red hot chili peppers by the way tour

How Red Hot Chili Peppers Conquered The World With By The Way

Anthony Kiedis, Flea and John Frusiante on taking over the planet, RHCP style

In July 2002, the Red Hot Chili Peppers scored their first ever UK number one album with their eighth studio album By The Way. In this archive interview, conducted late in 2002, the band members looked back upon one of the most successful years of their storied career.

January 2002: The year begins with the Chili Peppers in Cello Studios in Hollywood with producer Rick Rubin, two months into the recording of their eighth studio album.

Flea : “The real work on By The Way started in February 2001, when we first got together in a rehearsal room to write. We spent six months straight writing and arranging every day, so that by the time we get to the studio we’re just laying the songs down. Cello is a great place to record, but sometimes recording can be exciting and beautiful, sometimes it’s just another humdrum day at work. Writing is fun, it’s boring, it’s happy, it’s miserable, it’s always different. But we’re disciplined and focused enough to go into the studio every day and work. It’s not some champagne and caviar rock star party for us.”

John Frusciante : “I started recording most of my parts for By The Way in February. I actually probably enjoy being in the studio more than being onstage, just because you can take one moment and capture it for infinity just by pressing the ‘Record’ button. That’s a wonderful powerful feeling for me. In the past, particularly when we were writing BloodSugarSexMagik , I’d be writing to fit into the style of what the Chili Peppers – the band that Anthony and Jack (Irons, former RHCP drummer) and Hillel (Slovak, former RHCP guitarist) and Flea created - were like, but now I don’t feel the need to make our music sound like the Chili Peppers, I don’t feel the need to fit within the blueprint laid down by the early albums. More often that not now songs come from jams, and then Flea and I have what we call a ‘face off’ where we each try to write a part that’ll be right for that song. One of us goes into the alley by the studio to write and the other stays inside and then we compare the two, and we did that on pretty much every song on the record. I’d come up with a basic framework for songs like Cabron and Venice Queen but everyone writes their own parts so there are always alterations to be made.”

Flea : “There are always differences in the studio with ideas and egos and being at different places in our lives, but our ability to connect with each other gets deeper over time. We know more about ourselves, more about each other, more about music and more about accessing the spiritual content of the songs.”

Anthony Kiedis : “When we finish the completed basic tracks, we’ll sit back in the studio and listen to them and smile at one another, knowing that all the hard work was worthwhile.”

February/March: Anthony Kiedis moves into the Chateau Marmont on LA’s Sunset Boulevard to record vocals for the album. John Frusciante is already resident in the famous hotel.

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Anthony : “The Chateau Marmont is probably the most beautiful soulful building in all of Hollywood. There’s a good spirit in that building and they treat us nice there. I had lived at the Chateau in the past, and John was living there at that time, and as he was doing a lot of harmony vocals we thought ‘Why hang out in an enormous recording studio that costs a ton of money when we could just check into a room, set up some microphones and do the vocals there’. So we rented a room on the seventh floor and moved in the Pro Tools computer gear and made it our own. It’s always nice when you’re doing vocals to find a space that you can call your own and decorate in your own way. I had a load of vintage film posters from the ‘30s and ‘40s all around my microphone, which helped me get into the vibe.”

“I thought I had written a lot of lyrics, I had lyrics for about twenty different songs, but the problem is that my band had written about a thousand songs and they wanted to record about thirty of those, so each and every morning I’d spend the first few hours writing before I went in to sing. I probably finished about 30 per cent of the lyrics in the Chateau. Sometimes I just have to listen to the music and start writing and the lyrics will be there, but other times it’s painful and methodical, like figuring out your next move in a chess game. It’s always like that.”

April: Acclaimed artist and film-maker Julian Schnabel, father of John Frusciante’s girlfriend Stella Schnabel, turns his ideas for album artwork over to the band.

John : “My girlfriend’s father offered to do the album art and so we sent him rough mixes of eight songs and he just got the vibe of the album from that. We said that he wouldn’t be offended if we didn’t like it, but we loved what he did. He’s also given us great covers for all the singles. He’s a true artist.”

