I remember going to Philadelphia to visit my uncle who was living in or near the city. I'm not quite sure of anything else that we did. I'm not sure if we visited a zoo or watched a movie, but I do know that was the first time I ever saw MTV and the first time I ever recognized the Chili Peppers into my psyche.
Now at the time I was 8 years old, so I could hardly infer greater conclusions about lyrics or video theatrics, but I specifically remember the sounds and how much I liked them. The first (or second, I honestly can't quite remember the order) song was "Give It Away".
A sound and passion as Anthony Kiedis rolled into his chorus of "Give it away, Give it away, Give it away." The sound of funk, that aggressiveness that rolls off every second of the song. It was a song that for some reason sounded how I felt whenever I felt unbeatable and strong. How it felt to be confident in something, and namely yourself. Oddly the song to me now is about giving that confidence to others and that ability to be great should be passed on as that you cannot keep it forever. To be honest the video freaked me out a bit as I had no idea what the hell was going on other than these dudes were all silver, but I kinda liked the way they danced and moved.
The other song might be considered it's complete opposite. The loneliness that we all can feel at times. This may have been where I started to formulate how much I enjoyed lyrics and the abilities you can have to tell a story or paint a picture using language and sound. The slowed tempo, the restraint through the first three quarters of the song and then at the end; a willingness to burst back through and overcome the sadness. Under The Bridge spoke to that in such a musical way that I can probably never do it with the words I find myself often stumbling through.
And that was the start of everything about music that I would come to love.
Summer 1999
This summer was one that I felt on top of the world. At 15, while still foolish and naive to most of the ways of the world, I felt simultaneously on top of one particular world and felt slightly alone in it. I had excelled at sports, and my confidence in that particular world seemed to be soaring. I was already roughly 6'0 tall, and had a wide broad shouldered frame. I could nearly dunk a basketball, and felt like I could run for days. I could be explosive at times, and had knack for certain hand-eye coordination abilities.
It felt like I had literally battled and warded off the rest of the world to get to this point. I attempted my best to fit in with most people but mostly just hung out with my best friend Gavin for most summers.
This is when they came back and hit me and I'm sure others with what I would call a transcendent album. An album that changed the way I really thought about music.
Californication was a game changer for me in so many ways. I listened to the album constantly. I felt like all of the songs either did or would apply to me. I felt the way either Kiedis or the band felt depending on how you looked at it. In any event that music seemed to carry me through the late summer.
I watched the video for Around The World, which is an amazing starting track on the internet (which may have literally been my first internet streamed video ever) on my mom's work computer. On Netscape, I believe. However after seeing what Anthony was doing to the ghost chick I figured it might be better to close the browser and watch on MTV.
The start, was Scar Tissue. To me this represented my own evolution to as a boy to an adolescent. I felt great, I felt like I was a rock star. I felt like I was headed towards big things, but at the same time I had a sadness in me. A loneliness. This song seemed to encapsulate that and fill the void that I sometimes felt.
By April they would come to my home town with the legendary Foo Fighters and rock little State College, PA and leave a impression of alternative music for YEARS to come. I remember walking into my Science class the next day and distinctly remember our Student-Teacher who happened to be a slight role model for me as I remember him being a tall blonde guy like me who seemed to have a sense of humor. He came to class the day after the concert and said that it was the best show of his life and that there was nothing like it.
But the song that sticks with me more than most still is "Otherside".
Even as a youth I felt sad or alone at times that I felt I shouldn't. But that no one else could understand it. To me, the literal interpretation of drug use and addiction was still foreign to me. But the sound and emotion was not. As I was going through puberty I developed acne issues and simultaneous self-esteem issues throughout the year so this song hit me about as well as any. I turned to my otherside which thankfully for me was athletics and I enjoyed my English and Science courses at school. I turned my negative into a positive.
Fall 2003
By The Way was released the Summer of 2002, when I would graduate from high school, then subsequently go to school at Penn State. Better yet for me that year I was able to successfully walk on to the school's legendary football team. I actually remember singing "Minor Thing" in the car all of late summer on my way to and from my first classes. But the highs came with lows as well as I began to struggle with the work load and found myself still struggling to fit in socially at times. I also began to realize that while I may be very skilled and possessed some athletic talent I was not on par with some of the players that would then go on to become pros.
They came with Queens of the Stone Age and put on a great show, though I mostly remember having wished you played longer (probably just selfish and wanting more since Pearl Jam played a monstrously long 3 hour show that I went and saw that blew my mind late that Spring as well). I also remember this being the first concert I had ever smoked marijuana before and felt amazing and a slight hint of paranoia. It was thrilling and amazing all at once.
