The band transcended all their eras and proved why they may be the best band of their generation
Last night in New Jersey, Foo Fighters figured out away to time travel using a tour bus instead of a DeLorean. Over the last 20 years or so, the band has peaked. They sell out arenas and stadiums all over, and headlining the biggest festivals around the globe. But with all their success, Dave Grohl and company have seemingly not forgotten where they started, and how fun a rock show can be no matter what size the venue is. Lately, they’ve been going back to basics and squeezing their monstrous stadium show into tiny clubs, giving fans a throwback experience that hasn’t been a thing for the band since the mid-90s.
Starting in the early afternoon, fans began to lineup to get a good spot in the pit and first crack at the merch booth. Foo Fighters went all out, with exclusive show shirts, limited edition vinyl copies of their new album, plus a coveted poster by renowned artist Jermaine Rogers. The line began to stretch around the building, and eventually wrapped around the entire parking lot.
The energy in the room was more palpable than expected. The room was packed to the absolute brim with a sold-out crowd gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime night with one of music’s biggest artists. Right on time, Foo Fighters strolled onto the stage, and launched into their punk rock rarity “Winnebago.” That sure as hell set the tone, and before fans knew it, the chugging intro to “All My Life” was blasting through the amps.
Early in the set, frontman Dave Grohl acknowledged what each fan went through to be in attendance.
“I feel so grateful and so appreciative – we all do – that you motherfuckers stood in line to get these fuckin’ tickets and shit,” Dave said. “I know it must be pain in the ass, but we’re gonna fuckin’ make it worth it for you tonight. We will. I promise.”
Then, he joked about the effort that the band would put forth based on the reduced ticket price.
“Thirty bucks? What was it, thirty bucks? About thirty dollars? We’re gonna give you thirty dollars-worth tonight. Every penny. Thirty dollars is like a family dinner at McDonald’s these days, I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s just the ‘dad rock’ in me.”
Dave was clearly joking, as the band went on to rip through their usual full-throttle rock ‘n’ roll show, giving fans about $300-worth of music for a their $30 tickets.
Throughout the rest of the show, Foo Fighters accomplish the extremely difficult task of showcasing their multi-platinum discography while pushing a new record. They pulled most of their biggest hits from ten of their studio efforts, and premiered four new songs from their latest effort Your Favorite Toy, which is just a few days old. Some major highlights included “Times Like These,” “Caught in the Echo,” “Stacked Actors,” The Pretender,” “Learn to Fly,” “These Days,” “Best of You,” and “Aurora,” which was dedicated to late drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Another fun moment during the show was when Dave spoke about a special guest in attendance – David Uosikkinen. David was new Foo Fighters drummer Ilan Rubin’s first drum teacher. Ilan introduced Dave Grohl to David Uosikkinen backstage before the show. David happens to be somewhat local, hailing from Pennsylvania and playing in acclaimed Philadelphia-area rock band The Hooters.
“Let me tell you something – I fuckin’ love The Hooters,” Dave Grohl said as he was telling the story. “When I saw The Hooters video, the drummer, David – my new friend – had a yellow drum set. And so, I saw that on MTV and I went straight out and bought a yellow drum set, because I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. And that was my drum set that I had for a long time, and that was my first drum set when I joined Nirvana, and that’s the drum set that we used to record Nevermind and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ So, everybody thank David for the yellow drum set!”
He added, “It’s a nice drum set, but then Kurt [Cobain] destroyed it on tour.”
After an incredible rendition of “Best of You,” the band returned to the stage for a three-song encore that ended with their staple “Everlong.” The night wasn’t just about curating an intimate experience for the fans, but also proving something to them – and themselves. It was proof that Foo Fighters haven’t forgotten who they are, or how far they’ve come, and that’s something to be treasured nowadays.
Check out the full setlist below.
Foo Fighters released their 12th album Your Favorite Toy on April 24 via Roswell Records/RCA. The group previously released three singles – “Of All People,” “Caught in the Echo,” and the title track. Recorded at home, the album was co-produced by Foo Fighters and Oliver Roman, engineered by Oliver Roman and mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent.
Dave Grohl says, “‘Your Favorite Toy’ really was the key that unlocked the tone and energetic direction of the new album. We stumbled upon it after experimenting with different sounds and dynamics for over a year, and the day it took shape I knew that we had to follow its lead. It was the fuse to the powder keg of songs we wound up recording for this record. It feels new.”
Later this year, the band’s massive Take Cover World Tour kicks off June 10 at Unity Arena in Oslo, Norway. It includes U.S. festival headlining appearances at Welcome to Rockville (Florida), Bottlerock (California), and Bourbon & Beyond (Kentucky). Then, Foo Fighters are bringing their co-headlining experience with Queens of the Stone Age to stadiums in North America. The run will make stops in Las Vegas, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Edmonton, Vancouver, and more. Very special guests for the trek will be Mannequin Pussy and Gouge Away on select dates.
For this new album cycle and tour, Foo Fighters tapped former Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin, who had been with NIN since 2009. Subsequently (and ironically), Josh Freese rejoined Nine Inch Nails on the fly for their current North American leg of their Peel It Back World Tour that launched back on August 6 in Oakland, California. Freese had previously been a member of NIN, touring with the group from 2005 to 2008. During that stretch, he recorded drums on the band’s albums Year Zero (2007) and The Slip (2008).
This fall, Foo Fighters are returning to Australia and New Zealand for another run of shows. The tour dates begin in November and run through January of 2027. When wrapping up the first leg just a few weeks ago, frontman Dave Grohl told fans that they would be back sooner than expected, most likely with a new album to showcase.
