For many of us, songs are like photographs, revealing memories with each return to a chorus. I distinctly remember being in elementary school art class, singing "Under The Bridge" with my friends and making a very fine mess. Back then, the song did not signify the pain and loneliness of heroin addiction to me; it was simply a beautiful song. Wednesday night, I treated myself to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a band that has survived addiction, death and fame, only to emerge as one of the strongest and most respected bands of our generation. Their mix of rock, funk and rap has become a common recipe on the radio dial, and no one has come close to matching their batch. I drove down to the Tweeter Center and walked the parking lot looking for a spare ticket as French Toast, the first opening act, performed. They sounded terrible from where I was, but that's to be expected. I reached the box office and, after deflecting several scalpers, talked to an official ticket seller. When ticket agencies do not sell tickets, they get dumped into the main pool the day of the show. Though I knew this, I did not expect much to be left since the show had already started. Silly me. Five minutes later, I was five feet from the stage, comfortably waiting for Queens of the Stone Age to begin. Yes, I got a pit ticket- the cherished front row. And it was far better than the lawn seat I imagined while in traffic.

So what about Anthony, Flea, John and Chad? They soon came out and played a two-hour show that was everything I expected it to be. There was Anthony Keidas, holding the microphone at an angle, dancing around in his own personal mosh-disco at any free point. Chad Smith was behind him, providing one half of a great rhythm section, keeping hold of the beat even as it moved to uncharted territory. Then there was Flea, the forty-year-old classically trained trumpet player and bass instructor, wearing a skeleton suit and jumping with his instrument in a funk-flavored heave, only to look up at his partner, Mr. John Frusciante. To me, he is the genius among the geniuses. Frusciante is the man responsible for "Blood Sugar Sex Magic's" brilliant guitar work, for "Californication's" harmonies and melodies, and, of course, for "By The Way's" comparisons to the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds." Many old-school fans do not like the new album, claiming it to be too soft or too commercial, to which I respond, 'Too bad.' These guys are not twenty-something's worrying about sex and drugs anymore. They have grown and will continue to grow. Either grow up or buy two copies of "Mother's Milk" and forget that the band has moved on to other things.

With a band that has been around as long as they have, the Chili Peppers could fill two hours very easily only with hits, and they nearly did. Beginning the show with the title track to their latest albums, they followed it up with "Scar Tissue," "Zephyr Song," and "Suck My Kiss." The set list was a good mix of the last three albums, relying mainly on the hit singles of each but not always. Two notable substitutions were "Right on Time" instead of "Californication" and "If You Have to Ask" rather than "Breaking the Girl." While all of the usual suspects from "By The Way" were there, including an amazing "Can't Stop," I found "Venice Queen" to be the most inspired song from the roster. Other songs performed included the Coneheads' "Soul to Squeeze," and a cover of the Ramones' "Havana Affair."

While all of this was great, what I enjoy the most about their live show is the jamming in between songs and the improvised solos Frusciante played instead of the sharp recognizable melodies everyone has memorized from repeatedly listening to the records. They jammed out throughout the show, with the highlights being Frusciante's singing on a song I did not recognize and Flea's trumpet playing. The trumpet shocked and amazed me. Anyone who has seen the band's Behind The Music or heard "Tear" knows he can play, but we have not really heard much of it. Absolutely amazing. Exclamation point. He played this jazzy Latin American-styled thing while Smith kept up pace, filling the spaces quite effectively. This was definitely one of best parts of the show for me.

What is great about the Chili Peppers is that you can see how much they enjoy the music and each other. Everyone was smiling, everyone was in the moment. They don't just go through the motions; not for us but for them. The encore consisted of their now infamous rendition of Hendrix' "Fire" and, of course, "Under the Bridge." And it's still beautiful.