Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jay Rock Jam at a California Playground Opening

I wanna feel like I did that day

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Aug 17, 2023

It's been established that Red Hot Chili Peppers are for the children, and the band recently teamed with Jay Rock to deliver a formative, undeniably funky performance to kids in their hometown of Los Angeles. 

Footage has emerged of RHCP and the Top Dawg Entertainment vet getting together Wednesday (August 16) to play at Nickerson Gardens, a public housing complex in L.A.'s Watts neighbourhood.

Having wrapped their 2023 tour behind last year's Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen, the Chilis and Jay Rock were reportedly on hand to celebrate the grand opening of a new park and playground in the community.

A tight half-hour set saw the four-piece perform hits like "Can't Stop," "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away," all of which were bookended by a couple of live jams. As you'll see in the footage below, they hardly phoned it in.

The best moment of the set comes around the 19-minute mark, where Anthony Kiedis, performing in a medical walking boot, invites a group of kids onstage to bust some freaky, styley dance moves.

Everyone then proceeds to feel the funk and lose their minds. Imagine being eight years old and having your entire spirit shaken up by Flea's wall of bass cabs feet away from where you're standing. I imagine the joy expressed isn't far off from how Exclaim! Editor-in-Chief/resident RHCP aficionado Alex Hudson felt when he pressed play on Blood Sugar Sex Magik for the first time.

Kiedis then passes the mic to Jay Rock, a Watts native, ahead of the band backing him up for "WIN" from his 2018 album Redemption. The song's triumphant horn loop is brought to life expertly by guitarist John Frusciante in a bit of playing that is far from childlike.

You can watch the surprise set below; if one thing is certain, everyone in attendance will want to feel like they did this day.



Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Nickerson Gardens Playground:

1. Intro Jam
2. Can't Stop
3. Snow (Hey Oh)
4. Under the Bridge
5. Californication
6. Give It Away
7. Outro Jam (feat. Jay Rock)

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