Red Hot Chili Peppers dove deep into their catalog for their headlining set at Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s 25th anniversary benefit show at Hollywood Palladium on Saturday, delivering a handful of rarities alongside their biggest hits. Their set was among a bevy of highlights from an A-List lineup that included Foo Fighters dusting off their own rarity, and Vince Staples, whose bandmates include Silverlake Conservatory alumni.
To celebrate SCM’s landmark quarter of a century, the conservatory held the concert in lieu of its annual private benefit dinner. Founded in 2001 by Michael “Flea” Balzary and Keith “Tree” Barry alongside friend Peter Weiss, Silverlake Conservatory of Music “fills the gaps in music education programming throughout L.A. public schools,” per a statement, providing music lessons to 1000 students each week, as an updated handwritten sign that served as the backdrop onstage indicated. Its scholarship program aids more than 200 students whose families would otherwise be unable to afford music lessons, providing free music lessons, instruments, supplies, ensemble classes, and events.
The evening highlighted the achievements of its students, opening the event with SCM student ensemble the SCM All Stars and an SCM brass band known as the Hollywood Highsteppers. The former delivered renditions of fan-favorite hits such as Ohio Players funk classic and beloved RHCP cover “Love Rollercoaster” and “Our House” by Madness. It was also Flea’s birthday weekend, and to mark the occasion, the Hollywood Highsteppers played “When the Saints Go Marching In” as the SCM co-founder and RHCP bassist was presented with a birthday cake onstage.
“My mom used to not make a lot of money and I have divorced parents and so music has always been an emotional outlet,” Anahit, part of the SCM All Stars who performed, tells Rolling Stone after her set. She’s been with SCM since she was age 6, 10 years ago. She was a scholarship beneficiary for the first four years, her mother adds, and once she was able to afford to, she paid for her daughter’s lessons to “give back to the community.”
The night was about community and emcee Marc Maron let it be known this community holds power to account. “Fuck fascism, and while we’re at it, fuck ICE too” he said before making a Waymo joke and introducing Staples, and his band, noting that the members include SCM alumni: guitarist Jennifer Haack and bassist Chloe Haack.
Kevin Estrada
Staples’ fiery set included songs from his latest excellent rock album, Cry Baby, which finds the rapper vehemently taking on American racism and the country’s sociopolitical failings. “Hi everybody, are you ready to see a show?,” he said before launching into opening song “Blackberry Marmalade.” “Make some noise for Jen and Chloe one time, the beautiful children of the Silverlake Conservatory.” The SCM alums joined Staples singing backup. And as he worked the full stage while delivering powerful messages like on the scorching “The Running Man,” with its “Let’s go” call to action and his introduction explaining that it’s about America and how hard it is to live here, his bandmates were equally riveting while they played thunderous backup and pounced around to the grooves.
Grohl took the stage next to perform a hit-filled set alongside delivering a couple of surprises. He opened solo with Foo fan favorites “Times Like These” and then launched into “My Hero” before his Foo Fighters bandmates surprise-joined him onstage midsong.
“There’s not only a lot of history in this room, there’s a lot of history in this band,” Grohl said. “And to be honest, the last time we opened up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers was maybe 25 fucking years ago, a long ass time ago. We owe a lot to the Red Hot Chili Peppers because they were the first ones to take us out on an arena tour in 2000, back in the day. So big ups.”
Foo Fighters weren’t the only surprise guests: Grohl’s daughter Violet joined them for a cover of X’s “Nausea” and Nerves’ “Hanging on the Telephone,” which Violet noted was famously covered by Blondie.
They also performed a rare cover: “Now this is something we definitely haven’t done in 20 fucking years,” Grohl said, adding, “This is one of my fucking favorite songs of all time, I fucking have so many amazing childhood memories of this song” before they launched into their blazing rendition of Gerry Rafferty’s classic radio hit “Baker Street.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out the night with a scorching 11-song set. They opened with an instrumental jam and a rousing “Can’t Stop.” “You want to talk about old school,” Anthony Kiedis said before they pulled out a driving “Organic Anti-Beat Box Band” from 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and later delivered “Blackeyed Blonde” from 1985’s Freaky Styley, two songs they hadn’t performed live since 2000.
Other rarities included “Nevermind,” which guitarist John Frusciante hadn’t played live with the band since 1992, and Frusciante also performed a moving solo rendition of Carole King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers closed with a crowd shout-along of “Give It Away” to end the celebratory night that ultimately was about how music unites us and enriches the community and society.
“Once people start, they stay forever. It brings such a good community,” Anahit, who is also now in an SCM choir, adds. In addition to her feeling that SCM members are also like family, she says it’s more than just a music school: “As much as it’s a learning environment, it’s also an emotional place where you really learn more about yourself.”
