Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay Pay Tribute to Beastie Boys’ Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch

2012-05-07

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Story by Anne Erickson

Rockers Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers remember late Beastie Boy at weekend shows

Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of hip-hop trio Beastie Boys, passed away Friday (May 4), and support is pouring out to Yauch’s family and friends from the music community. During a Friday night concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Coldplay offered up their musical tribute to Yauch, who passed away of cancer at the age of 47. Lead singer Chris Martin sang a piano version of the Beastie Boys’ seminal chart-topper, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party),” inserting the extra line, “And so we’re sending all our love to the Beastie Boys” at the end of the song. As different as Coldplay and Beastie Boys sound, Martin surprisingly made the Beastie classic play like a Coldplay track.

For the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yauch’s death carries a special meaning, since the Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month along with the Beastie Boys. The Peppers paid tribute to their late buddy at their Friday concert in Newark, N.J. Billboard reported that Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis entered the stage wearing an “MCA” tee and stated to the crowd, “We lost a good man today. He left the world a lot of beauty. I hope you carry that flame. Adam was for real.”

During their concert, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played instrumental versions of two classic Beastie Boys tracks: 1992’s “Gratitude” and “What’cha Want,” both from 1992’s “Check Your Head.” After the Peppers left the stage following the show, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right” started blasting out from the PA system, and the crowd chanted along.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She is an award-winning writer and has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne regarding Audio Ink Radio at anne@audioinkradio.com.