Chili Peppers heat up Amalie Arena in Tampa

Way back in the early 1980s, a semi-novelty band got together in California. They called themselves the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the lineup included singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons.

Slovak died, Irons left and joined some other great bands, including Pearl Jam and Eleven. Gradually the Chili Peppers’ music grew more sophisticated, with introspective themes and a distinctive style that blends funk, rock and punk and even a bit of jazz. A succession of guitarists, including Dave Navarro, passed through the band’s ranks, and Chad Smith became its most recognizable drummer. The band became one the most popular acts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, creating such hits as “Give It Away,” “Under the Bridge,” Californication” amd “Dani California.”

The Peppers will be at Amalie Arena on Thursday, and they’ll be reunited with founding drummer Irons, in a way. Irons is one of two opening acts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers show.

The other opening supporting act is Babymetal, a truly bizarre Japanese band that has a manufactured vocal group, consisting of three teenage girls, backed with a really solid metal band. They sound like you’d expect, like teenage girls singing metal, but they have some cred. They’ve been touring with the Peppers for months, and Rob Halford of Judas Priest sang their hit song “Karate” with them at the Alternative Press Music Awards last year.

Details: 8 p.m. April 27, Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $49-$99. 813-301-2500, amaliearena.com.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Chili Peppers heat up Amalie Arena in Tampa."