The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of my favorite bands—despite the fact that Anthony Kiedis is just four years younger than my mom.
Because age doesn’t really matter, right?
I am 37—and I remember little Robert jumping around to the tunes of “Give it away” when it came out in 1991. And now, 31 years later, the Peppers performed it on “The Howard Stern Show.”
What I love the most about this band is that it’s a real band. Of course, Kiedis is the frontman, but it’s not only about him.
John Frusciante is one of the most inspiring guitar players of all time. Just think about the melody of “Under the Bridge” or try playing the guitar riff of the song “Snow”—only guitarists will understand this.
Chad Smith is one of the most solid drummers I have ever seen. Other famous drummers like Lars Ulrich must feel jealous seeing Smith’s incredible accuracy—only drummers will get this joke.
And on a side note, he is a pretty funny dude who happens to look a lot like Will Ferrell:
And, of course, you can’t talk about the awesomeness of this band without mentioning Flea. He is one of the—what am I talking about—he is the most famous bass player of all time. Usually, bass players are not at the center of attention, but Flea is an exception to this unwritten rule of music.
Almost every musician who plays the bass will tell you a story about how he or she got inspired by Flea. When I was in school, I had a friend who was obsessed with Flea—almost everyone who plays music has that one friend.
Here’s one of their songs. Decide for yourself if the Peppers had an impact on them:
The band just celebrated their 40th anniversary as a band. But there have been a lot of ups and downs along the way. I highly suggest reading Scar Tissue, written by Anthony Kiedis. Anyone struggling with addiction should read this book.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers started playing music before I was born. Their music has always been a part of my life, and I am sure that I am not the only one feeling this way.
At the same time, as I am inching toward my 40s, I often wonder what life will be like when I am old. I often look at men who are older than me and get scared that I will be one of them soon.
But then I look at Anthony, John, Chad, and Flea—I want to be like them when I grow old.
These four men give me hope and prove that there is no rule against continuing to do what we love—no matter how old we are.
In a society that is overly focused on hiding our age, it’s refreshing to see these old dudes still rocking every stage they enter.
The band just released their 12th studio album on April 1st. It’s called “Unlimited Love.” And I am pretty sure it won’t be their last album.
I want to thank these four men for all the joy, inspiration, and hope their stories and music brought into my life. And before listening to their new album, I will do what little Robert did at the age of seven.
Make some space, crank up the volume, and “Give it away!”
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