As a proud Silver Lake native, my respect for Flea’s Silver Lake Conservatory runs deep. I remember when he opened the school in its original location in the Sunset Junction area near my home 25 years ago, next to what would later become the trendy Intelligentsia coffee spot. As the nightlife reporter for LA Weekly (which also originated in Silver Lake—yes it’s two words, or at least it was back then) I was lucky enough to cover many of its annual fundraisers, held at local spots like the Edendale Grill and Union Station, and boasting artists like Eddie Vedder, Beck, and Tracy Chapman over the years. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been the banner act at SLC’s annual benefits (what used to be called a “Hullabaloo”) many times in the last 25 years and to their credit, they are bigger than ever and still rocking out to support the cause, which as bassist Flea told me earlier this year, means everything to him.
The 25th anniversary benefit Saturday night at the Hollywood Palladium, hosted by Marc Maron and touted as a "quarter century" party, also marked Flea's birthday. The celebratory set featured some oldies, including two from the George Clinton-produced Freaky Styley (“Black Eyed Blonde” and “Nevermind,” the latter a groovy self-referential jam that touts the band’s name throughout) and one from the Uplift Mofo Party Plan (“The Organic BeatBox Band”). But overall, the set focused on mid tempo numbers that the crowd obviously wasn't too familiar with. There was only one cut from their breakthrough album, the Rick Rubin-produced Blood Sugar Sex Magic (“Give It Away,” natch) and none from my personal favorite, Mother’s Milk. There was also nothing from their biggest hit record, Californication.
Of course, playlist choices are always subjective and fans all have different preferences (you can’t please everybody), but the room's lack of movement or engagement was notable. It was great to see the Peppers in this smaller venue and in case the weight of space and the history was lost on those gathered (a mix of Gen-Xers and their kids, many of whom, like myself sent their offspring to the conservatory to study music) Flea and singer Anthony Kiedis both shared memories of seeing past bands there like Bauhaus and Bjork.
Dave Grohl spoke of the venue’s history too, which was a nice reminder. When you’ve grown up going to certain venues, they feel like home, but the magical memories can get lost in the familiarity. Flea, Kiedis, Chad Smith and John Frusciante—the latter, who did a sweet if low-energy cover of The Shirelles’ “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” written by Carole King—were all in fine form musically, but the slower deepcut song choices didn’t connect the way a hit-packed set would have, especially with so many youngsters in the house. Music blogs are hailing the old school choices, but in person, they didn't resonate the way a dancey hit-packed set would have. When the band didn't come back for an encore after "Give It Away" had the audience jumping at the end, there was an audible gasp of disappointment as the lights came on.
Grohl, joined by some of his Foo Fighters bandmates and his daughter Violet Grohl, seemed to understand the assignment better. He played semi-acoustic versions of the hits, and some classic covers. "Times Like These," "My Hero" (dedicated to Flea and the audience) and "Everlong" bookended with some cool covers including X's "Nausea" and The Nerves/Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone" with his daughter singing, and then, a classic that he said was one of his favorite songs ever, "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty. It was a faithful rendition, but not gonna lie, the famous saxophone part (the tune is considered by many to be the greatest sax song of all time!) was missed. It was nice to see Pat Smear on stage (sans stogie) and I must note that Violet has grown a lot as a singer since I saw her at the very same venue with her dad singing Nirvana songs for The Art of Elysium's 13th annual "Heaven" charity gala six years ago. Back then, I wasn't sure if she had "It," but Saturday she proved she really, really does, nepo labels be damned. She rocked.
Which is what the Silver Lake Conservatory is all about and why I sent my own daughter—now a Music Connection contributor— there for summer programs as a kid. Passing on the love of music to the next generation is so meaningful and truly, a beautiful thing.
Following the school's student players, SCM All-Stars and the Hollywood Highsteppers, Vince Staples embodied his truth better than anyone Saturday, before Grohl and the Peppers, playing from his latest Cry Baby with a youthful group of musicians and backup singers from the Conservatory. They brought an infectious energy to his vibrant new rock ditties, which tackle social issues with the rhythmic intensity one might expect from the Long Beach rapper.
The set kicked off a night that felt vibrant and full of hope for the future of music thanks to Flea's ongoing music education efforts. Here's to 25 more years and more generations picking up instruments and singing their hearts out—in schools, garages and maybe even historic stages like the Palladium.