May 17-20. The video for By The Way is filmed in LA by award-winning video directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who have previously helmed the band’s Otherside and Roadtrippin’ videos. Influenced by a car chase in the Mexican film Amores Perros, the video sees Anthony Kiedis kidnapped and taken for a ride by a lunatic taxi driver played by comedian David Sheridan.

Anthony : “That video was funny man. We got to do our own stunts and hang out with comic genius David Sheridan. He never broke character for the four days that we were shooting, and he never ran out of dialogue that wasn’t side-splitting. I actually wanted Jim Carrey to be in the video, but Valerie our director said ‘I know someone who’s better’. I was like ‘Better than Jim Carrey? Are you sure?’ But he ended up being the best choice we could have made.”

John : “The guy was really funny. I have an hour long video tape of the improvised stuff he’d be doing between takes or during our lunch breaks and it’s just brilliant. Most of the times with videos you spend your time sitting around in the RV waiting to be called, but he actually made that one quite fun.”

May 31: The Chili Peppers play a low key club show at The Garage in London. It’s the band’s first indoor UK date since December 1999.

John : “That show was a lot of fun. I love playing huge shows but playing little clubs is great, it’s fun for me to be able to see people’s faces close up and feel like we’re all one together.”

Flea : “Bands always say they prefer little shows because they like the contact with the people, and I like that too but I also like the feeling of things moving and changing. We’ve played a billion little clubs and I think that it makes sense for this band to be playing big places right now. But I was kinda in a bad mood that night, I was having a little tantrum, so for me personally that show was a little weird.”

Anthony: “You’re kidding! I guess there’s no accounting for a bad mood but personally I was in heaven that day, that was just about as much fun as you can have playing a show.”

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June 26: The Chili Peppers play London’s Dockland Arena to a sell-out 12,000 capacity crowd, which includes actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Anthony : “I loved that show. It felt like 150 degrees on that stage, but I had a bunch of friends there and I had a great night. I was really happy with it, it was exciting and fun.”

Flea : “That was one of my favourite shows of the year. Not because we had celebrity friends there, just because it was a cool show.”

July 1: By The Way is released as a single in the UK. It enters the charts at number two.

John : “It wasn’t really our decision to put that song out first, but our managers thought it was an exciting song and their enthusiasm convinced us. I guess they thought that it combined the wild part of our sound with the melodic part of our sound.”

Anthony : “I thought that single was an uber-bombastic assault of non-commercialism. For it to be so well received over there was shocking to me, but thrilling at the same time. It’s a good feeling when that island of yours embraces our band.”

July 8. By The Way is released to rave reviews in the UK. Selling 134,000 copies in its first week on sales, the album debuts in the UK charts at Number One, the first Chili Peppers album to do so. The album also tops the charts in 15 other countries worldwide in its first week .

Anthony : “For us the true experience of an album is the days and weeks and months we spend throwing music around in the studio, so when the album is due for release, we’re kinda like the world can do with this what it will’. When the mix is finished, we all get to drive around with copies in our cars and we do swell up with a little bit of satisfaction, but after that we’re kinda detached but hoping for the best. Of course we get elated when we get a positive response to what we do. We feel like we’re making a contribution to the positive energy of the world.”

John : “It made me feel really good to read the reviews of this album and to see it doing so well in England. I’m more proud of this album than anything I’ve ever done.”

Flea : “In England you can be a great genius one minute and three minutes later you’re the biggest asshole that ever lived, but I’m not going to complain now that we’re popular. I think people connect with the honesty and craftsmanship in our music. It’s not like we’ve had some overnight surge of popularity, but as time has gone by I think people have connected in a deeper way. I’m happy with the way the public relate to what we do.”

July 9. The Peppers play a 90 minute show on Ellis Island in New York City for competition winners, family members of September 11 victims, and lower Manhattan businesses. The Ellis Island Immigration Station was the entry point to the United States for more than 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954.

