for their next world tour. My only hope is that they remember to play favorites like "Scar Tissue" and "City of Angels" at future shows as a thank you to the fans who have been there all along.
