Athena to open for Red Hot Chili Peppers gig

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

U.S. alternative rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform live at Santralistanbul on Sept. 8. This will be the band’s first visit to Istanbul, and comes as part of its world tour, which includes a total of 60 cities.

The Turkish punk and ska band Athena will open the concert, warming up the audience before the main act. Polls show the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the foreign band that Turkish audiences most want to see perform in Turkey. Formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, the band holds seven Grammys and is known as one of the most successful rock bands in history. The band’s many hits include “Californication,” “Otherside,” “Scar Tissue,” and “Under the Bridge.”

Athena’s founding members are two brothers, and the band has performed as headliners at such festivals as H2000 and Rock’n Coke. The band ranked fourth in the 2004 Eurovision song contest with their song “For Real.” They have acquired a considerable audience abroad, especially through their concerts in Germany. Their latest album, “Pis,” was released in 2010. Tickets for the concert are available at Biletix. Tickets in the first three categories are already sold out.