The Red Hot Chili Peppers covered David Bowie's 1972 track "Starman" during their performance at a Bernie Sanders' benefit concert at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Peppers band felt the Bern with a catalog-spanning setlist, and a few more nods to Bowie. Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Josh Klinghoffer and Chad Smith couldn't pass up the opportunity to remember the late icon with their take on "Cracked Actor" from Bowie's Aladdin Sane.
Aside from a musical tribute, Flea pulled off a tribute of his own with a tattoo of the "Space Oddity" singer's name in boldface on his arm, along with the signature lightning bolt. Smith also decorated his drum kit with a picture of an Aladdin Sane-Bernie Sanders mashup.
The 12-song gig pulled out Chili Peppers hits from their entire career, including "Factory of Fear" off of their latest 2011 LP, I'm With You and a cut from their 1984 self-titled album, "Police Helicopter."
Ahead of the Vermont Democrat's fundraiser, Smith and Flea both expressed their opinions on the election. "I'm for Bernie Sanders all the way," Flea penned in an op-ed for Rolling Stone. "I believe in him; I believe in what he says. I relate to people who realize that we're all connected, and who realize that we have to look out for each other and love each other. And that's what Bernie's about."
The Chili Peppers offered to pick up the $30,000 tab to hold the benefit at the Ace Hotel, but the Sanders campaign wouldn't hear of it. "We said, 'Oh, we'll pay for the cost of the venue rental.' And [Sanders] wouldn't accept it," Flea added. "He said, 'We can't accept you guys; you're a group -- you're incorporated -- so I can't accept that money.' He can accept the ticket cost because each one is a small donation, but the 30 grand? 'No, I don't accept money like that.'"
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