Review + Photos: Red Hot Chili Peppers Chef Up Sweet Sounds in Hershey

The California rockers braved the East Coast cold at the last show of their North American tour

Red Hot Chili Peppers are most certainly down for the state of Pennsylvania.

Last night, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers made their triumphant return to Hershey for the first time in over two decades. The last time the Chili Peppers visited the Sweetest Place on Earth was July 17, 2000. The group decided to swing by to wrap up their North American tour at Hersheypark Stadium, and it was well worth the wait.

The Chili Peppers enlisted the incomparable St. Vincent to serve as their very special guest. The show was the last stop on her Daddy’s Home Tour, which supported her latest album of the same name. As a gorgeous sunset began to unfold. the three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist and songwriter strolled onto the stage and kicked off the evening’s festivities. Despite being in a support slot, she churned out a stacked 12-song set that favored her 2017 hit album, MASSEDUCTION. The record was her first Top 10 album on the Billboard 200.

Highlights included “New York,” “Los Ageless,” “Fast Slow Disco,” and others.

St. Vincent is such a stylish talent. She absolutely oozes cool on stage, and she has the musical chops to go right along with her presence. She’s great to listen to, but tremendously fun to watch in a live setting.

While it was a fairly mild mid-September evening for the locals, the California boys were bundled up when they took the stage. Bassist Flea and guitarist John Frusciante were wearing hoodies and beanies, but drummer Chad Smith was still sleeveless, but that’s understandable given how physically demanding his role is. When frontman Anthony Kiedis arrived on stage, he was wearing a killer red satin jacket to keep warm. It didn’t take long for him to strip it off, though, in favor of a mesh t-shirt.

Before that, though, Flea, Frusciante, and Smith engaged in a phenomenal jam. Their intuition and timing is just absolutely incredible, ping-ponging off each other with absurd precision. When Kiedis joined them on stage, they tore into their 1999 hit, “Around the World.” Aside from being an excellent opening song sonically, the lyrics, “Born in the North and sworn to entertain ya / ‘Cause I’m down for the state of Pennsylvania,” garnered a huge roar from the local crowd.

When Frusciante ripped into the wild opening riff of “Snow (Hey Oh),” the stadium erupted. Sure, it’s a great fucking song – but to see and hear John playing it live again was something for the senses to behold, even still after being back in the band for over a year now. The gorgeous opening intro “Soul to Squeeze” garnered a similar reaction from the audience. It felt like an imaginary warm blanket had been draped over the crowd. Damn, it’s good to have this man back.

When Frusciante ripped into the wild opening riff of “Snow (Hey Oh),” the stadium erupted. Sure, it’s a great fucking song – but to see and hear John playing it live again was something for the senses to behold, even still after being back in the band for over a year now. The gorgeous opening intro “Soul to Squeeze” garnered a similar reaction from the audience. It felt like an imaginary warm blanket had been draped over the crowd. Damn, it’s good to have this man back.

Other highlights from the evening included their seminal hit “Californication,” their Eddie Van Halen tribute, “Eddie,” and the VMA-winning “Black Summer,” among others. They wrapped up their set with “By the Way,” then returned for a two-track encore that featured “I Could Have Lied,” and their watershed piece, “Give It Away.” Sadly, missing from the set were gems like “Scar Tissue,” “Dani California,” and more, but at this point in their career, choosing a setlist is a nearly impossible task.

On October 31, Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off a brief South American run. The shows are their final scheduled performances for the foreseeable future. Check out the full itinerary HERE.

Almost a year ago, Red Hot Chili Peppers surprised fans with their new album Return of the Dream Canteen. It was the band’s second all-new LP in less than a year. It followed up Unlimited Love, which saw the band reunite with guitarist John Frusciante for the first time since 2016’s Stadium Arcadium.

In a statement regarding the new record, the band said, “When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. Two double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. Return of the Dream Canteen is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed. Made with the blood of our hearts.”

Last year, the Chili Peppers received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. The band also took home the hardware for Best Rock Video for “Black Summer.” It marked the ninth VMA victory of the band’s career. The group performed at the award show in New Jersey at the Prudential Center for the first time in over two decades. They put together a medley of their VMA Award-winning song “Black Summer” and their 2002 hit “Can’t Stop.” 

To date, the Chili Peppers have sold 80 million albums worldwide. Their music has earned them six GRAMMY® Awards throughout their career. In 2012, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.