Entertainment
Red Hot Chili Peppers bring decades-old rarities back for a music-school benefit
The October 17 Hollywood Palladium show celebrated Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s 25th anniversary; Dave Grohl also performed.
What to know
- The school’s calendar confirms the October 17 event at the Palladium.
- NME and setlist.fm reported the return of Organic Anti-Beat Box Band and Blackeyed Blonde, last played in 2000.
- Dave Grohl was also on the benefit’s bill.
Red Hot Chili Peppers reached back into their early catalog at the Hollywood Palladium on October 17, turning Silverlake Conservatory of Music’s anniversary benefit into a notable night for longtime listeners.
Why the song choices stood out
NME’s October 19 coverage identified the two revived songs with the band’s Hillel Slovak era. The performance of Nevermind carried a more specific distinction: it was the first with guitarist John Frusciante since 1992, according to that report. The qualifier matters; it is not the same as saying the band had never played the song in the intervening years.
The interest here is the repertoire itself. A familiar band can make a charity appearance memorable by revisiting material that regular concertgoers rarely get to hear. Those choices give fans a different reason to compare performances than the presence of the best-known singles alone.
What the benefit supported
The conservatory describes itself as a nonprofit music school with a focus on young people. Its scholarship program provides qualifying children with lessons and instruments at no cost. Its own history dates the school’s founding to 2001 and names Flea and Keith “Tree” Barry, with help from Peter Weiss.
That connection gives the anniversary concert a purpose beyond nostalgia: musicians were supporting an institution that helps the next generation learn to play.
The event and the reports are different dates
The benefit took place Saturday, October 17; the NME and setlist.fm accounts followed Monday, October 19. Grohl’s appearance was part of the same benefit, without implying that he performed every Chili Peppers number with the group. The accompanying licensed photograph is from London in July 2023.
Photograph adaptation notes
Anthony Kiedis performing with Red Hot Chili Peppers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, July 21, 2023. Archive photo by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0; this does not show the October 2026 benefit. Website image resized/compressed with responsive display cropping. Social cards add crop, contrast, NewsCubby branding and translated headlines. No endorsement is implied. Original photograph and rights record; license.
