Triumph for the Foo Fighters one year after tragedy

Photo Credits: Henry Shifrin

When Taylor Hawkins tragically passed in 2022, the Foo Fighters were left in the lurch after losing such an integral member of their band on multiple levels. After months of deliberation and some heartfelt tribute concerts, Dave Grohl and company announced that the Foo Fighters would continue to tour and write new material. To replace Hawkins, renowned session musician Josh Freese was recruited as the band’s new official drummer, with that night’s headlining show being his second live show as an official member.

As soon as their shadowy visages appeared on stage, the decibel levels immediately shot up before the stage lights came on and they started the set with “Rescued,” the lead single from their upcoming album, But Here We Are. Freese felt right at home with the rest of the band, his technical prowess allowing him to slot right in. His muscle tank top read “Fingers Crossed for the New Guy,” as a self-deprecating way to disarm the audience and express understanding about the size of the hole he is tasked with filling.

One of the magical things about listening to the Foo Fighters is that they’ve found the perfect formula to combine their disparate influences into their own alternative style that has universal appeal. “Son of Mine” is a hard rocker that channels the first wave of British heavy metal, including a nod to Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” snuck into the bridge. The crowd-pleasing power ballad “Learn to Fly” centers an anthemic chorus around quieter, grungy guitar licks that bring the audience back to Dave’s days in Nirvana.

Because of the tragedy’s recency, many of the band’s songs carried different weight, such as “Times Like These.” Dave offered a statement about how, with each passing year, the song takes on a new meaning. He then started the song by himself, as if giving space for everyone to remember Taylor and acknowledge the sorrow without needing to directly say anything just yet. This opening softness also ensured that the remainder of the song hit even harder once the full band joined in. The band also performed another single off their upcoming album, “Under You,” which served as an affirmation for the band to continue knowing that Taylor will always be with them in spirit.

Before the concert started, we encountered many diehard Foo Fighters fans who happily recounted all the times they had seen the band live. This dedication was apparent during their big hits such as “The Pretender,” where the audience recreated the “Who are you?” chant of the song a capella. The dedicated fans also got a treat with “Breakout,” a hard rocking track that Dave dedicated to the fans who had been with them since the ‘90s. That’s not to say that newer or more casual fans were left out. As he did with “Times Like These,” Dave started playing their hit “My Hero” by himself, this time slower than the studio version. The tempo and crowd energy picked right back up when the full band joined back in

The two hour set brought about many heartwarming surprises. Throughout the show, Dave emphasized the importance of family, referring to the band and audience as family at different points. However, during their set, they took moments to make that family emphasis more literal. Dave’s daughter, Violet Grohl, appeared on stage to perform vocal harmonies with her father for “Shame Shame” and “Rope.” The rest of the band then briefly vacated the stage, leading into the emotional climax of the night. Dave performed “Cold Day in the Sun,” a song originally written and sung by Taylor Hawkins, and dedicated it to Taylor and his family. On the previous tour date, Dave was unable to finish the song before breaking into tears, but this time he was able to complete the song in full. In another touching tribute to Taylor’s family, Dave invited Taylor’s son, Shane Hawkins, to play the drums on the fast and thrashing “I’ll Stick Around,” introducing Shane as “One of my favorite drummers in the world.”

As the night reached its conclusion, the band closed their set with some more tributes and fan-favorites. “Best of You” was another hugely popular single that got everyone in the crowd singing along. Two additional tributes for Taylor Hawkins and his family came in the form of punk-inspired “Monkey Wrench” and the slower and calmer “Aurora,” the latter of which was Taylor’s favorite Foo Fighters song according to Dave. The set concluded with their most popular song, “Everlong,” where Dave emphasized the family themes between the band and their fans. He reminded them that this was not a goodbye, but an “until next time.” The Foo Fighters are still in the process of healing from the trauma of Taylor’s death and his presence will always be missed, but with their headlighting set, they proved how strong their connections are within the band itself and with its fans. With more performances as strong as this one, they will continue to proudly honor Taylor’s legacy.