When I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers were playing at Jazz Fest in New Orleans this year, I knew it was my calling to be there. It’s been at least a decade that I’ve been a fan of this band and I still had never caught a show. By now their music has grown into such a special place within me and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to see the Peppers this year, no matter what it took.
JAZZ & HERRITAGE FESTIVAL
When I get determined about something, you better believe I’m going to do it. And that’s how I ended up fulfilling my dream of seeing my favorite band of all time in spectacular fashion. I recruited my friend Brittany, who’s always down to check out new cities and appreciates 90’s rock as much as I do (probably more actually). I needed someone who would be game for this experience, and she was the perfect partner in crime.
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After a killer Friday night in Atlanta at the 420 Fest, we hit the road for NOLA. The ride was perfect weather, and we cranked some tunes that fit right in with the weekend. Keep an eye out for a Mixtape post so you can explore our playlist, too! We went straight to our Airbnb, eager to check out the digs and soak up the city. Our sweet hostess Kelly and her husband Brian made us feel so welcomed. I’m never going back to hotel rooms again, Airbnb is fabulous. If you’re ever traveling to New Orleans I highly highly recommend staying at this place. Cozy, comfy, perfection. We hit the jackpot for sure!
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Our cute little welcome note from Kelly & Brian!
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MOON OVER BOURBON STREET
Saturday night we got (maybe a little too) rowdy on the infamous Bourbon Street. The night was filled with incredible broiled oysters, frozen sugary drinks, laughter, newfound friends and ridiculous behavior. We stumbled upon a killer rock cover band, so there was definitely some head banging too (in hindsight I would have saved all my neck strength for the Peppers but.. when in NOLA, show em how to headbang!). If you follow me on Snapchat, you already know how crazy it got (but let’s try to keep that between us)...
THE BIG EASY MINDSET
Sunday was the day we had been waiting for. We found a tasty local breakfast shop and got some amazing sausage and cheese bagel sandwiches (you're supposed to get Beignets in New Orleans, but when you’re hungover you want what you want). And besides, we were going to need a lot more than donuts to get us in gear for the show later.
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We took an Uber down to the fest and spent the afternoon laying on blankets, surrounded by sweet happy festival goers and listening to some artists I hadn’t heard before. One that stuck out was Royal Teeth, I’ll definitely be listening to more of their stuff! Jazz Fest is a humungous festival spread out over two weekends, and I wish I could have seen more of it.
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But, we came on a mission, so we sought out the main stage and squirmed our way through the crowd until we found a good spot, right between a herd of awesome Canadian bros (who happened to be Patriots fans - woo!) and some UK gents. There was such a big international crowd there and I was digging it. I praise the Chili Peppers for having a massive worldwide following and I absolutely loved seeing all of the cultures come together in the name of music.
CAN'T STOP, ADDICTED TO THE SHINDIG
The show was fantastic. The Peppers walked out one at a time, and the crowd roared louder as each one took their place on the stage. And finally, Anthony Keidis joined his brothers, greeted the ginormous gathering of fans, and Chad started rapping those drums in a familiar beat, crescendoing into “Can’t Stop” for one of the most climatic openers I’ve ever experienced. Banging everything from my head to my toes, jumping up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs. This is what it feels like to be in a sea of Chili Peppers fans. I was in rock n’ roll heaven.
Within the first ten minutes Chad had already dropped into a sick drum solo and broken a few sticks. They weren’t holding anything back (an energy I needed to absorb more than I realized, it was perfect). From there, the Peppers jumped into a slew of hit favorites like Dani California, Scar Tissue (my all time favorite, I cried), Aeroplane, Snow, Under the Bridge, Californication, By the Way, and The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie (not as well known, but it’s from I’m With You and I love it!). They also threw in their awesome cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground which was so special and made me feel like I was lost in the 70’s. It was magnificent. Flea dished out some of his funkiest bass solos and Josh Klinghoffer truly took my breath away with his Scar Tissue solo. Every moment was so great, and I was so glad I finally saw the band that helped shape me into who I am.
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BASSHEAD LOVE
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It was over too soon, but I was so grateful to have experienced it. Brittany and I met up with two girls from Atlanta that I saw posting about going to Jazz Fest for the Chili Peppers in a Bassnectar fan group. I was so stoked there were other people out there with this fanbase crossover love, so of course I had to meet em! The four of us had a blast together, and I was so happy to have some other chicks who can headbang with the best of em. Seriously, Nectar shows have influenced my dance moves to the point of no return (I think I intimidated some fans to be honest). Even though the sound quality at Jazz Fest was super weak compared to most shows I’ve been to, I have to admit that I headbanged harder for the Chili Peppers than I ever have for Nectar (and I have the strained neck to prove it).
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The next thing I knew, Brittany and I were on our way back home and still soaking in all of the excellence that happened over the past weekend. New Orleans is a beautiful city full of culture and history and incredibly resilient people. I loved learning everything I could about the city and it’s art and the mindset of the Big Easy. I can’t wait to go back and explore more of it!
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