Flea : “That was a trippy gig. It was raining and raining and we were out on this little island where the immigrants used to get totally fucked by the government so the gig had this really bizarre energy. You could feel the history of what happened there.”

John : “My girlfriend’s mom and brother were in the audience which was fun but it was kinda a rough show for me. Every time I stepped on my distortion pedal the volume would drop to half so I couldn’t hear my guitar solos. It was one of our first shows and so we were stilling ironing out the kinks.”

Mid- September: The band team up with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris once more to shoot the video for The Zephyr Song in Los Angeles. The video finds the band performing against a backdrop of psychedelic images .

Anthony: “The performing part of the video wasn’t that exciting for us, but being there for the go-go girl dancing shooting was fun. We had this girl called Amy Christie dancing, and she was really beautiful and sexy and she danced very well and had that Russ Meyer’s enthusiasm to her female form. And then we had the talented and lovely Tobey Torres dancing too. She’s the girl whose crotch you actually stare into in the video. She’s awesome, she’s a great girl.”

Flea: “Tobey’s my girl so it was fun for me.”

**September 27: The Chili Peppers kick off a ten date South American tour at the Plaza de Toros in Guadalajara, Mexico. **

John : “The people in South America were wild, they really respond to the music. We had a lot of great shows in South America. I think we definitely went up a notch in improvising on stage and because the audience were so into it.”

Flea : “South America was a fucking trip. The gigs were outstanding, because those crowds are incredible, the best crowds in the world, they go apeshit for every show and just explode. But at the same we were imprisoned in our hotel room the whole time we were there, because if you go out you just get mobbed. I lost it when we flew into Santiago, Chile actually. I snapped at the airport and I was just screaming and swinging at people. I’m not proud of it. People invade your privacy and at first you understand it and tolerate it but it gets to the point where you’re like ‘Get the fuck away from me’. I wasn’t really looking and all of a sudden there were 50 people all over me, pulling at my clothes and I just freaked.”

Anthony : “I got quite homesick on that tour. Sometimes even when the shows are going great, you just miss your home life. And in South America the fans have a frightening habit of laying siege to the hotel and that can get painful and isolating, it makes it hard to just exist. But we managed to escape a couple of times, we found a beautiful empty surf break in Costa Rica and came back from there feeling rejuvenated and the same thing happened in Brazil. Basically this is the best job in the world and I can never complain about it.”

October 31. The Chili Peppers fly to Japan for a seven date tour, to be followed by shows in Australia, New Zealand. Singapore and Thailand. They will end 2002 in Paradise, literally, with a New Year’s Eve show at the Hard Rock Hotel in Paradise, Nevada. By November 2003, when the By The Way tour finally wraps at the Hollywood Palladium, the album will be nudging towards 2 million sales in both the US and UK.

John : “Our shows are just getting better, we’re definitely sharing some ESP moments on stage now, learning how to think inside each other’s brains. The freedom to be able to make music and get pleasure out of it is a wonderful feeling that I don’t want to ever stop. I’m as happy as I’ve ever been now, both in the band and in my own life, and I just hope that next year I have the time to do everything I want to do. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”

Mother’s Milk: the album that saved the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ lives

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica ( Birth School Metallica Death , co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography ( Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers Launch North American Tour: Set List, Video

Red Hot Chili Peppers launched their 2024 Unlimited Love North American tour on Tuesday night in Ridgefield, Washington.

The band played several of their best-known hits — “Scar Tissue,” “Californication,” “By the Way” and others — as well as song selections from more recent albums, like “Whatchu Thinkin,'” “Black Summer” and “Eddie.” A cover of Funkadelic ‘s “What Is Soul?” was also included.

You can view fan-filmed footage from the show, plus a complete set list, below.

Where Are Red Hot Chili Peppers Heading Next?

Tuesday night’s concert marked RHCP’s seventh show of 2024, but they have a busy couple months ahead. Their next performance is scheduled for May 31 at the Gorge Ampitheatre, also located in Washington state.

From there, they’ll travel down to their home state of California and then head westward for shows in Florida, Ohio, Ontario and more, concluding the tour on July 30 in St. Louis, Missouri.

