Red Hot Chili Peppers: Unlimited Love Tour

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Unlimited Love Tour

Few rock groups of the 1980s broke down as many musical barriers and were as original as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who evolved from fun-loving party boys to alt-rock elder statesmen over the decades. Perfecting a rousing musical style that combined funk and punk rock (with an explosive stage show to boot), the Chili Peppers spawned a slew of imitators in their wake, but still managed to be the leaders of the pack into the 21st century. Making noise on the Los Angeles scene with early albums such as 1985’s Freaky Styley and 1989’s Mother’s Milk, they made a huge breakthrough with 1991’s landmark Blood Sugar Sex Magik, a multi-platinum smash hit that spawned some of their most recognized songs, including “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge.”

That album’s success was bested in 1999 with another catalog peak, the chart-topping Californication, which found the band in a more reflective and melodic state. Into the 2000s, they remained fixtures at the top of the international charts with By the Way and the double-album Stadium Arcadium, the latter of which hit number one in almost two dozen countries. While the 2010s were quieter for the group, they still scored platinum hits with “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” from 2011’s I’m with You and “Dark Necessities” from 2016’s The Getaway. In 2022, the Chili Peppers returned with a pair of full-lengths, Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen.

About Ice Cube

Ice Cube is one of the most crucial artists in rap history. A razor-sharp lyricist, alternately furious and humorous MC, and accomplished producer, Cube laid the foundation for the legacy of pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A by writing “Boyz-N-the-Hood” for partner Eazy-E and making his first big splash as an MC with the subsequent “Dope Man.” After N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton (1988) infiltrated suburban America and attracted the scrutiny of the FBI with “Fuck tha Police,” Ice Cube launched a solo career that has entailed five platinum albums and one platinum EP, including AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992).

A month before Cube released the first LP in that series, he appeared on Public Enemy’s critical “Burn Hollywood Burn” and within a year aided in the disruption of the track’s target with a co-starring role in John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood. While Cube added to his filmography with projects such as the Friday franchise, directorial debut The Players Club, and Barbershop, he devoted less time to music. He continued to record occasionally as a solo artist and member of Westside Connection, and extended a streak of RIAA-certified releases that lasted through Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006). The next decade, Cube and Dr. Dre co-produced the acclaimed Straight Outta Compton (2015), a biographical film about N.W.A, whose resurgence culminated with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cube soon returned with his first solo album in eight years, Everythangs Corrupt (2018).

About Irontom

California’s Irontom are an exuberant indie rock outfit with a sound that combines arty post-punk and prog influences with psychedelic flourishes and funk-rock grooves. Formed in Malibu in 2012, Irontom features lead singer Harry Hayes, guitarist Zach Irons, keyboardist Daniel Saslow, bassist Dane Sandborg, and drummer Dylan Williams. Both Hayes and Irons (son of former Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons) grew up together and played music for years before connecting with Salow, Sandborg and Irons’ cousin Williams. Drawing upon an eclectic array of influences from Talking Heads to Led Zeppelin, Irontom developed a following, playing high-energy shows around Los Angeles. They initially released two EPs — 2012’s The Loose and 2013’s The Nitro — both produced by Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Eleven, Them Crooked Vultures).