Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters Dust Off Rarities at Silverlake Benefit Gig

Red Hot Chili Peppers reached deep into their catalog this weekend at a benefit show, during which Foo Fighters also resurrected a fan-favorite cover for the first time in nearly two decades.

Held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Saturday night, the concert celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The nonprofit music school was co-founded by Chili Peppers bassist Flea and former touring member Keith “Tree” Barry in 2001. The event also featured rapper Vince Staples, with comedian Marc Maron serving as host.

Red Hot Chili Peppers opened their set with an instrumental jam before launching into “Can’t Stop,” which is nothing out of the ordinary. The real surprises came shortly afterward, when they performed “Organic Anti-Beat Box Band” from 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party Plan as well as “Blackeyed Blonde” from 1985’s Freaky Styley for the first time since 2000. They also brought back “Nevermind,” which guitarist John Frusciante hadn’t played live with the group since 1992. Likewise, his solo rendition of Carole King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” marked another rare sighting.

The 10-song set otherwise mixed material from across the band’s career, from “Black Summer” and “Whatchu Thinkin'” to closing out the evening with “Hey,” “Eddie,” and “Give It Away.”

Dave Grohl also took the stage for a seven-song performance that spanned Foo Fighters staples like “Times Like These” and “My Hero” as well as covers of Mose Allison’s “Young Man Blues” and X’s “Nausea.” His daughter Violet joined him for a few songs, although the highlight of his set came when Grohl’s Foo Fighters bandmates took the stage to revive their cover of Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” for the first time since 2007. Recorded as a B-side during their early years, it has remained a rare addition to their concerts.

The benefit marked a milestone for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, which provides music education and scholarship opportunities to aspiring musicians in Los Angeles. The school serves more than 900 students each week, with over 200 receiving scholarships. Its annual fundraiser helps sustain those programs.

Organic Anti Beat-Box Band 2026
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Dave, Chris, Ilan, and Pat doing 'Baker Street' at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music benefit
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