The title of this year’s tour comes from the first of RHCP’s two 2022 albums, Unlimited Love , which was followed by Return of the Dream Canteen . Both were produced by Rick Rubin .

“When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with,” the band said in a statement at the time. “Well we figured it out. Two double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed.”

READ MORE: Why Red Hot Chili Peppers Struggled So Mightily With ‘By the Way’

Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform ‘Californication’

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Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform ‘What Is Soul?’

Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform ‘Give It Away’

Red Hot Chili Peppers, 5/28/24, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, Ridgefield, Washington, Set List

1. “Intro Jam”

2. “Dani California”

3. “Scar Tissue”

4. “Aquatic Mouth Dance”

5. “Snow ((Hey Oh))”

7. “Soul to Squeeze”

8. “Throw Away Your Television”

9. “Right on Time” (with the Clash’s “London Calling” intro)

10. “Whatchu Thinkin'”

11. “Tell Me Baby”

13. “Suck My Kiss”

14. “Californication”

15. “What Is Soul?” (Funkadelic cover)

16. “Black Summer”

17. “By the Way”

18. “I Could Have Lied”

19. “Give It Away”

Next: When Red Hot Chili Peppers Expanded With ‘By the Way’ Single

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Red Hot Chili Peppers Wrap Unlimited Love Tour With Over 3.4 Million Tickets Sold

It's the third-biggest rock tour of this decade so far.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

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The Red Hot Chili Peppers wrapped their multi-year, multi-continent tour with the biggest business of their multi-decade career. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore , the Unlimited Love Tour sold 3.4 million tickets over 86 shows.

Among rock tours, it finishes as the third best-selling trek this decade, only behind Coldplay ’s Music of the Spheres World Tour and Elton John ’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.

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The Unlimited Love Tour supported its namesake album, which was released in April 2022, as well as Return of the Dream Canteen , which followed in October of that year. Both sets led the Top Rock Albums chart, and the former crowned the all-genre Billboard 200 .

The Unlimited Love Tour kicked off on June 4, 2022 with a performance at Estadio de La Cartuja in Sevilla, Spain. That show launched a 12-show leg in Europe that sold 659,000 tickets. Next was 19 shows in the U.S. and Canada, adding 807,000 tickets. That remains the highest-grossing and best-selling leg of the tour.

What followed was a parade of shows in Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, plus returns to Europe and North America before closing on July 30 in Maryland Heights, Mo. While the first stateside run claimed top honors for cumulative gross and attendance, the Chili Peppers’ string of eight shows in Australia and New Zealand (January-February 2023) boasted the best per-show ticket sales, averaging 47,326. Those dates were helped by the presence of Post Malone, joining while on his Twelve Carat Tour.

These final figures represent an entirely new peak in the Chili Peppers’ career. Though the band had dabbled with stadium shows before, this was its first full tour in the top-capacity venues. The tour’s 3.4 million attendance total is about 3.5x the group’s previous best, when the By the Way World Tour sold 979,000 in 2002-03. On average, the tour paced 39,761 tickets per show, up from 14,291 on the 1995-96 One Hot Minute Tour.

Dating back to a 1985 Halloween show at New York’s The Ritz, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold 8.6 million tickets over 498 reported shows.

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Years on tour

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• The Getaway World Tour  ( 143 )
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• Tour de La Sensitive  ( 12 )
• Turd Town Tour  ( 19 )
• Unlimited Love Promo  ( 7 )
• Unlimited Love Tour 2024  ( 27 )
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Average setlist for tour: By the Way

Note: only considered 138 of 149 setlists (ignored empty and strikingly short setlists)

• Intro Jam Play Video
• By the Way Play Video
• Scar Tissue Play Video
• Around the World Play Video
• Universally Speaking Play Video
• Suck My Kiss Play Video
• The Zephyr Song Play Video
• Parallel Universe Play Video
• Otherside Play Video
• Havana Affair ( Ramones  cover) Play Video
• Throw Away Your Television Play Video
• Don't Forget Me Play Video
• Right on Time Play Video
• I Could Have Lied Play Video
• Can't Stop Play Video
• Venice Queen Play Video
• Give It Away Play Video
• Californication Play Video
• Under the Bridge Play Video
• Me & My Friends Play Video

Show Openers

Main set closers, show closers, encores played.

