Music Photography by Joe Papeo

Photos: Red Hot Chili Peppers at Prudential Center

Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, 5.4.2012 – Live music does something to the soul.  And at Friday night’s Red Hot Chili Peppers show at Prudential Center, it felt like everyone needed a little healing.  Earlier in the day, Beastie Boys founder Adam Yauch passed away after a battle with cancer.  But this wasn’t a random death in the music industry and a band paying their respects.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys were friends; they came through the industry at similar times and had similar impacts on their genres.

From the time you walked into the arena, it was Beastie Boys playing over the sound system.  But the acknowledgement of the death of Adam Yauch did not end there.  Anthony Kiedis came out in a green t-shirt with M.C.A. written in black marker.  M.C.A.’s death was so fresh there was no way to even get himself a proper one.  And the tribute continued throughout the night.  The Chili Pepper’s front man spoke about M.C.A. after the second song of the night and the band even teased a Beastie Boys.

But the night wasn’t a somber one.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers were in top form, almost inspired by the death of their friend.  And the crowd who walked into an arena with death on their mind were reminded about the life that music breathes into you.

I had heard earlier in the day that we would be with about 10 photographers in the photo pit.  When we got there it was a whole other story.  16 photographers plus another group of VIPs with iPhone cameras getting in our way.  We were limited by the venue as to where we could go in the pit, and basically formed a wall of photographers.  We had no real room to move around, and while we were told we could stand on the barriers, that lasted less than one minute.

This set does mark my first time being published on Rolling Stone.  Check it out at the link below.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/red-hot-chili-peppers-pay-tribute-to-adam-yauch-in-newark-20120505

www.redhotchilipeppers.com

Check out the Slide Show Below:

  • Full Gallery of Photos
  • See the photos BIG

Equipment:

Canon 5D Mark IICanon 7D
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8LCanon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS

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