RED HOT IN ORANGE COUNTY
THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS W/ STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE - IRVINE, CA / SEP 2, 2000
By Kim Townsel
I won tickets on KROQ in LA, and they turned out to be front row, more or less, as we were in the orchestra pit and there were no seats in front of us. Of course, as soon as Weiland invited everyone down, we were on the rail. The security guards were very cool and helpful to us. We had been chatting and laughing with them, so when people tried to get in front of us, they just pulled them over.
Gillian Anderson was seated on the stage during the Chili Peppers Set. She turned, smiled, and waved when we coaxed a guy to call her name. Milla Jovovich was also on stage during their set and danced wildly. She smiled warmly and waved when a group of guys nearby "gave her love." Walking through the orchestra pit and shaking hands with us all was Woody Harrelson, who is incredibly handsome in person. (I never thought he was much to look at onscreen, but, up close, he glows!)
Everyone in both bands was super-skinny, but seemed healthy. Weiland was all in black with even more black eyeliner. He wore a Mohawk as did Anthony, Flea, and John of the Peppers), and he jumped and cavorted about like some exotic-fleshed bird. Not in order, they played Down, Sour Girl, Plush, Crackerman, Vasoline, Interstate Love Song (the best song in the whole world!), Big Empty, and a few more that escape my memory.
The band members were very into the audience. Weiland left the stage and walked about halfway up a staircase, and during the set reached out and touched the audience often. The girl beside me, Ericka Hernadez, got a guitar pick handed to her personally by either Dean or Robert, I forget which (lots of smoke around me…). I promised Ericka I would make her famous, so now she is ;) Ericka also got Scott's half-smoked cigarette and if anyone wants to know what it is like to take a draw on his cigarette, well, they should e-mail me privately!
Scott got hit a lot by people throwing junk. People, please don't! How rude! He was very cool, though, and just ignored it. How, I don't know.
Keidis did not so much as look at any one person or touch anyone as far as I could see. Flea lectured this dude in the pit about how he was mistreating some female audience member. That happened at the Rage Against the Machine concert last fall, too. I think it's very responsible of the band to monitor such things. RHCP was a very tight band, with orchestrated jumps and funky hair, all well executed, but they did not give out much personality. At one point, Flea and John did get into an intimate jam that made me feel like I was watching two soulmates have a head to head conversation. Mucho cool.
Both bands encored with two to three songs. Weiland wore burgundy velvet opera gloves and then an American flag as a cape/headdress. The music was perfect. I only hope a recording will become available, as I'd love to hear it all over again.
STP is baaaaaaaaack!