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Paul McCartney joins Andrew Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to perform Beatles and Neil Young classics at tiny show

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Andrew Watt has built a stellar roster of collaborators, with British legend Paul McCartney firmly on that list. On August 20, the Beatles bassist joined Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on stage at the 250-capacity Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons, for a raucous rendition of The Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There and Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World .

McCartney joined the show mid-set, to the audience's surprise and delight. He immediately commanded the stage and led the band, which, in addition to Watt on guitar and Smith on drums, also included Saturday Night Live band member and seasoned session guitarist G.E. Smith, along with a horn section. Watt's girlfriend, singer-songwriter and model Charlotte Lawrence, also joined McCartney on vocals during Rockin' in the Free World .

Prior to this impromptu performance, McCartney had guested on the Watt-produced Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds , playing bass on the track Bite My Head Off.

In a New York Times profile, the producer also revealed that he had written an as-yet-unreleased song with McCartney, which came about over a cup of tea.

“He’s very resourceful,” McCartney said. “I said, ‘I’d like to show you something on guitar, but I haven’t got my guitar with me. And he said, ‘I’ve got a guitar.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m left-handed.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve got a left-handed guitar.’”

After a jamming session, McCartney returned to the studio with lyrics and a vocal line. “Suddenly, we had a song. From a cup of tea to a song. Doesn’t it sound easy?”

Watt recently worked on Iggy Pop's 19th studio album, Every Loser , Pearl Jam's Dark Matter , Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s Tough , Quavo and Lenny Kravitz’s Fly , Post Malone’s latest album AUSTIN , The Kid LAROI’s single Forever and Again , and BTS' Jungkook’s Seven .

This past week, he was revealed as the producer behind the fast-rising, country-tinged Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars duet, Die with a Smile .

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Red Hot Chili Peppers disappoint at Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival 2024 in Milwaukee

"We gave you everything we got," Anthony Kiedis said at the end of the Red Hot Chili Peppers ' Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival headlining set in Milwaukee Saturday, the grand finale of two days of concerts at Veterans Park.

The tepid response from the crowd that had long been thinning out suggested that many would have disagreed.

That's speculation, of course, so I'll say this with certainty: From my vantage point, the Chili Peppers could have, and should have, given so much more.

Like "Under The Bridge," for instance — far and away the band's biggest hit. The song didn't make it into the 93-minute set. I'll be the first to concede that what an artist plays should be up to the artist — although playing favorite songs for fans who paid a lot to see you, and in Saturday's case, were in the heat all day, sure is a nice consideration.

That said, to skip an arguable classic like "Under the Bridge" during the encore in lieu of "Sir Psycho Sexy," also from their signature album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" — that's a choice alright, a pretty abysmal one.

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The clunky, atrocious lyrics from "Sir Psycho Sexy" have aged horribly since 1991, and to see the 61-year-old Kiedis on stage Saturday, trying to look cool singing such trite, misogynistic lyrics while shirtless with a cowboy hat, was beyond embarrassing.

How did this happen? How did the biggest get of the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival so far — the first show in town with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers since 2017, and the first since reuniting with their most accomplished guitarist, John Frusciante — turn out to be such a dud?

Previous Harley Homecoming headliners — Green Day and Foo Fighters last year, Jelly Roll and Hardy Friday — had all played Milwaukee since 2021, so, on paper, they seemed less "exclusive." But there's something they all had that the Chili Peppers did not Saturday: charismatic stars (including Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl) who infused their sets with infectious personalities, some poignancy and a hell of a lot of fun.

