Controversy abounded at last month’s Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers stood out as a class act.
Although some fans were disappointed that Guns N’ Roses founder Axl Rose declined the induction honor, the respect shown for the award by members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers lightened the overall mood.
“The Hall of Fame is something I never paid much attention to, but I came a couple years ago to it and it felt like a really beautiful thing, a celebration of our culture and something that’s a really integral part of growing up in the world today,” Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea told Rolling Stone. “It means a lot to me to be a part of it.”
| The Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday |
| Where: Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW |
| Info: Sold out at press time; verizoncenter.com |
But that doesn’t mean the group is resting on past success, as evidenced by its new music and world tour. Almost as soon as the band was inducted, the Peppers released “We Salute You,” a digital-only EP featuring six songs from previous Hall of Fame inductees the Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, Neil Young, David Bowie, the Beach Boys, and Dion and the Belmonts. And let’s not forget that just last year the Chili Peppers released its 10th album, “I’m With You.”
“We’re not really done creating,” the band’s founding singer, Anthony Kiedis, told Rolling Stone at the Hall of Fame awards ceremony. “It’s nice to be acknowledged, but we’ve got work to do.”
Despite the rampant success of such early Chili Peppers’ songs as “Under the Bridge,” “Give It Away” and “Californication,” the best music may yet be ahead of them. Critics have called “I’m With You” one of the band’s best albums. Mixing and matching classic songs with their newer music has certainly fired up concert audiences.
“[What] the Chili Peppers proved to almost 17,000 howling fans at the Bell Centre … is that the industrial-strength din that characterizes their best music is, at this point, undiminished by time,” wrote a critic for the Montreal Gazette about a recent concert. “That trademark mixture of brittle funk, rap inflection, alt-rock aggression and sturdy hooks still packs arenas.”
As the band moves toward its third decade together, it doesn’t seem that will change anytime soon.
“It’s a new beginning for us,” said drummer Chad Smith. “We’re very fortunate to be able to do what we love to do. During our time off, everyone, I felt, had grown as people and as musicians. I think that’s very reflected in taking risks and growing as a band and as band members and as people. That’s all in there, and that’s all in the pie.”
