[ WEEKEND ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, performed at the London Arena last month.
It's a safe bet that as Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers face the prospect of turning 40 this year, the rock press will be dedicating more ink to the occasion than the Red Hots ever put to music sheets during their entire career. All this talk of an older, "mature" Chili Peppers may be inevitable, but with nearly 20 years together, a diverse catalogue of hugely influential albums and their first new CD offering in two years, the media already has more than enough material. From punk-funk rabble-rousers to rock royalty, through 11 members and numerous life-or-death experiences, a Red Hot Chili Peppers timeline reads like an endless index of sensational headlines. Red hot for 20 years
By Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.comHere is a look at two decades of the Red Hots:
>> 1976: School chums Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons form their first band, Chain Reaction in Los Angeles.
>> 1979: The band morphs into the hard rocking Anthym, a group that includes Michael Balzary, a young musical prodigy known as Flea.
>> 1982: Flea joins nihilistic L.A. punk outfit Fear, while Irons and Slovak record as a quirky rock unit called What Is This?
>> 1983: The trio reunites and performs with Anthony Kiedis on vocals as Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem at a Hollywood nightclub. The band catches the ear of executives at EMI America. Rechristening themselves the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band inks its first recording deal.
>> 1984: Not long after their self-titled debut album is released, Slovak quits and is replaced by Jack Sherman.
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. RECORDS
Red Hot Chili Peppers, from left, John Frusicante, Michael "Flea" Balzary, Chad Smith and Anthony Kiedis.
>> 1985: With George Clinton manning the controls, the Peppers hammer out tunes for their sophomore effort, "Freaky Styley." Slovak returns. Sherman leaves.
>> 1986: Their third album, "Uplift Mofo Party Plan," is released. The Peppers embark on an ambitious tour.
>> 1988: As the band's "Abbey Road" EP (with the cover photo of the Peppers recreating the famous Beatles photo naked, except for some well-placed socks) is released, Slovak dies of a drug overdose. Irons checks into a psychiatric hospital. Kiedis retreats to Mexico to detox. Kiedis and Flea add ex-Clinton guitarist Duane "Blackbyrd" McKnight. He lasts four months.
>> 1989: Drummer Chad Smith and 19-year-old guitar wizard John Frusciante join the fray. The album "Mother's Milk," which features a dedication to Slovak in "Knock Me Down," garners national attention. Their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" becomes their first bona-fide hit.
>> 1990: The Chili Peppers play Honolulu for the first time, performing at Aloha Tower. It's a ragged show, due to Frusciante's drug and sobriety issues.
>> 1991: Leaving EMI America, and with the backing of Warner Brothers, the Peppers release "BloodSugarSexMagik," an album whose singles "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge" become breakthrough tracks.
>> 1992: The Chili Peppers take their place among alt-rock's greatest names, touring alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. Frusciante leaves, succeeded by Arik Marshall.
Where: Blaisdell Arena Red Hot Chili Peppers
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Tickets: $38.50
Call: 591-2211
Note: As of press time, no local opening band had been announced.
>> 1993: The band wins a Grammy in the Best Hard Rock Performance in the vocal category with "Give It Away." Jesse Tobias is substituted for Marshall and is summarily replaced by former Jane's Addiction axeman Dave Navarro.
>> 1995: "One Hot Minute" hits the stores; a tour follows.
>> 1997: Kiedis is involved in a motorcycle accident and dislocates his wrist. A month later, Smith endures a similar spill and dislocates a shoulder.
>> 1998: Navarro leaves to pursue solo projects. A clean and sober Frusciante returns.
>> 1999: "Californication" is released. The single "Scar Tissue" stays atop the Billboard Modern Rock Charts for 16 weeks. The Peppers play Moscow's Red Square for more than 200,000 fans.
>> 2000: The band is presented with a second Grammy, an MTV Video Vanguard Award, Billboard honors for Best Modern Rock Clip and the designation as VH1/Vogue's Most Stylish Band.
>> 2001: More honors follow, including an American Music Award and Blockbuster Entertainment Artist Award.
>> 2002: One local Pepper sighting: Chad Smith playing the ad-hoc role of stage security at the Strokes concert at World Cafe. "By the Way" is released in July. The Chili Peppers return to Honolulu to play Blaisdell Arena ... we hope in better health and spirits! The band's doing a last-minute mini-tour, starting in New York City, then Atlanta, Hawaii and Japan. They plan a more extensive tour in support of "By the Way" starting at the end of the year or early 2003.
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