Kiedis, though, was a letdown long before the shirt came off and the cowboy hat came on. He did come on stage with a boot on his left foot and a brace on his right knee, so perhaps that was holding him back. Even so, much to his credit, he offered some bursts of sprinting, like during his opening number "Around the World" (the "woods in Wisconsin" line sparked a roar from the crowd), and made the most of "Aquatic Mouth Dance," a mediocre song from 2022 album "Unlimited Love," by spinning around and pulling his shirt up over his head as he danced with abandon.

But for the most part, Kiedis listlessly went through the motions Saturday, across both the hits and the deeper cuts (that there were so many of the latter may have led to some of the early exits). Even the curious pirate-like lilt Kiedis sings for "Black Summer," which gives the "Unlimited Love" single a little quirk, was absent Saturday.

He was indisputably the weakest link, but I'm disappointed to say not the only weakness.

I have no complaints about Chad Smith, who brought plenty of energy behind the kit, particularly his boisterous drumming on "By the Way."

But watching Flea jamming all night on the bass, a bumper sticker slapped next to the strings that read "Support Your Local Freak," I thought to myself, "Why aren't you being freakier, Flea?"

He had different brightly colored socks on each foot, so I guess that's freaky. There were sprints and kicks and rubbery head bobs to the grooves. Only a fool would dispute Flea's technical mastery.

And yet, the rich string slaps he sprinkled between songs amounted to little more than noodling, and across the set, became a touch tedious. The introductory five-minute instrumental jam at the start of the set with Smith and Frusciante — designed to signal the Chili Peppers' commitment to the unconventional — was uninspired, drawing energy from the crowd not from any cool or unexpected techniques, but from a predictable acceleration of speed. And a five-minute jam strictly between Flea and Frusciante was pretty bland, too, with blame shared by both players.

Frusciante has more than his fair share of immortal licks with the Chili Peppers, and it was a pleasure to hear the man himself bring them to life Saturday on such signatures as "Californication" and "Snow (Hey Oh)." But like Kiedis on "Aquatic Mouth Dance," he reserved his most animated performance for another ho-hum late-career song, "Eddie" from 2022's "Return from the Dream Canteen" album, looking by the end like Gene Wilder from "Young Frankenstein" with wild hair and crazed eyes.

I just wish there had been more creativity and cool detours. On "The Zephyr Song," for instance, he tweaked the solo and his guitar tone only a smidge. Instead of simply recreating the solo, or offering something truly bold, he opted for an unsatisfying middle ground.

It was one of many disappointments Saturday that ultimately made the Peppers' set feel more obligatory than impassioned. The little banter that was offered didn't negate that perception, from Kiedis' flat suggestion that fans had to choose between Sheboygan and Kenosha, to his comment that he loved John Frusciante, words that Flea also said Saturday. Both men said them with the conviction of a hostage in a ransom video.

"Until we meet again, please be good to each other," Kiedis offered Saturday as his parting words. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were disappointed fans at the Harley set that don't plan to see the band again.

More: Jelly Roll, Hardy and surprise guest MGK rock 2024 Harley-Davidson Homecoming in Milwaukee

More: When and where the Milwaukee area's summer festivals and fairs are happening in 2024

The Offspring keeps things irreverent at Harley Festival

There’s buttering up the crowd — and then there’s what The Offspring guitarist Noodles did during the band's early-evening Harley Homecoming set Saturday.

“This audience might be the best thing that’s ever happened to rock 'n' roll in the history of music,” he said while frontman Dexter Holland played deadpan straight man.

This was par for the course for an irreverent hour that saw Noodles scream an F-bomb for a full 13 seconds; fans bat around beach balls to the profane and deceptively sunny “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”; and 15-foot-tall inflatable “fly white guys,” like the eye-catching ploy you might see at used car dealerships, jerking around for “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy).” Even Holland made some jokes, teasing the crowd in front of bassist Todd Morse as the tamest section, because nobody knows the bass player.

Fans who lost track of the Offspring after their commercial peak in the ‘90s wouldn’t have recognized anyone but lone longtime members Holland and Noodles. But the band's juvenile spirit is intact without seeming too sweaty; the set’s lone new song “Make It All Right” stood up alongside the standards; and drummer Brandon Pertzborn, who joined last year, is a fine addition, most evident for a breakneck solo coming out of “Gotta Get Away.”

