“It’s our first f–ing concert!” shouted Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea on stage in Chicago as opening night of his first solo tour got underway in front of about 850 fans at Thalia Hall. “To be honest, it scares the s–t outta me!” joked the bassist, touring in support of his debut solo album Honora. “Just making my little record and people being into it is a very humbling experience,” he said. “So, thank you for coming. It’s beautiful to be here with you.”
Flea has been busy this spring, appearing in the new Netflix documentary The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hillel at the end of March, just a week before the release of his first solo album Honora, with U.S. tour dates continuing through May before moving abroad.
Over the course of nearly 45 years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have moved in excess of 100 million albums globally, tallying eight platinum and three gold albums along the way. No other act has scored more number ones on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart, with the group consistently pushing things forward by breaking new musical ground.
But Honora is different. While it features guest appearances from Nick Cave (on a cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman”) and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke (“Traffic Lights”), it’s a decidedly jazz-fueled affair.
Before he ever picked up a bass, it was the trumpet first for Flea. And, joined by the Honora Band (upright bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Deantoni Parks, guitarist Jeff Parker and Josh Johnson on saxophone and keyboards), the five piece group tore through the majority of that album and more. Non-album song “Good Night Darius” opened the show with “Shred of Hope” following shortly thereafter, both indicating there could be even more new music in the ether.
Sitting down as he took to the stage Thursday night in Chicago, Flea began noodling on the bass, leaning left while nodding in time as the band struck a groove during the opener. Johnson’s keys set an ethereal tone early as cymbals crashed, with Flea standing up as he moved to the trumpet before moving back to the bass about 10 minutes in.
Dancing spastically in his inimitable style, Flea strutted back and forth across the stage, content to hide in the shadows as the band stretched out during “Traffic Lights.” “I f–ed up that second song. I’m sorry,” said Flea with a smile on stage in Chicago. “We’re gonna play some more.”
Over the course of more than 90 minutes, Flea and company drilled down on the essence of live music, supporting one another in selfless fashion musically while serving the song at all times, having what appeared to be a hell of a lot of fun in the process.
“I’m just so lucky,” Flea began, introducing the new band. “I wanted to get bass lessons so I could be a better bass player…” said one of rock’s all time great bassists to a collective audience chuckle. “I’m dead serious!” he continued, defending the statement. “The first person I called was Anna Butterss.”
Flea and Butterss proved to be a particularly potent pairing, facing off with one another during cuts like “Traffic Lights” early and “A Plea” later.
Strobes flashed, giving way to a wonderful cacophony of sound as the group ripped into the latter. “My blood runs cold, I’m feeling hate all around,” sang Flea on the raucous and resonant new cut. “Live for peace, live for love.”
That track was a highlight on night one in Chicago, with Flea hopping in place on stage as Johnson’s saxophone cut through the incredible rhythm section. With the band bathed in red, Flea leaned into his vocal from the foot of the stage, delivering an impassioned message during the evening’s most rocking moment without ever sacrificing the latent jazz backbone driving the performance.
“Peace and love. That’s the only thing that takes balls,” said Flea following “A Plea.” “I’m f–ing angry too. Build a bridge. That’s where the courage is.”
In 1985, funk icon George Clinton, long a significant influence on the band, produced the sophomore Red Hot Chili Peppers studio effort Freaky Styley. Thursday night in Chicago, Flea and the Honora Band put a jazz spin upon the funky stomp of Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain,” a late highlight as the group cruised toward the show’s final moments with the psychedelic tour-de-force. Flea tackled the early moments of Eddie Hazel’s classic guitar solo on the track via trumpet, soon shifting to bass as he faced off against Parker while tearing through the remainder of the solo in spectacularly melodic fashion.
Sitting down at the edge of the stage, legs dangling as the ensemble returned from encore, Flea took fans through the backstory to the song “Lovelovelove,” which appeared on the 2012 EP Helen Burns, a benefit for Silverlake Conservatory of Music (an educational non-profit co-founded by the bassist in 2001).
“The kids from my music school all sang it,” Flea began. “So, I’m gonna teach it to you real quick…” he continued, showing the crowd where to come in on the backing vocal. “Don’t feel obligated. We can do it,” he said, turning to face the band. “But if you want to…” he mused.
Thursday night’s crowd was respectful and appreciative of the experimentation taking place on stage throughout the show and actually did a solid job stepping in, much to the band’s seeming amusement.
“This particular song is about death,” Flea explained matter-of-factly of the moving closing cut. “But I’d like to believe that something really beautiful happens,” he continued, wrapping up a celebratory evening of exploration and escape despite tumultuous times. “If that’s true, then how beautiful is life? Treasure every moment.”
