Red Hot Chili Peppers Rock the Stage at 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony

The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, California. With hits like “Under the Bridge” and “Californication,” the alt-rock legends have delighted audiences for four decades. Anthony Kiedis, Flea and company took the stage Sunday (Aug. 11) in Paris, France, as the sun set on the 2024 Summer Olympics. Now, the torch passes to Los Angeles, California, for the 2028 Summer Games. And who is more quintessentially California than the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

Red Hot Chili Peppers Perform in Paris

The 2024 Summer Olympics gave viewers plenty of athleticism, sportsmanship and drama. Now, we must wait an excruciating four more years before the torch is again ablaze, this time in the City of Angels.

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The Pacific Ocean sparkled in the background as Anthony Kiedis belted “Can’t Stop.” And of course, Flea was up to his usual tricks.

It was the perfect California welcome. As one Instagram user wrote, “There is no band more emblematic of LA than the Chili Peppers. Perfect way to pass the baton.”

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“L.A. always sends people home feeling like, ‘I want to go back there,’” said frontman Anthony Kiedis in a video posted to Instagram. “You might just stay here. You might not take anything home, because this might be your new home.

The GRAMMY winners dropped their self-titled debut album in 1984. The same year, the 1984 Summer Olympics also arrived in town.

“I love that people come here to try their hand at life,” Kiedis said. “L.A., it still has a spirit. There’s still a reason why the world is fascinated by everything L.A.”

‘Californication’ Sees Chart Resurgence 25 Years later

In June 1999, the world heard Californication for the first time. With songs like the title track and “Scar Tissue,” the record still ranks among the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best-selling albums. And last week, Californication found itself back on the charts a quarter of a century after its release.

According to Forbes, the set is back on the the 200, Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Rock & Alternative Albums rankings all at the same time.

Featured image by Adam Bettcher Photography/Shutterstock