Foo Fighters close out Bonnaroo with new drummer, raw set

A week before the Foo Fighters took the What Stage at Bonnaroo to close out the festival, the band posted a thank you message to its fans on Instagram, signed by frontman Dave Grohl:

"Every night, when I see you singing, it makes me sing harder. When I see you screaming, it makes me scream louder. When I see your tears, it brings me to tears. And when I see your joy, it brings me joy. But, I see you ... and it feels good to see you, churning up these emotions together."

A year ago, such an emotional, raw set from Foo Fighters at Bonnaroo seemed unimaginable.

The band entered an unexpected hiatus in March 2022 after beloved drummer Taylor Hawkins died ahead of a gig in Bogotá, Colombia. Hawkins' death left the band without a bedrock drummer to one of rock music's most reliable acts — the most recognizable and arguably influential member behind frontman Dave Grohl. A Foo Fighters show without body-bending drum fills sending Hawkins' sweat-soaked blonde hair into a lightning-like flurry? A three-hour gig without his off-the-cuff banter or the occasional Queen cover? Last year, it seemed impossible.

But, eventually, the band played on. And it played on with fervor at 9:33 p.m. Sunday as the skies threatened to open up with rain. But the weather held off and Grohl came out of the gate screaming through the staccato machine gun rhythm of "All My Life."

"All night long I dream of the day/When it comes around and it's taken away/Leaves me with the feeling that I feel the most/Feel it come to life when I see your ghost."

As the song, which conjures early Metallica, churned on, the band ripped through an "Enter Sandman" tease before pausing for what would be Grohl's many opportunities to address the crowd.

"It's gonna be a long night, mother (expletive)!" Grohl screamed into his mic.

The Foo Fighters tore from one absolutely ferocious song to the next, spanning through early classics to songs from the well-received new album "But Here We Are." Grohl repeatedly promised to play until the band got kicked out. Meanwhile, new drummer Josh Freese, a veteran whose credits include Devo and Nine Inch Nails, drove the rhythm with loud, confident beats that echoed through the field and cemented his place among his new band.

The energy with which the band commanded the stage showed exactly why the Foo Fighters remain absolute kings of rock after nearly 30 years.

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Special guests included Hayley Williams from Paramore, who sang with the band through a touching version of "My Hero." Grohl's own daughter, Violet Grohl, harmonized with her dad through "Shame Shame" and "Show Me How." The band then played an atmospheric take on "Aurora," which they dedicated to Hawkins. It was his favorite song, Grohl said.

After a nearly two-hour set of defiant rock anthems, the show ended with "Everlong." But even though the placement was predictable, the Foo Fighters still feel undeniably real. There were times when Grohl seemed like he might go off the rails, moments in which his band's steady playing and sure rhythm reeled him back in. But it's Grohl's growling, unpredictable caged tiger spirit that keeps this band a thrilling experience and anything but a nostalgia act.

Tennessean reporter Matthew Leimkuehler contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bonnaroo 2023: Foo Fighters bring new drummer for raw thrilling set