The Red Hot Chili Peppers gave subtle tributes to the late Taylor Hawkins at their concert at the Yaamava’ Theater on Thursday.
Although the band didn’t give a formal tribute to Taylor, they did have an outline of a hawk with Taylor written inside on their drum kit. The group also briefly mentioned the late drummer throughout their set.
The band opened with their hit “Can’t Stop” and then followed with electric performances of their hits from “Californication” to “Snow (Hey Oh).”
But the concert also had some heartfelt moments. At the beginning of the show lead singer Anthony Kiedis, and the bass player, Flea, talked to each other about Taylor.
At one point Anthony asked Flea, “what would Tay say,” to which Flea gave a private and muffled thought and then turned to the audience to share his own advice.
“Treasure your days with your friends,” he shared with the audience.
This isn’t the first time the Red Hot Chili Peppers have looked back fondly on Taylor, who died on March 25 while on tour with the Foo Fighters in Colombia. The group, who toured with the Foo Fighters several times through the years, have always had a close relationship. And the Red Hot Chili Peppers also spoke about Taylor during their Walk of Fame ceremony late last month.
Chad Smith, the group’s drummer, used his time not only to thank their fans for supporting the group throughout the years but also to celebrate Taylor.
“I have to give a shout out to my brother Taylor Hawkins, who I love and we will all miss so much,” he said at the Los Angeles event. “He would laugh and make a nice smart a** comment about this whole thing, and I love him,” Smith joked.
It was a big night for Red Hot Chili Peppers during their concert at Yaamava’ on Thursday. The group released their album “Unlimited Love” on April 1 and played several songs from it for fans including “Black Summer” and “Aquatic Mouth Dance.”
The exclusive, private performance also marked the grand opening of the Yaamava’ Theater, which offers an intimate concert experience.
“We are proud to have built a venue that provides an intimate and thrilling experience that can’t be replicated,” said Drew Dixon, Vice President of Entertainment at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino. “More importantly, we are excited about the talent we have in store and can’t wait to bring top entertainment to our guests and community.”
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-Emely Navarro