By Clue
February 21, 2026
Who doesn’t love a good alternative/indie rock show? Well, I got the pleasure to see local indie rock band Surf Green Machine open up for tribute band Red Not Chili Peppers on Saturday, February 21st, and it is some of the most fun I’ve had at a show in forever! I saw the show with my best friend as a birthday treat for myself, and it was most definitely the right way to start this new chapter off!
The crowd was super hyped for both acts, showing them some much deserved love.
Surf Green Machine is a local indie rock band with killer sound, amazing harmonies, and a beautiful flute solo. That was a genuine thing that happened and one of my favorite moments from the night. After all, who doesn’t love a flute solo? Energetic, fun, and playing off of each other constantly, Surf Green Machine was incredibly fun to get to watch and an absolute gem of a local band.
Vocalist and Guitarist Troy Branson was beloved by the crowd for how much energy and passion he brought to the songs, and how much he hyped up his fellow band mates. Also, his habit of throwing out his pick to the crowd after every song was a favorite. Bassist Gary Brock had just as much energy as Troy, and they played off each other in such a way that was absolutely hilarious to watch the entire time, and Gary was a sweetheart to the crowd. He very politely showed the crowd their set list, describing it as unreadable due to the fact that the background of it was entirely pictures- Gary joked with a fan at the barricade that he will give the list to them, he just needed to be able to read the stupid thing first. Ian Fornshell was the one with the amazing flute solo, genuinely that was super amazing and super funny. That is such a unique thing that sets them apart from most other bands in the scene and you could tell Ian was having so much fun with it. And all three played off keyboardist Carter Burenheide with such playfulness. This band most definitely gives off the vibes of a group of brothers or best friends. And of course, you can’t forget the drums! Drummer Cade Yates brought amazing drums that helped give the songs some depth and that classic indie rock sound. Truly a silent MVP of the night.
After the show, the band was at their merch table where my best friend and I got to talk to Troy with Carter in the background having hilarious facial reactions. The two were super sweet and so fun to talk to! I got to ask Troy a couple of questions, which I have detailed at the bottom of the post! Again, thank you to Troy for answering my very impromptu questions, you’re a gem.
Red Not Chili Peppers played the entirety of the 1991 album Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik for its 35th anniversary this year, while also playing a couple other popular hits like Dani California, Otherwise, Snow (Hey Oh), and of course, Californication. The singer, Justin Pierce, was fantastic in both his impressions and his crowd work, being so full of energy for the 2+ hours of the main act’s set (I lost track after about an hour and a half in-). Funny, energetic, bouncing around the stage and interacting wonderfully with his bandmates and the crowd. He even threw his killer shades into the crowd for someone to catch. Amazing stage presence, Pierce had his space and he made sure to use it, dancing all around and using his microphone stand like a prop to twirl around and interact with while he danced. During many of the instrumental sections where there was no vocal present, he’d gracefully either step to the side or start dancing to let his fellow performers have moments of focus and attention. The entire band was an absolute riot to watch, with every member having their own charm that never led to a dull moment during the show. Both as individuals and as a whole unit, they really stood out while also recreating the charm of the band they are making tribute to.
While Blood, Sex, Sugar, Magik is not my personal favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers album, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire show because I could feel the passion and love the band had for this album, and it really shined through in their performance. Beautiful and fun lights and visuals going on in the background as well, overall they were stellar and a joy to come and watch. The crowd loved them just as much as the band loved us, with the band expressing this is their 5th year visiting Boise and how it’s been a treat every time. Red Not Chili Peppers was also very kind and grateful to Surf Green Machine, especially since the local band let the tributers use their equipment for the show. Overall the experience was absolutely amazing, and a bit of a crazy night that was enjoyable from start to finish. 10/10, would definitely go again!
Q&A with Troy Branson:
Q: So, what inspired you guys to become a band?
A:So, for all of us personally, we all have different reasons. But for me, (My name’s Troy,) I was a really big fan of Led Zeppelin, I discovered them in high school and it was a life-changing moment. After I found Led Zeppelin, I got into the grunge music, and it- it changed my perspective on song writing, and it made me want to pursue guitar harder.
Q: Is this your guy’s first year playing Treefort? Or is this like a recurring thing for you guys?
A:This is the second year playing Treefort for us.
Q: Is there any venue, not just in Boise but in general that you guys have always wanted to play? Or like a specific state that you’d want to play for?
A: We would be very excited to play Kilby Court, in Salt Lake City. (Carter: Treefort Music Hall! We would play that. We wanna play that- come on now!)
Q: Do you have any plans for any upcoming music besides your next album? (Their upcoming album was mentioned during their set)
A: We’re dropping one more single before we drop the entire album. It’s called “Step Daddy’s Jaguar,” and it is the funnest song we play in Surf Green Machine, because it’s just full of jam sections, and we get an opportunity to showcase our instruments!
