I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: July 7, 2018] Foo Fighters

I can recall living in Boston when the debut Foo Fighters album came out.  I had heard that it was pretty good and I bought it.  And I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Who would have guessed that the album that Grohl created to excise some demons, a small project in which he played every instrument would turn into a group that would become one of the largest bands on the planet.  This show was sold out at 25,000 people.  Which is a lot of humanity.

Despite this impressive success, Grohl himself seems to be remarkably down to earth and seems to never lose his sense of humor.  No one will ever forget the show that he broke his leg falling off a stage, went to the hospital, and came back to finish the show.  I wanted to see them when they came back to the U.S. on that tour–seeing Dave in his throne would have been super fun.  But it was not to be.

However, when they announced they were coming back again, I jumped at the chance to get tickets and scored some pretty decent seats.

I hadn’t really been to an arena show in a long time.  I can’t remember the last time a band that I’ve seen used the arena size to its capacity.  I’ve seen many a great light show, but except for Kiss, I suppose, there’s been very little in the way of excess.  And I never expected it from the Foo Fighters.

But by God if that’s not what this show was all about.

They played 20plus songs in over two and a half hours.  They played pretty much every hit I could think of.  They had extended jams, a drum solo, a covers section, a humorous interlude, and lots and lots of guitar solos.

At first I thought perhaps the stage set was understated.  The lighting was not over the top at all, and it was somewhat “contained.”  Although Grohl himself was not.  I have never been called a motherfucker so often and in such jovial terms.  They started with a rocking version of “All My Life” a great chugging way to start the show.  And things didn’t let up for quite a while.

They played a stellar version of “Learning to Fly” and then moved on to “The Pretender,” which they jammed out for a lot longer than on record.

It seemed a little excessive to me, like he was really taking full advantage of the stage and the time allotted.

A number of times he mentioned that he was glad to be back.  It wasn’t entirely clear to me that he knew where he was–I’ve certainly heard that musicians may not know where they are.  He never specified where he was, just things that could have been anywhere (I couldn’t walk last time I was here).  Then he finally mentioned that they had played Electric Factory and I knew he knew they were in Philly (or close enough).

Then he brought out four women to sing backing vocals on the new song “Sky is a Neighborhood.”  One of those women was actually a girl, Grohl’s 12 year old daughter Violet who sang along with the rest of them (and got a few moments on the big screen).  She must have been really hot in that sweater dress!  It was a sweet moment followed by a ripping “Rope” and then the most excessive thing I’ve seen in person, possibly ever.

Recalling the days when a drum solo was something to be enjoyed, not just endured, Taylor Hawkin’s drum set rose 20 feet in the air on a giant scaffolding.  Hawkins played a pretty lengthy drum solo (excessive) and then they launched into “Sunday Rain,” which Hawkins sang.  He has a really good voice, who knew?

Grohl asked if it was okay if they played something from every record (he has stage banter down at, that guy).  They didn’t play anything from Sonic Highways, however.  But that’s okay because they did play some so much.  Like “My Hero,” “These Days” and “Walk,”before slowing things down for what proved to be a nearly 20 minute pseudo-intermission as he introduced the band members.

Each player had a few minutes to shine.  First up was guitarist Chris Shiflett who did some soloing.  Grohl said it wasn’t good enough–this is no Electric Factory shit this is arena shit.  While Shiflett was soloing, Dave took a cigarette break on stage.  They played a great cover of Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels” with Shiflett singing lead and sounding spot on for that song.  Up next was bassist Nate Mendel.  He didn’t do anything especially fancy to be honest and even while having the spotlight all he managed was the rather simple bassline of “Another One Bites the Dust.”  Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun.  He was followed by keyboardist Rami Jaffe.  Jaffe played some cool trippy keyboard sounds (very unFoo Fighters).  Then Jaffe started playing the melody for John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Grohl rattled off some platitudes about love, peace and unity.  It would have been really interesting to hear this serious song done but Grohl and the rest of us.  But as he started singing the song, instead of singing “Imagine,” he sang the words to Van Halen’s “Jump” but to the “Imagine” melody.  It was genius (and hard to imagine how you could conflate the two songs without messing up one of them).

Pat Smear, who has the most infectious smile in music, was up next.  I was only sad that he was on the far side of the stage.  When he was introduced he started in with the Ramones’ “Blitzkreg Bop” and we all bopped along.

Then it was time for the introduction of Hawkins.  It’s clear how much Dave and Taylor enjoy each others company.  They had a lot of fun with the introduction and when Hawkins came down to sing lead vocals for “Under Pressure” it meant that Grohl got to get behind the kit to play drums for it.  The Struts’ singer came out and did a solid Freddie Mercury while Hawkins did a great David Bowie (he really can sing).

It was all excessive and rather silly but it also gave everyone a bit of  breather.  Some bands might have taken an intermission, but they decided to do this instead, and it was a lot of fun.

When the “intermission” was done, they were back with the real rocking.  A scorching “Monkey Wrench” was next.  I really wanted to hear Grohl scream out that middle section of this song–the part that I love and try to sing along with in one breath every time I hear it (even if I have no idea what he is saying).  Sadly he dis not do it like on the record, although he certainly did do it (and anyone who though that hos voice was shot (rumors earlier in the tour suggested that) were obviously mistaken).

They pulled things way down for a sort of B side, the song “Wheel” that is only on their greatest hits album (I’d never heard it before).

For “This is a Call” Grohl darkened the house and asked people to raise their lit-up phones brightening the Pavilion way more than you’d think.   It was kind of pretty in a weird way.  When they flipped the switch back for “Breakout” the stage lights were lowered to pin the band in, like it might have been a garage rock show from back in 1999.

This wasn’t the only lighting trickery they had up their sleeves.  The lighting, which up until now had been fine, suddenly seemed to grow more expansive.  The lights took up more of the stage, the whole things felt bigger and more expansive.

Then Grohl reminded us that they had a new album out and they were there to play some of that too, which led to “Dirty Water” and “Run” before ending the set with a spectacular “Best of You.”

They left the stage and then Dave and Taylor appeared from backstage on the screens asking if we wanted an encore.  Taylor held up two fingers and everyone cheered.  And when he held up three Dave “freaked out” on him.  But indeed they did play three encores for us.

The first was a request from a little rocker who Dave met backstage.  He asked the kid what he wanted to hear and he was surprised that the kid asked for a deep cut–which led to an acoustic version of “Big Me.”

I couldn’t think of what else they would play.  I felt like I had heard every Foo Fighters song I’d ever heard on the radio.  But Sarah knew there were two she was waiting for.  And up they came.  A lovely, “Times Like These” followed by an awesome “Everlong.”

It was a fantastic show.  A ton of entertainment, a ton of great music and Dave even made sure to come by our side of the crowd a few times.

Would I rather have heard something from Sonic Highways than an extended jam of “The Pretender” or goofy middle section?  Sure.  Was I unsatisfied?  Not in the least.

I even enjoyed Grohl’s amusing phrasing as he said his goodbyes.  “Thank you very much for coming out for the rock ‘n’ roll show,”

1. All My Life
2. Learn to Fly
3. The Pretender
4. The Sky Is a Neighborhood
5. Rope
6. Drum Solo
7. Sunday Rain
8. My Hero
9. These Days
10. Walk
11. Under My Wheels
12. Another One Bites the Dust / Jump / Blitzkrieg Bop
13. Under Pressure
14. Monkey Wrench
15. Wheels
16. This Is a Call
17. Breakout
18. Dirty Water
19. Run
20. Best of You
21. Encore:
22. Big Me
23. Times Like These
24. Everlong