Chili Peppers struggle to remain Red Hot in night one at United Center

The Red Hot Chili Peppers began their first of two nights at the United Center on Friday as they have done for most of the dates in their latest stadium tour. Bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer came together in an introductory freehand jam session that showed off their individual and collaborative talents.

That was the unplanned pattern the show stayed in for much of the night, however, as singer Anthony Kiedis struggled through persistent vocal and monitor issues for more than half of the concert’s set. He routinely crumpled up set lists and walked offstage after nearly every song to talk to techs in the wings, while leaving the instrumental trio to fend for themselves and fill the gaps. It was the most frustrating for Kiedis, who remained professional throughout the technical hiccups, as the rest of the band and crowd enjoyed a rare chance to witness the true funky side of the Peppers, which have always teetered on wanting to be a jam band.

Though Kiedis’ problems seemed to clear up by the end of the night and he tactfully recovered with controlled renditions of “By The Way” and “Give It Away,” the three instrumentalists were the saviors of the show, clawing their way through many of what seemed like unplanned improvisational interludes. Smith trashed away on his kit while Flea slapped his bass into order and Klinghoffer drew full-scale licks that have only gotten better since he took over for long-time RHCP guitarist John Frusciante in 2009.

The set list was more varied than previous dates, too, though whether that was intentional or a quick fix for Kiedis is not certain. The crowd was the benefactor, getting to hear out-of-rotation cuts like “Sir Psycho Sexy” from 1991’s “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” and covers of The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and of course Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” which the Peppers remade famous in 1989. The set also covered tunes from their latest album “The Getaway,” which came out last fall, including “Go Robot,” “Sick Love,” “Dark Necessities” and “Goodbye Angels.”

The “Getaway” tracks have brought Red Hot Chili Peppers into a new era three decades later, in large credit to working with Danger Mouse in the studio (it’s the first time they have done so after being tied to the hip of producer Rick Rubin since ’91), and focusing on synth and programming to add filler to their material. Unlike their contemporaries in the ‘90s, the Peppers have never really been tied to the sounds of one generation, anyway. A multitude of influences — hip-hop, funk, punk, rock, and original arrangements — have allowed them to transcend the boundaries of time and remain fresh.

Though the quartet has tempered their performance style from the wildly under-the-influence, tube sock era, their presence was still something to witness. Kiedis and Flea were nimble on their feet, pivoting and high-kicking their way through the entire set. The whole set was also a dazzling Technicolor explosion with cartoon video splashes, completely mismatched costuming (Flea looked like a patchwork quilt topped with leopard-spot hair) and suspended luminescent lights that fell from the ceiling and spiraled back up, making it feel like a real-time house of mirrors.

Red Hot Chili Peppers in many ways act like kids that have never grown up, which makes their shows incredibly entertaining for an attention span-challenged crowd. But in 2017, they’re also incredibly professional and tame, even when they don’t have the best night. Then again, there’s always tomorrow night.

Selena Fragassi is a local freelance writer.

SET LIST

Intro jam

Can’t Stop

Snow (Hey Oh)

Otherside

Dark Necessities

I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges cover)

Right On Time

Don’t Forget Me

Go Robot

Californication

Aeroplane

Sick Love

Sir Psycho Sexy

Higher Ground

I Could Have Lied

By The Way

(Encore)

Let Me Roll It (Wings cover, by Klinghoffer)

Goodbye Angels

Give It Away