On this week’s episode of After School Radio, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus spotlights some of alternative rock’s best drummers – and chats with Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers about when fans can expect new RHCP music and being present on Mark’s first date with his wife in 1999.
Chad Smith on being present at Mark’s first date with his wife…
Mark Hoppus: Did you know that you are an integral part of my wife and my history? The very first date that we ever went on was August 6th, 1999. And it was her birthday. And we were meeting up at the Powerhouse, which is this total dive bar across from Hollywood and Highland. And we were drinking at this dive bar called Powerhouse. And that was my wife and my first date. And we ended up getting married. So you’re a part of that history. Do you remember that at all?
Chad Smith: What, was I there?
Mark Hoppus: You were there. Yeah. You met us at this bar.
Chad Smith: Okay. I met you at this bar. Yeah, I used to go to that one. When I lived in Hollywood, I used to go to that and it is the divest of dives and had two pinball machines and a really good jukebox in the back and in the back you could smoke outside. And I did a lot of bad things in there for, I’m not, I’m going to go into and it’s one of those places where they, they just kind of look the other way, so to speak, you know? And that’s so great. That was your first, I didn’t know. It was your first.
Chad Smith on jam sessions with producer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt…
Well, Andrew is quite, he’s something as you know, he’s just amazing. So we do, we jam on all kinds of stuff, but also, any records that he’s doing, he needs a drummer. He just calls me up and says, “Come on over and play.” And it’s fun because he, that’s not my normal thing. He does some rock stuff, but he does a lot of pop stuff too. You know, I’m playing like Dua Lipa records. I’m like, “What’s this?” He’s like, “Oh, trust me, she’s really popular.” I’m like, “Okay.”