Cypress Hill makes a home for hip-hop at Harley Fest

Last year, the Harley-Davidson Homecoming had a lone country artist in Cody Jinks, and returned this year with a full day of them. So should we expect a full day of hip-hop in 2025 since Cypress Hill was on the bill Saturday?

Fest bookers definitely should consider more rappers, although Cypress Hill’s live set is going to be hard to top.

Veteran spitters Sen Dog and B-Real were having a blast rapping through “Insane in the Brain” and “(Rap) Superstar,” making these standards sound just as urgent as they did some three decades ago. They got a big assist from percussionist Eric Bobo and turntablist DJ Lord — whose jaw-dropping, show-stealing flex session mid-set validated the rappers’ claim that he’s the best DJ in the world.

Even a “which side is loudest” bit — the most tired time filler you see at too many concerts — was a lot of fun, with each rapper leading their side through F-bomb-filled back-and-forths.

But by sets’ end, both sides were at peace, thanks to that most beloved of unifying forces in Badgerland — a jump-around to House of Pain’s “Jump Around.”

Destroy Boys, The Criticals, Scarlet Demore, Otoboke Beaver, Milwaukee's Djay Mando round out lineup

• "This is my first show back since I got surgery on my spine," Destroy Boys guitarist and vocalist Violet Mayugba said during the California punk band's afternoon set. "(Expletive) that (expletive). I'm back rocking. Herniated disc can't keep this (expletive) down." Mayugba's condition made her determination and defiance, singing through "Muzzle" and "Should've Been Me," so much more punk, the conviction matched by primary lead singer Alexia Roditis, who condemned governmental institutions for allowing so much injustice and death around the world, from Gaza to the United States, during the blistering "For What.” And Roditis Friday threw themselves into the disturbed but unforgettable "I Threw Glass at My Friend's Eyes and Now I'm on Probation," sung from the perspective of a victim of grooming.
• Otoboke Beaver burst onto the secondary Iron Stage for the last slot Saturday night like a raging bull, with frontwoman Accorinrin singing/screaming so violently it was as if her vocal cords were trying to jump out of her body like one of those chest-busters from the “Alien” movies. What a pity, then, because of their slot on another stage between Offspring and the Chili Peppers, that not enough people went to see them, even though the Offspring’s Noodles said they were one of his favorite bands and encouraged people to check them out.
• Chicago band Scarlet Demore subbed for the originally booked Irontom on the Iron Stage, and they made the most of their newfound opportunity with an energized set that rapidly bounced around from garage punk to bursts of metal to No Doubt-indebted pop rock.
• Most festgoers probably would deem the first set on the second day expendable, but not Nashville-based rock band the Criticals , who performed with an urgency fitting the name, with songs like "Treat Ya Better," "Belmont" and "Good Lookin" zigzagging seamlessly from detached, Strokes-like cool to warm, psychedelic funk.
• And Milwaukee's own Djay Mando — whose busy summer has included T-Pain's Wiscansin Fest at the Rave and multiple Summerfest sets (including one in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater) — continued his city domination with a couple of rock-heavy mixes (with some hip-hop, pop, country and reggaeton thrown in) at the Iron Stage. Nice to see Harley again booking someone local for the fest, as it did with Abby Jeanne last year. But Harley really should book more Milwaukee acts.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival setlist in Milwaukee

• Introductory Jam
• "Around the World"
• "The Zephyr Song"
• "Aquatic Mouth Dance"
• "Snow (Hey Oh)"
• "I Like Dirt"
• "Parallel Universe"
• "Soul to Squeeze"
• "Tippa My Tongue"
• "Tell Me Baby"
• John Frusciante and Flea jam
• "Californication"
• "Black Summer"
• "By the Way"
• "Sir Psycho Sexy"
• "Give It Away"

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or  [email protected] . Follow him on X at  @pietlevy  or Facebook at  facebook.com/PietLevyMJS .

