▣Fenway Park | Boston, MA ▣Saturday, September 10th 2022

▣Photographer/Journalist: Carlos Londono

The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed in front of a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park. Their “Unlimited Love Tour” made a stop in Boston, with openers St. Vincent and Thundercat, closing out this year’s amazing Fenway concert series.

Chili Peppers, young and old, gathered in Boston’s historic Fenway Park for a concert of the ages. For me, it was a memory I’ll never forget. It was not only my first time covering an event at Fenway but also my first time photographing my all-time favorite band.

The opener was none other than the great Thundercat, who showed us the meaning of funk, as he slapped on his red bass guitar. His large cat background was cool and very visually appealing. His performance was a great way to kick things off.

Up next, St Vincent got the crowd on their feet dancing. Her live performance was so much fun to watch. She had two charismatic guitarists that were very entertaining to watch and some really amazing backup singers. I wasn’t familiar with her music but found myself dancing along also. She had a great stage presence and the vocals to match, making her performance electrifying!

Then, it was time for the California legends, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. As a sold-out crowd waited for their start, Fenway lit up when Chad, Flea, and John entered the stage. They started to jam as the crowd cheered them on. Loud screams filled the stadium once again when Anthony joined them and they started their set with “Around the World”, followed by, “Dani California” and “Scar Tissue”. It was an amazing set of songs to kick off the night.

Their hits continued and we were treated to some of their new songs off their latest release, “Unlimited Love”. The two performances that stuck out to me were “Black Summer” – definitely a new favorite of mine. Also, a killer performance of “These Are the Ways” – it slapped! I could honestly listen to the ending of that song on repeat.

Now, I never had the chance to see them perform with Josh, but for me, it’s hard seeing anyone but John in the band. There is a certain feeling, a certain energy, from the special bond they share when they play together as a unit. When John and Flea went into their solo before closing their set, it was quite clear, that John brought the magic to the Peppers.

They closed their set with “Californication” and “Give It Away” which included a snip of the Queen classic, “Another One Bites the Dust”. Their performance of the song was truly a visually melting experience!

Then, the lights went out, only to be relit by phones in the crowd as we all chanted for an encore. It wasn’t long before the guys obliged.

Flea did a handstand across the stage, and they quickly started to serenade their Boston fans with “Under the Bridge”. It was a surreal moment for me and I managed to stay more composed than the other four times I’ve seen them play. But their performance of the classic hit finally got the best of me, bringing me to tears.

The feelings continued when they closed their set with, “By The Way”, another one of my old-time favorites. Anthony sang the last verse of the song with his arm around John. It’s so good to have John Frusciante back in the band.

At the end of the song, Anthony thanked the crowd and walked off stage. Chad stayed back, thanked the crowd, and expressed what an honor it had been to play at Fenway. Before making his exit, he paid respect and tribute to his old friend, the late Taylor Hawkins, by smacking on his drum head with his name on it and asking the crowd to cheer. And they did, filling the venue for the last time as he walked off stage.

It had been an emotional night at Fenway, leaving us all in a blissful state of mind. I know I’m not just speaking for myself because, by looks of the crowd exiting the park, they all had the same euphoric glow.

Amazing show by my rock idols, in my hometown. I truly can’t wait until the next one!

Check out our photographer, Carlos Londono’s photos now!

Thundercat

St. Vincent

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Check out the band’s websites for more info –

Thundercat

St. Vincent

Red Hot Chili Peppers