I was late to find alcohol and drugs unlike the story I've read of some people.
Summer 2006
I didn't know it at the time but this particular stretch of time may have shaped me more so than any year I could think of. I was going into my final (albeit extra) semester of college. I was in the process of leaving the past behind in many ways. Even though it was painful, it was also absolutely necessary.
While I sadly missed this tour as well, the double album release of Stadium Arcadium seem to be such a perfect album for everything. I loved every minute of it and it is in all likelihood my most listened to album. It wrapped up everything I felt so succinctly, so totally that I became a bit obsessed. I began to scour the internet in hopes of finding bonus tracks, live albums and more. I also got the tattoo...
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| My Left Arm |
I try to tell people about what the tattoo means to me, and I always find it difficult at first, but in the end I always arrive at the same place. It means happiness. It's seems so simple but it's complex, in the way that life is always intertwining us. It's ups and downs. It's inevitably beauty and tragedy that we experience through it all. But in the end you are happy. You are enjoying life.
2011
In perhaps the greatest irony in the coincidences of life, I'm With You would be released the same year I would meet my wife. Despite the departure of John from the group I felt the sound was still authentic and real and not something simply contrived for dollars and a paycheck. Yes it was different, but it was still good and the funk and passion was still there. Plus there's freaking cowbell.
I would get to see you on tour with my friends from back home who had just recently moved to the State of North Carolina. I invited my girlfriend/future wife for the road trip down as well. To this day my memory is so vivid of arriving just before sunset and heading inside. We were maybe a touch late and Santigold was crushing her live version of Disparate Youth.
I was charmed and in love all at once. And even though it was not exceedingly warm in North Carolina that day, it felt like you had brought the Los Angeles sun with you.
February 12th 2017, Philadelphia.
I wanted to write this long before today. I wanted to see if I could tell exactly how the music made me feel and why I have a large red asterisk logo prominently tattooed on my left arm. But like many times I found myself distracted and procrastinating on something that I knew would be difficult, but in the end worthwhile. I actually wanted to write this and have it read by the Chili Peppers themselves, have them become so enthralled by my story that they would give us all backstage passes and we would hang out with some rock legends.
It was cold that morning but not overly so, and as I gathered my compatriots for the trip it was quite the eclectic group of twenty something's with one thirty something leading the charge into a musical experience.
We traveled together. Some of us drank, and some smoked, but we were there in a space as one, and in one of the the largest cities in America enjoying each others company. In a city that in many ways should be thought of as the beginnings of Freedom. And even though sometimes it seems like the world wants to implode for no good reason, if felt like WE wanted to be there for one another and couldn't think of a better place in the world to be.
It wasn't until then that it hit me just how lucky I was to live in a world that mostly allows (or will allow) all of our actions. To summon upon request a driver via a pocket computer. The terrible driving that then ensued that literally reminded me of this entire scene minus the hold up at the end.
To then relieve the stress of that trip by watching your favorite band and musical artists of all time perform with such energy and gusto that you knew everyone around you felt a similar fun and funky energy tempered at times with some real raw emotion.
I couldn't help but think of all the friends and contacts I've made over the years that have helped to shape who I am. How fortunate that most people that I've come into contact with by and large have been good towards me stay in my thoughts and those that were not seemed to be so far removed that I cannot remember who they might be.
I was sad for a little that my wife could not enjoy this past trip with me, and I know that it bummed her out. But as we took our car home, with a much more sane and efficient driver, I realized I could still feel the memory inside me and knowing that she was happy for me to go no matter what.
The same way you know any true friend or loved one would support you.
May 9th 2017
Tomorrow I'll be adding to my Chili Pepper journey as my wife and I go to Pittsburgh to see The Chili Peppers for our second time. We hope to explore Pittsburgh downtown a bit and see if any fun restaurants or shops are open. Perhaps some drinks with friends after the show.
The Getaway isn't exactly clear if this is the end or not. It gives certainly the idea of the end but to me there is always hope that perhaps they'll continue to create music. They have been at this for over 33 years. I know because my birthday happened to occur a few months before their first album was released. I find this fact so coincidentally odd that it's bizarre but I'm not exactly the superstitious type.
In the thirty three years they may not know it but they have inspired and helped millions. Helped them to feel good or to help them cope with feeling sad. Their music will be used countless times to frame scenes in other movies, films or writings.
I just wanted to say thank you.