Anthony Kiedis 2024: A Deep Dive Into The Life And Legacy Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers Frontman

In 2024, Anthony Kiedis continues to be a prominent figure in the music industry, captivating fans with his extraordinary talent and dynamic stage presence. As the lead vocalist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiedis has not only contributed to a unique sound that blends rock, funk, and punk but has also become an influential cultural icon. This article explores Kiedis's life, career, and the impact he has made on music and beyond.

From his early days in Michigan to his rise to fame in California, Kiedis's journey is a testament to resilience and creativity. In this comprehensive overview, we will delve into his biography, personal life, musical achievements, and recent developments as of 2024. Fans and newcomers alike will gain insight into what makes Anthony Kiedis a legendary figure in the world of music.

As we progress through this article, we will examine Kiedis’s contributions to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, his solo projects, and the lasting legacy he is building. Join us as we uncover the fascinating world of Anthony Kiedis, a man whose influence extends far beyond the stage.

Table of Contents

Biography of anthony kiedis, personal life, musical career, recent developments in 2024, impact and legacy, fun facts about anthony kiedis.

Anthony Kiedis was born on November 1, 1962, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He grew up in a family deeply immersed in music, thanks to his father, John Kiedis, who was a musician and his mother, Margaret Kiedis, who worked as a dancer. This environment nurtured his passion for music from an early age.

In 1975, Kiedis moved to Los Angeles with his father, where he became immersed in the city’s vibrant music scene. He attended Fairfax High School, where he met future bandmates Flea, Hillel Slovak, and Jack Sherman. These connections would prove pivotal in the formation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Anthony Kiedis has had a colorful personal life that has often been in the spotlight. His relationships and struggles with addiction have been public, but he has always managed to bounce back, showcasing his strength and resilience.

Relationships

Kiedis has been linked to several high-profile relationships, including actress Ione Skye and model Heather Christie. His personal life has often inspired his songwriting, bringing a level of authenticity to his work.

Struggles with Addiction

Kiedis has openly discussed his battles with substance abuse, which he chronicled in his autobiography, "Scar Tissue." His journey through addiction and recovery has inspired many fans and added depth to his artistic persona.

Anthony Kiedis’s musical career began in the early 1980s when he co-founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band’s unique mix of rock, funk, and punk quickly garnered a following, leading to their self-titled debut album in 1984.

Key Albums and Hits

• “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan” (1987)
• “Mother's Milk” (1989)
• “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” (1991)
• “Californication” (1999)
• “By the Way” (2002)
• “Stadium Arcadium” (2006)

Throughout the years, Kiedis has contributed to numerous chart-topping hits such as “Under the Bridge,” “Scar Tissue,” and “Dani California.” The band has received multiple Grammy Awards and is known for their energetic live performances.

As of 2024, Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are still making waves in the music scene. The band recently announced a world tour to promote their latest album, which has received critical acclaim.

In interviews, Kiedis has expressed his excitement about exploring new musical directions and collaborating with younger artists. He remains a sought-after figure in the industry, continuously inspiring a new generation of musicians.

Anthony Kiedis's impact on music cannot be overstated. He has influenced countless artists and bands with his unique vocal style and lyrical depth. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have transcended genres and continue to resonate with fans around the world.

Beyond music, Kiedis is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He has been involved in various charities and initiatives focusing on youth, education, and addiction recovery, further solidifying his status as a positive role model.

• Kiedis has a passion for skateboarding and often incorporates it into his lifestyle.
• He is an animal lover and has several pets.
• Kiedis has a keen interest in art and often collaborates with visual artists.

In conclusion, Anthony Kiedis remains a formidable force in the music industry as of 2024, with a rich history, a vibrant personal life, and a legacy of creativity and resilience. His journey from a boy in Michigan to the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world is inspiring, and his contributions to music and culture are undeniable.

We invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments below, share this article with fellow fans, or explore more content on our site to learn about other influential artists.

• Biography.com - Anthony Kiedis
• Rolling Stone - Anthony Kiedis 2024 Interview
• NPR - Music News: Anthony Kiedis

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