Chad Smith is a busy guy. He’s a dad. He’s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the legendary rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He’s an advocate. He’s an artist.
Heading to Naples, Florida for a pop-up of his original mixed media artwork, February 6, through February 9, the iconic drummer is using his sticks to create a different type of art. Just like his drumming, his artwork possesses motion, vibrancy and is full of life. Flush with color and vigor, Smith’s fine art elevates the viewer to a euphoric state.
Smith said the artwork is a natural progression to his need for creative outlet. Mark it off as another remarkable experience – Smith is not one to just sit around and rest on his laurels.
“This company Scene Four, approached me and said, ‘what if we get you in this dark room, and you’re drumming, and you have these fluorescent light up sticks,’” Smith, 58, said, calling while stopped on the side of the road in Los Angeles en route to a Red Hot Chili Peppers’ rehearsal. “I was improvising and they played with shutter speeds, and then in post-production is when you can really manipulate the images and the different colors and put it on different canvases and fixtures.”
Smith’s current collaboration is with Road Show Company and the pieces can be described as “hand-embellished work crafted from rhythm.”
“I embellished with paint, chalk, whatever I was feeling at the moment,” Smith said. “It’s a way to challenge yourself and grow as an artist. I like the medium, and the people, and it was inspiring and cool.
“I wanted to convey the power of drumming. When I play rock music, it’s a powerful thing and the fluidity and the energy of it and to have that transfer onto a flat surface is challenging. I wanted it to have a lot of energy and brightness, power to it.
The Detroit-raised musician noted his Midwestern roots or his “blue-collar work ethic” as he calls it, for the fierce desire to challenge himself as an artist. The six-time Grammy winner admired his father, who worked for Ford Motor Company and felt lucky to grow up in a city rich in musical talent.
“I just love music so much,” Smith said, his enthusiasm coming through the cell phone. “Even more then when I first started playing all those years ago….certainly right when I got out of high school I started playing professionally and I got my 10,000 hours in, you know playing clubs, six nights a week, sometimes three sets a night. I’m really happy I had that, and I didn’t know it at the time, but I was so happy to do it and I love what I do. It was great to be in Michigan and have that opportunity.”
Smith continued that he felt like that part of the country were “real.” They let you know if you were good, and they let you know if you weren’t, he said.
“People work hard and they want to play hard,” he said.
Besides his art exhibition, Smith recently wrapped up working with another legend, Ozzy Osborne, on the Prince of Darkness’ newest studio album, Ordinary Man (out February 21 via Epic Records). Smith co-wrote and plays drums on all 11-tracks.
“It was incredible,” Smith said. “What a treat to be able to work with him. He wasn’t feeling so great, about a year ago he had a tough fall…he came into the studio to sing a Post Malone song, and I played drums on it. My friend Andrew Watt was working on it, and it was a great time. We were pinching ourselves. His daughter Kelly was with him, and she was really emotional and she said, ‘I haven’t seen my dad that happy in six months.’”
That moment became the turning point to create more songs, more opportunities.
“It was such a treat, such an honor,” Smith said. “People are digging it (the new album) and that makes me happy for him.”
Besides Smith, Elton John, bassist Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) and a slew of other greats lend their talents to Ordinary Man. Watt, who garnered a Grammy in 2019 for producing Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy album, previously collaborated Smith on Ghost In My Head (2015).
“Everyone wanted to be a part of it because it’s Ozzy, you know,” he said. “Everyone respects and loves Ozzy.”
Smith’s work hasn’t stopped there. In an almost dizzying resume, in recent years he’s performed on The Lego Batman Movie soundtrack, Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell, Halsey’s Manic and HBO’s His Dark Materials. He’s rattling off a number of projects happening later that day (after his meet-up with the other Red Hot Chili Peppers) with a who’s who of the music industry (Dale Jones from The Stones, Wayne Kramer from MC5 and so on) and it’s easy to wonder when this guy sleeps.
“I had worked with the composer Lorne Balfe,” Smith said. “We just hooked up and whenever he needs thunderous drumming, I show up and bang my brains out and hopefully it works out. I’ll play with anybody, any time.”
In 2014 Smith received a presidential appointment by President Obama as a Turnaround Artist for public schools due to his work as a passionate advocate for music and arts education. How does the father of six keep his life balanced?
“I have a very, very supportive wife,” he said, his gushing and excitement again travels through the phone line. “Her husband is a working musician and I do have to turn things down because my family is really important to me and the kids are young and they need their dad around as much as possible.”
One of the reasons for the art exhibits happening on the weekends, he said, is so he can be around to help get the kids ready for school.
“It’s a good busy,” he said.
Something else he’s getting ready to work on – more Red Hot Chili Peppers music and embracing the return of guitarist Johnny Frusciante.
“We’re jamming today,” he said. “I’m excited, we’re all really excited. We’re writing a bunch of songs and make a new record this year and that’s the plan. It’s going to be fun.”
The Art of Chad Smith opens at the Mercato in Naples beginning Thursday February 6, 2020, and extends through Sunday, February 9, 2020. Smith will make two live, in-person, meet-the-artist appearances at the Naples gallery: Saturday, February 8, from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., and Sunday, February 9, from noon – 3 p.m. WWW.ROADSHOWCOMPANY.COM
