Frusciante Takes Over Red Hot Chili Peppers Show

Welcome to the John Frusciante show, or a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, rather. Not that I'm complaining about the long-haired guitar god's complete command of the adoring sold-out crowd at the first of two shows at the ACC. Frusciante's screaming guitar solos brought every RHCP song to a long crescendo. And his appearance with openers The Mars Volta, plus a short solo version of Simon & Garfunkel's "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her" halfway through the set, pushed him to the forefront of the Chili Peppers spectacle, leaving even funkadelic frontman Anthony Kiedis somewhat in the dust.

The band opened with "Can't Stop" and followed with "Dani California," the first single off of their latest album, Stadium Arcadium. The set leaned heavily on material from Stadium and By The Way, with a few Californication gems thrown in, including the title track and a wonderfully moody "Parallel Universe." There were a few oldies for the hardcore fans, most notably the raw "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," "Under The Bridge" and "Give It Away." The latter two were played during an encore that started off with a drum solo from Chad Smith and one of the night's most pleasant surprises — Frusciante singing shortened versions of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

All of the Chilis were in fantastic form, and you could really tell that they love performing together. Kiedis' trademark pogoing and random kung fu moves never get tired, and neither do Flea's rapid, funky bass slaps. The bassist's skin-tight patterned outfit, which can best be described as a leopard/zebra/paisley/'70s wallpaper print with a lot of pink, was forgivable because, well, he's Flea. When he performed a bass solo, the others stood back and appeared to watch in awe, especially Frusciante, who leaned against the speakers with outstretched arms to take it all in.

Even the backdrop was inspiring, with rotating screens that showcased Flea's and Frusciante's quick fingers and Kiedis' tats. The various images of everything from surfers to comic-book animation to constellations and an amazing swimming dragon-type serpent were so impressive that they were often distracting. But nothing could divert the audience's attention — even Frusciante's compelling guitar prowess — from this group of close friends and seasoned Cali-rockers who, with more than 20 years of touring under their belt, are one of modern rock's strongest bands with true staying power.