Red Hot Chili Peppers 2024 Tour: Ohio Gets the Funk on July 22
Picture this: it’s a sticky July night at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to unleash their Unlimited Love Tour chaos on a packed house. I was there on July 22, 2024, sweating it out with thousands of fans as Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante turned the amphitheater into a funk-rock fever dream. This wasn’t just a show—it was a full-on RHCP experience, and I’m here to spill the details, plus some wild trivia from their 2024 run.
The night kicked off with an “Intro Jam,” Flea slapping his bass like a mad scientist, setting the stage for a 17-song ride (plus encore) that spanned decades. “Around the World” had Kiedis strutting, “The Zephyr Song” floated dreamily, and “Aquatic Mouth Dance” showed off Unlimited Love’s funky edge. “Snow ((Hey Oh))” chilled us out before “Nobody Weird Like Me” unleashed some ’89 madness—Frusciante shredding like a man possessed. “Universally Speaking” and “Eddie” kept the groove alive, while “Don’t Forget Me” hit a moody sweet spot. “Right on Time” threw in a “London Calling” intro nod to The Clash, because these guys love a curveball.
The set rolled on—“Tippa My Tongue” strutted, “Tell Me Baby” had us belting, and “The Heavy Wing” flexed Return of the Dream Canteen vibes. Then the heavy hitters: “Californication” turned the crowd into a sea of swaying phones, “Black Summer” proved their 2022 stuff slaps live, and “By the Way” closed the main set with a bang. The encore? “Under the Bridge” dropped like a nostalgia bomb under the Ohio stars, and “Give It Away” sent us out feral, Flea bouncing shirtless like it’s still ’92.
This Ohio stop was one of 28 North American dates in 2024, part of a tour that’s been a global juggernaut since 2022, supporting Unlimited Love and Dream Canteen. Seun Kuti and IRONTOM opened, but RHCP owned the night—95 minutes of pure adrenaline. Now, some 2024 tour trivia to spice things up: this run marked their first full tour with Frusciante since 2007, and they hauled out rare cuts like “What Is Soul?” (a Funkadelic cover) at some gigs. The guest lineup was bonkers—Kid Cudi, Ice Cube, even Japanese punkers Otoboke Beaver popped up elsewhere. Oh, and get this: the tour wrapped in July with over 3.4 million tickets sold worldwide, making it the third-biggest rock tour of the 2020s. Wild, right?
If you caught this tour—or any RHCP chaos—drop a comment on the Substack. Have you seen this band?
Till next time, keep the funk alive.