From the opening whisper of “Times Like These” to the roaring crowd during his first stomp and sprint stage right and back to center stage again, Dave Grohl—alongside the likes of Bowie, Jagger, Tyler and Mercury—has cemented his place as one of the great frontmen of rock and roll, of not just modern day, but any day.
By Bryan Ahearn
Simply astonishing.
235 songs.
Some 235 Foo Fighter songs were eligible for their Lollapalooza setlist Sunday night, that Grohl with a magician’s stroke (somehow…) whittled down to a 20-song, two hour playlist during a hot August night in Chicago, Illinois (USA).
Note that “USA” is defined parentheses, as this concert was in large part viewable beyond US borders, thanks to a joint SiriusXM Radio/Hulu live broadcast.
And without a doubt, this could very well be the performance that sells out every one of the remaining Foo Fighters tour dates.
Without abandon, without limits and absolutely without remorse, Foo Fighters would groove, shuck and jive—the way it feels to be alive—through a potent setlist ranging from the new school (“Shame Shame”) to the old school (“Breakout”).
At times out of breath, but never out of heart (after all, isn’t that what exhilarating, live, living-breathing music is all about??), Dave Grohl led the Foo Fighters on aggressive march through anything and everything you’ve likely heard on rock radio the last 26(!) years.
Yes, 235 songs were eligible for this show—as proclaimed by Grohl himself in front of an estimated crowd in the 100’s of thousands—that saw a music-pedigreed setlist that spanned generations (even touching the disco-era Bee Gee’s cover “You Should Be Dancing”).
Author’s note: It is my 10-year-old son’s goal to one day, be able to hug Dave Grohl. And from the spin dance thing he pulled off in our living room during a song almost 50 years his senior, he every bit deserves it.
The timeline love fest continued, with Taylor Hawkins (the drummer, mind you), aptly handling vocals for a cover of Queen’s “Somebody To Love.”
Mercury-esque caliber cover? Damn right.
But for all their covers, Foo Fighters never forgot where they came from—and where they are going, first tearing through their 1995 debut hit, “This Is A Call,” and then with a song led by Grohl’s daughter, Violet (a cover of “Nausea” by L.A.-based band X), the future of rock in the Grohl household sounds out-of-this-world good, with Violet’s punchy vocals harkening to a young Joan Jett.
Not bad. In fact, great.
“You see that? That’s the next generation of rock n’ roll,” Grohl concluded after Ophelia’s inspiring lead performance, before howling his way into “Best of You.”
On a night when not just rock n’ roll, but all of music, needed it’s biggest hitter to step up to the plate—in the shadows of the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the Foo Fighters delivered a game winner, calling their shot and knocking it out the park with a concert heard around the world.
In times like these, Foo Fighters aren’t just living again, but they are taking us right along with them.
Grade: 10/10
Set List
Times Like These
The Pretender
Learn To Fly
No Son of Mine
Sky Is a Neighborhood
Shame, Shame
Breakout
My Hero
These Days
Walk
You Should Be Dancing
Somebody to Love
All My Life
This is a Call
Nausea
Best Of You
Monkey Wrench
Everlong
MavStar 