What's the quickest way to get a Columbus, Ohio, fan base to turn on you?
That's easy. Sing the University of Michigan fight song.
Chad Smith, longtime Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer and childhood resident of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., did just that recently.
He sang "Hail to the Victors," the Michigan fight song, to close the Chili Peppers' June 4 show at Value City Arena, in the shadows of Ohio State University.
The slow-rolling drummer first fired up the audience by stalking the stage, bouncing his drumsticks, then flinging them into the crowd.
Finally, in a twist worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan film, Smith grabbed the microphone and, in somewhat of a mocking tone, began to sing the polarizing tune.
Smith has made it clear that he sits on the Michigan side of the fence when it comes to that heated rivalry. Just last week, during a concert a Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, he was joined on stage by recently retired Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.
