ACL Live Shot: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Photo by Gary Miller

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a group of old men who dress like children. Stretched out across Sunday's headlining stage, bassist Flea wore his hair a deep purple. Chief partner Anthony Kiedis went topless. Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, in RHCP since 2009, channeled predecessor John Frusciante and wore a plaid shirt and Adidas track pants. Per usual, drummer Chad Smith just looked like Will Ferrell. They all entered to an oboe solo before Smith grabbed hold of the reins and ushered the L.A. legends into "Monarchy of Roses," the first cut from 2011's I'm With You, their 10th album. An amalgamation of post-Californication newbies followed, with "Dani California," "Can't Stop," "Otherside," "Look Around," and "Snow (Hey Oh)" hitting in quick succession amid a series of Flea-orchestrated funk instrumentals. "Tell Me Baby" bored and "Right On Time," sarcastically dubbed "the softest, quietest song known to man" by Flea, proved too deep a cut, but the quartet brought it back with "Suck My Kiss," old-school flavor that had dads thinking 1991 was just yesterday. Classics – "Under the Bridge," "Sir Psycho Sexy," "Give It Away" – went over best, but they came few and far between. The Chili Peppers' catalog fast approaches 200 songs. What hits? Those guys got plenty.