The Red Hot Chili Peppers heated up the stage in Des Moines Friday, March 2, along with another Grammy award winning band, Gnarls Barkley. The highly anticipated performance was well received despite the difficult weather. The bands offered refunds because of these conditions, but that didn’t stop many loyal fans from attending the action-packed performance.

Before the show started, many were mesmerized by the exciting light show. With the multicolored back drop and highly technical light sequence, the audience was ready for the star-studded concert to begin.

Gnarls Barkly appeared as the only opening act. All of their radio debuts were played, including the international hit, “Crazy.” Lead singer Cee-Lo Green’s unique voice never cracked, allowing audiences to see that computer generation was not what made the band. By the end of their performance the excited crowd was left wondering why it had to be so short. Many fans will remain hopeful until Gnarls Barkley returns to Iowa as the featured band.

Once the lights dimmed down, the audience started to chant for the featured band. Finally the band gave in to the drowning voices of the fans, and started their phenomenal show. The four members (John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith and Flea) didn’t waste a minute of their playing time, either. The band started off with recent hits such as “Snow” and moved on to some of their older hits from albums like One Hot Minute (released in 1995).

When the band was not playing their beloved hits, they broke out into outstanding instrumental solos. Never did a band member seem uncertain of their spontaneous moment, making every chord seem effortless. Like Green, lead singer Anthony Kiedis had no vocal fumbles. He creatively added some variety to the line up and made it look effortless.

The talented band has gone through some changes in the last decade, leaving the audience wondering about their style. Following the heroin-induced death of former guitarist Hillel Slovac, the group adopted their current guitarist John Frusciante. However, Frusciante proved to be just as volitale. He took some time off from the band in the mid-1990’s, but returned for 1999’s Californication. The album was a dramatic comeback, and since, they’ve had nearly unprecedented success.

The 50-plus dollar tickets may have seemed a bit pricey at first, but for all those who attended, it was quickly discovered to be worth every penny.