MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Neil
Young, backed by Crazy Horse, rocks the packed Hollywood
Palladium on Thursday night during a benefit for drug counselor
Gloria Scott.
By Chris Moriates
Daily Bruin Contributor
They may be a little bit older: the mohawks have grown out and
the tube socks now remain on their feet, but the members of the Red
Hot Chili Peppers still know how to put on a show.
From the moment that Anthony Kiedis and Flea could be seen
jumping up and down together backstage, until the moment that John
Frusciante’s guitar hit the ground and faded to silence
almost an hour-and-a-half later, the crowd at the sold-out
Hollywood Palladium show last Thursday night belonged to the Red
Hot Chili Peppers.
Not only was it a great concert, but it was for a great cause.
The show, which also featured veteran rocker Neil Young with his
original Crazy Horse band, was a benefit concert held for Gloria
Scott, a drug counselor who has helped members of the Chili Peppers
and other bands through their addictions.
The event, “A Night For Gloria Scott,” also included
opening alt-rock band Thelonious Monster, as well as
DJ/remixer/producer Paul Oakenfold handling the DJing duties
between sets (taking over for the last-minute cancellation of
Jane’s Addiction frontman/DJ Perry Farrell).
The music of the night was without a doubt about passion. Nobody
demonstrated this more than guitar prodigy Frusciante, who is so
committed to his craft that he has never even driven a car or had a
bill in his name. Completely consumed by his music, Frusciante
often times flailed about the stage, with spit flying and drool
dripping from his chin, as he closed his eyes and did not feel
anything except the music that he and his three partners were
creating.
 MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Red Hot Chili Peppers
guitarist John Frusciante sprawls on the floor of
the stage as he plays at the beginning of the band’s set at the
Hollywood benefit concert. Earlier in the night, Neil Young also
displayed passion, turning in a solid set that featured old
favorites such as “Cinnamon Girl,” and illustrated that
although he is older than most grandfathers, good rock
‘n’ roll is immune to the test of time.
After a long break between the two sets, the Chili Peppers ran
onto its hometown stage to the excitement of a sold-out crowd.
“Seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid,” Kiedis said
about the Palladium. “I saw The Clash here.”
The band ripped through an hour of music that covered the
diverse spectrum of its long career, before returning for an encore
set.
The night started off with “Around the World,” from
their latest album “Californication” and was followed
by the funky older hit, “Give It Away.” During the
song, Frusciante flashed a genuine, trademark off-center smile and
there was a sense that something truly special was taking
place.
Flea, donning early punk-rock-era red plaid pants, unleashed
amazing bass work along with unrestrained energy as he hopped about
the stage. Not to be upstaged by his lively band-mates, drummer
Chad Smith caught attention with various classic drum antics, such
as throwing his sticks into midair and catching them without
missing a beat.
 MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Red Hot Chili Peppers
frontman Anthony Kiedis soothes the audience with
the band’s hit song “Scar Tissue.” The band
performed at “A Night For Gloria Scott,” a concert held
at the Hollywood Palladium last Thursday. Scott is a drug counselor
who has helped members of the Chili Peppers and other bands get
through their addictions.
Some of the most interesting aspects of the act were the
instrumental sections performed by Flea and Frusciante. Many times
the two would meet center stage, standing inches from each other
and would, in essence, meld in both energy and sound. During one of
these extended jams, Kiedis joined Smith behind the drum kit as the
two looked on and enjoyed a cigarette. Kiedis even appeared to
quickly use a cell phone.
The Chili Peppers were able to mix slower songs, such as
“I Could Have Lied,” with breakneck funk tunes like
“Road Trippin'” without seeming too choppy.
Towards the end of the set, Kiedis and Frusciante embraced in a
sincere hug and had a small discussion, apparently about the
performance of the over-played classic “Under the
Bridge.”
“Nobody really wants to hear “˜Under the
Bridge,’ do they?” Frusciante asked after returning to
the microphone. This remark was followed by an overwhelming crowd
response for the song and Frusciante, presenting another smile,
quickly conceded and began to play the recognizable opening
riff.
 MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Frusciante prepares to toss his beanie into the
crowd during the show.
After finishing an emotional set, the band returned to the stage
to perform a few more tunes before calling it a night, rocking well
past the publicized “strict 11 p.m. curfew.”
Upon returning, Frusciante approached the microphone to scream
“I love you” to the crowd. This was one of numerous
times that Flea, Frusciante, and Kiedis displayed their true
affection for the audience.
The night finally came to an end as Flea and Frusciante
gracefully attacked their instruments, utilizing Hendrix-esque
feedback and precise timing to present some heartfelt
improvisation. They brought the sound down to a simmer and
Frusciante gently dropped his guitar to the floor as the two walked
off stage together.
The music of Young and the Red Hot Chili Peppers demonstrated
passion, devotion to their sick friend, Gloria Scott, and fervor
for their creative music and fans. In a time when corporate rock
and superficial boy bands reign supreme, “A Night For Gloria
Scott” was just a night for some good authentic rock
“˜n’ roll.