In 2001, Flea founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, and every year he hosts a fundraiser to benefit his music education and community outreach center. This year, he's auctioning off courtside tickets to see his beloved Lakers play the San Antonio Spurs, but there's just one stipulation: he's going with the winner.
βWell, you know, probably the most outlandish and luxurious thing that Iβve ever bought for myself in my life are these Lakers courtside tickets,β the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist explained to Rolling Stone during a recent interview. βAnd for me itβs honestly like going to church, you know. I just see basketball as one of the most profoundly transcendent aspects of the culture in our country. β¦ I imagine itβs kind of like going to the ballet for people that really love ballet or something."
"I just love hoops. And Iβve been a hardcore Laker fan since I was a little boy," he continued. "So when I go to a basketball game, itβs serious business. β¦ But let it be known that Iβm so f**kinβ serious about it when we decided that I should auction off a game, Iβm like, βIβm not going to not go,β so they gotta go with me. Iβm not missing LeBron James. No f**king way. Iβm not gonna miss, like, him dishing to Lance Stephenson on the wing. I mean, come on.β
Aside from the basketball game with Flea, the fundraiser's art auction will include pieces by Damien Hirst, Shepard Fairey, Ed Ruscha, Raymond Pettibon, Cecily Brown, Kenny Scharf and more. The Silverlake Conservatory of Music fundraiser is happening on September 29 and will be hosted by comedian Marc Maron. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, K.D. Lang and Lindsay Buckingham are all set to perform.
Get more info about the event and the conservatory here.
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