Photo: WireImage
Red Hot Chili Peppers played "Eddie" live for the first time during their set at Austin City Limits. The Eddie Van Halen tribute was released last month and will be featured on the band's upcoming album Return of the Dream Canteen.
“Sometimes we don’t realize how deeply affected and connected we are to artists until the day they die,” Anthony Kiedis said in a statement about the track. “Eddie Van Halen was a one-of-a-kind. The day after his death Flea came into rehearsal with an emotional bass line. John, Chad, and I started playing along and pretty soon with all our hearts, a song in his honor effortlessly unfolded. It felt good to be sad and care so much about a person who had given so much to our lives. Although the song doesn’t speak to Eddie by name, it talks about his early days on the Sunset Strip and the rock ‘n’ roll tapestry that Van Halen painted on our minds. In the end, our song asks that you not remember Eddie for dying but for living his wildest dream.”
"Eddie" follows the album's lead single "Tippa My Tongue," which came out in August. Return of the Dream Canteen is slated for an October 14 release. Watch RHCP live-debut "Eddie" below.