Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Michael Peter Balzary, who goes by Flea, performs. The band played at the Schottenstein Center June 4, 2012.
Credit: Kelly Roderick / For The Lantern
The Super Bowl has had its fair share of less-than-desirable moments, and those moments are then shared to more than 100 million judgemental viewers. Super Bowl watchers are just looking for a mess-up now. They almost seem antsy for it, and as this year’s lineup is announced, fans and critics are ready to pounce on the latest choice.
In case it wasn’t burned permanently into your mind, Janet Jackson didn’t see eye-to-eye with Super Bowl officials on what was deemed appropriate clothing. Rapper M.I.A. flipped off the cameras and has been waging war with the NFL over legal issues following the performance. Another debacle over one of the most watched shows could be fair game.
And then Super Bowl XLVII was born. The 2013 halftime performance with Beyoncé (and cameo appearances by her former ladies of Destiny’s Child) did no wrong. Her fierceness questionably was too much for the power to handle when the lights went out moments after her show, and accolades for her performance were nearly unanimous. Really what could have improved it, other than bringing Jay Z into the picture?
The critics were silenced.
Onto the next year. Let’s attempt to follow the world’s hardest act to follow.
Bruno Mars has been sentenced to follow the great Queen Bey, and I don’t think he has the hips to pull off a leather leotard like she did.
But if there’s anything the musical greats are good at, it’s packing more people onto a single stage, because more people means better music, right? Hopefully.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are planning to join the singer. Anthony Kiedis and Mars might be an odd pairing. Will AK’s dancing jive well with Mars’? Could Michael Peter Balzary’s, who goes by Flea, headbanging go well with “Locked Out of Heaven?” It could be questionable.
RHCP has won three Grammys and Bruno Mars won one for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance “Just The Way You Are” in 2010. The LA rockers could take over the show that should be Mars’ stage to hold, not to discredit the musician who has sold more than 130 million singles.
But Mars doesn’t seem worried considering he “invited” the band to play with him, so clearly he thinks the match is worth being one of the most viewed musical performance of the year. The thought of coming off a few Grammy wins after this year’s awards might be giving Mars a few happy thoughts as he plans his big performance, though.
His name is up for three different Grammy awards this year, which are set to be given out Jan. 26.
Factoring in the fact that RHCP had been touring for two years when Mars was born and had already snagged a Grammy when Mars was just a wee kid, half of me wonders if Mars can maintain control of the show.
The band has been one of the most successful rock bands in recent years (and they’ve managed to allow drugs, a rock star’s kryptonite, to create only slight hitches in their success). Mars versus RHCP? Either one seems like a winner, but Mars will have to duke it out if he wants to remain in the spotlight.
Super Bowl XLVIII is scheduled for Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Jets and Giants.
