Busker Covers Red Hot Chili Peppers — and Doesn’t Realize Drummer Chad Smith Is Watching: ‘Completely Surreal’

Sometimes the smallest audiences can have the biggest impact — as was the case with busker Armand Davis.

In a viral TikTok video, Davis was seen drumming along to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1999 hit song “Otherside” on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade to an audience of one man. The camera zoomed in to reveal the man is none other than Chad Smith, drummer of the Peppers.

Joey McCarthy, the man who captured footage of the chance encounter, captioned the video, “imagine shooting hoops in front [of] Michael Jordan and not even realizing it?”

Smith was seen intently listening to Davis’ cover, tapping along to the beat and nodding his head. The TikTok has since been liked over seven million times, and commenters had a lot to say about the 63-year-old drummer.

“This is how you know Chad Smith is a real music lover,” one user wrote.

“I could watch Chad Smith watch drummers all day,” another user commented.

Davis caught wind of the video and posted a reply, confirming that he did not realize who was sitting in front of him.

“Yesterday, I played Otherside by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and halfway through, I noticed someone really vibing which isn’t unusual,” Davis wrote in his repost of the video. “But when I finished, a few people told me I’d just played for Chad Smith, the drummer of RHCP.”

“Hearing him say I sounded good on a track he’s known for? Completely surreal,” Davis continued. “I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!”

The fateful encounter comes a few months after the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony. In a pre-taped segment, the band played their 2002 By the Way cut “Can’t Stop” against the sunny Venice Beach backdrop.

The rock band, who has become synonymous with California, performed as a way to kick off hype for the 2028 Summer Olympics which will take place in Los Angeles.

The city’s mayor Karen Bass intends to make the city “car-free” for the massive athletic event despite Los Angeles being known for its traffic issues. “We’re a very car-dependent city but it means that if you are going to attend any of the sports venues, you’re going to have to take public transportation,” Bass said, noting that the city will be receiving 3,000 buses on loan to ensure the plan goes smoothly.