Last week, Red Hot Chili Peppers showed off their Nirvana inspiration during their gig at Los Angeles’ Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Amid the Oct. 29 stop on the Peppers’ “Global Stadium Tour,” they covered Nirvana’s signature hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The setup was a little bit different than usual for Red Hot Chili Peppers. John Frusciante, the Chili Peppers guitarist who returned to the band in 2019, took lead vocals for the gritty grunge song’s chorus. Lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis handled the verses.
See fan-captured footage near the bottom of this post.
Frusciante has covered the Nirvana classic as a solo artist in the past, as noted by Stereogum. Also onstage with the Chili Peppers at the Silverlake Conservatory, Frusciante played a cover of the Ramones‘ “I Remember You” without his bandmates’ accompaniment. It’s something that he’s done frequently on this tour.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” broke grunge in the mainstream when it was released in September 1991. (Its parent album, Nirvana’s Nevermind, emerged the same month.) Ahead of the single’s release, Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters bandleader Dave Grohl thought “Teen Spirit” was just “another cool song.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers have staked a comeback of late with two albums issued this year — April’s Unlimited Love and this month’s Return of the Dream Canteen. Get Chili Peppers concert tickets at this link.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana Cover) [Live; Oct. 29, 2022]
Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Music Video)
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