Can't Stop the Funk
Since I spend so much money and time going to shows, I figured I might as well try writing a music review for the Fulcrum some time. Of course, my writing is atrocious, so why not practice on here? I'm going to try to post a detailed review of every show I go to this fall, and I'll try to make them interesting. Here goes:
Red Hot Funk Masters
As soon as RHCP guitarist John Frusciante, drummer Chad Smith and legendary bassist Flea stepped on stage and broke loose into a groovin' funk jam, eager fans of the sold out Scotiabank Place arena knew at once that the mood was set for killer show. After a solid five minutes of rocking out, on comes vocalist Anthony Kiedes whirling around like a cross between a tasmanian devil and a lightweight boxer prepped for a fight. The band kicked into gear with reliable hits Can't Stop and Dani California, getting the crowd of 13 000 up on their feet cheering and dancing, and keeping the energy just as high for most of the rest of the set.
A unique highlight of the show was the massive backdrop, something like a 100 ft TV screen, spanning the width of the arena and extending all the way up to the 300 level seats. The screen showcased live action feeds of the band and a motley of tantalizing visual effects. For the sleeper hit Parallel Universe, the screen went all trancy with whirlpools of bright colours and a dragon soaring through space, conjuring up images of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
Fan favourite Flea easily stole the show. Bobbing his head around as his body convulsed to the beat in some perpetual rhytmic seizure, he wowed the crowd time after time with his frenetic pop-and-slap bass licks and a 4-minute bass solo leading into lesser known By The Way ballad Don't Forget Me. At one point he even imitated the Swiss "Ricola" call, chanting "Ott-a-wa" out to a very responsive crowd. He proved to be a visual pleaser too, donning a flashy multicoloured skintight "funk" suit and dancing around the stage on his hands.
Frusciante was a hit too, trading licks with Flea and breaking off into his own dazzling solos. While the band took a break mid-set, he entertained with a well-received funked up cover of the Bee-Gee's How Deep Is Your Love. Chad remained quiet, dissolving into the risers for most of the main set, but redeemed himself by kicking off the encore with a thunderous five-minute drum solo building into 90s classic Under The Bridge.
The only real disappointment was Anthony, whose vocals were mediocre at best: virtually expressionless and identical to a CD recording. He made little effort to reach out to the willing fans and seemed to spend more time looking at his bandmates than fans that paid upwards of $60.
The band stuck mostly with tracks from Stadium Arcadium and By The Way, much to the regalement of the younger teen fans sprouting up throughout the crowd. They also ventured into older hits Scar Tissue, Californication, and Fortune Faded. Sadly they left out favourites The Zephyr Song, Otherside, and the stunning bass intro to Around the World that stole the 2003 show, instead opting to cut the show short disappointingly early at 10:30.
Still, the band did not fail to entertain, with a high-energy encore and Flea attempting to walk off stage in a handstand. The fans exuded their love for the band cheering and chanting as they poured out the stadium highly satisfied. The Chili Peppers spent the encore returning to their groovy punk-funk roots, closing the night with Give it Away.
Red Hot Funk Masters
As soon as RHCP guitarist John Frusciante, drummer Chad Smith and legendary bassist Flea stepped on stage and broke loose into a groovin' funk jam, eager fans of the sold out Scotiabank Place arena knew at once that the mood was set for killer show. After a solid five minutes of rocking out, on comes vocalist Anthony Kiedes whirling around like a cross between a tasmanian devil and a lightweight boxer prepped for a fight. The band kicked into gear with reliable hits Can't Stop and Dani California, getting the crowd of 13 000 up on their feet cheering and dancing, and keeping the energy just as high for most of the rest of the set.
A unique highlight of the show was the massive backdrop, something like a 100 ft TV screen, spanning the width of the arena and extending all the way up to the 300 level seats. The screen showcased live action feeds of the band and a motley of tantalizing visual effects. For the sleeper hit Parallel Universe, the screen went all trancy with whirlpools of bright colours and a dragon soaring through space, conjuring up images of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
Fan favourite Flea easily stole the show. Bobbing his head around as his body convulsed to the beat in some perpetual rhytmic seizure, he wowed the crowd time after time with his frenetic pop-and-slap bass licks and a 4-minute bass solo leading into lesser known By The Way ballad Don't Forget Me. At one point he even imitated the Swiss "Ricola" call, chanting "Ott-a-wa" out to a very responsive crowd. He proved to be a visual pleaser too, donning a flashy multicoloured skintight "funk" suit and dancing around the stage on his hands.
Frusciante was a hit too, trading licks with Flea and breaking off into his own dazzling solos. While the band took a break mid-set, he entertained with a well-received funked up cover of the Bee-Gee's How Deep Is Your Love. Chad remained quiet, dissolving into the risers for most of the main set, but redeemed himself by kicking off the encore with a thunderous five-minute drum solo building into 90s classic Under The Bridge.
The only real disappointment was Anthony, whose vocals were mediocre at best: virtually expressionless and identical to a CD recording. He made little effort to reach out to the willing fans and seemed to spend more time looking at his bandmates than fans that paid upwards of $60.
The band stuck mostly with tracks from Stadium Arcadium and By The Way, much to the regalement of the younger teen fans sprouting up throughout the crowd. They also ventured into older hits Scar Tissue, Californication, and Fortune Faded. Sadly they left out favourites The Zephyr Song, Otherside, and the stunning bass intro to Around the World that stole the 2003 show, instead opting to cut the show short disappointingly early at 10:30.
Still, the band did not fail to entertain, with a high-energy encore and Flea attempting to walk off stage in a handstand. The fans exuded their love for the band cheering and chanting as they poured out the stadium highly satisfied. The Chili Peppers spent the encore returning to their groovy punk-funk roots, closing the night with Give it Away.