Red Hot Chili Peppers transmuted the Petco Park crowd into a sea of Californication

On a warm July night in downtown San Diego, a packed Petco Park was abuzz for a summer celebration hosted in the outfield by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 2022 Global Stadium Tour.

With a giant cat head at center stage encapsulating his bass amplifier, the interstellar jazz of Thundercat welcomed the crowd. Thundercat’s technical prowess was a great start to the night of excellent musicianship.

Next up was Haim who ran through a dynamic set punctuated by soaring choruses, infectious rhythms and the joy shared between best friends. Joking between songs, even calling back Thundercat to the stage at one point to “propose” to Este, you could tell the sisters were happy to be back in their home state.

As the sun set on the downtown skyline, the Red Hot Chili Peppers took to the stage with an explosion of energy. Petco Park was guided through a career spanning set that featured improvised jams, unforgettable hits like “Californication” and “Suck My Kiss,” and songs from their latest release, Unlimited Love.

Between the ever-frenetic (and kilt-wearing) Flea, Chad Smith’s propulsive drumming, Anthony Kiedis’ life affirming vocals and John Frusciante’s transcendent solos, this band was a well-oiled machine.

The Global Stadium Tour marks the much welcomed return of Frusciante, whose last tour with the band was 15 years ago.

Mid set, Flea playfully remarked that the band was intending to head over to PB to go surfing after the show “around eleven” and that he intended to apply surf wax all over his whole body. Whether or not they followed through with their plans, imagining the waxed up Peppers surfing under a SoCal moon seems like the perfect ending to a night of funky revelry.