How Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl honored late drummer at explosive and joyful Phoenix concert
Dave Grohl was nearing the end of a clearly cathartic and ultimately life-affirming performance at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix when he took a moment to address the passing of his longtime friend and fellow drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who died in March of 2022 at the age of 50.
It’s become a bit of a tradition for Grohl to dedicate “Aurora” from 1999’s “There Is Nothing Left to Lose” to Hawkins.
As the bandleader explained, he's been performing that song every night since Foo Fighters returned to active duty in May with Josh Freese taking Hawkins’ place behind the kit.
It’s the first song Grohl and Hawkins ever wrote together.
“It always makes me think of him,” he told the crowd in Phoenix on Tuesday, Oct. 3. “I think of him all day long anyway, so we might as well play this one.”
And with that, he led his bandmates in a suitably vulnerable, haunting rendition of “Aurora,” the lyrics unavoidably recast in light of Hawkins’ death.
See the setlist: Every song Foo Fighters played at Phoenix concert
'Learning to walk again' is familiar ground for Dave Grohl
It would be disingenuous, in fact, to not view this first tour since Hawkins’ passing or the album that preceded it, “But Here We Are,” through the filter of that devastating loss — not to mention the loss of Grohl’s mother, Virginia, who died the same year.
Even older lyrics seemed to reference recent losses, from “learning to walk again” to “one of these days, your heart will stop and play its final beat,” a lyric Grohl let linger in one of the more pregnant pauses in a concert full of pregnant pauses, and, of course, “It's times like these you learn to live again.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grohl would find the strength to carry on.
It’s what he does.
That first Foo Fighters album was written and recorded in the aftermath of losing Kurt Cobain, whose death in 1994 meant the end of Nirvana.
In an interview with The Arizona Republic to discuss his memoir, Grohl explained how much it meant to him to find a way to dive back into music on his own terms after losing not only his friend but the band that had come to define them.
"This band Foo Fighters is more than just a band to me,” he said. “It's kind of this continuation of life that gave me something to look forward to again."
And here we are.
Kim Deal led the Breeders through a brilliant set of thornier material
Tuesday’s concert got off to a brilliant start with the Breeders reminding the crowd what the edgier factions of the Alternative Nation were up to in the days of “Cannonball,” “Divine Hammer” and “Saints” in a set that put the focus squarely on their breakthrough album, “Last Splash.”
Kim Deal, who founded the band with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses as an outlet for the creativity that rarely got the spotlights her talent so richly deserved in the Pixies, remains a captivating presence. If Kim Deal smiling doesn’t make you smile, I’m pretty sure it means you’re dead inside.
The crowd went nuts for “Cannonball,” the breakthrough single destined to remain their biggest hit, but other, less obvious highlights were just as engaging, from the shadowy menace of “Walking with a Killer” to the oddly soulful art-pop balladry of “Do You Love Me Now” to the honky-tonk detour they took on their set-closing cover of Ed’s Redeeming Qualities’ “Drivin’ on 9.”
There's no replacing Taylor Hawkins, but Josh Freese is a force
Grohl recorded the drum parts on “But Here We Are” himself, recruiting Freese when it came time to tour.
There’s no replacing Hawkins. He was more than an amazing drummer. His personality lit up the stage in ways that went beyond merely charismatic.
When Foo Fighters played Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park in February 2022, he set his sticks aside to come out from behind the kit and take a spin as front man on a crowd-pleasing, truly ridiculous romp through the Queen song "Somebody to Love."
It proved to be his final U.S. concert with the band.
I miss him, too.
He was an unadulterated joy to witness in his natural habitat, the stage.
But Freese is an exceptional musician.
And he rose to the occasion as Foo Fighters powered their way through an electrifying set that touched on any number of their most enduring staples, from “This is a Call” and “Monkey Wrench” to the set-closing triumph that was “Best of You.”
“Monkey Wrench” and “Breakout” were among the songs that felt like showcases for Freese’s drumming. And Grohl urged fans to give a warm welcoming hug and a lot of love “to the guy that made it possible for us to come out and play for you tonight.”
There's a reason Foo Fighters are the biggest post-Nirvana rock act
It felt great to see Foo Fighters back in the thick of it, mixing it up like nothing tragic ever happened.
There’s a reason they’ve managed to grow in the nearly three decades since they started from an outlet for Grohl as he struggled with losing Nirvana to perhaps the most successful rock 'n' roll survivors of the post-Nirvana era, complete with a just-announced stadium tour for 2024.
They’ve got the hooks. These are singalongs waiting to happen. The lyrics resonate. And one thing I have never seen them do is phone it in. They’re all in.
And that extends from Grohl to bassist Nate Mendel, former Germs guitarist Pat Smear, lead guitarist Chris Shiflett (who traded leads with Grohl on several crowd-pleasing occasions), keyboard player Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers and now, their newest member, Freese.
It doesn’t hurt that Grohl is such an entertaining frontman, a loveable goof who clearly loves his metal and a true believer in the healing properties of rock ‘n’ roll. That’s why it felt more like a festive Irish wake for Hawkins than a reason to be sad.
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Dave Grohl and his bandmates were having a blast in Phoenix
Grohl and his bandmates appeared to have a blast, from the time their fearless leader stormed the stage while stirring up a proper racket on guitar to the spirited covers of “Blitzkrieg Bop” and Devo’s “Whip It” that made the introduction of the band more entertaining than that portion of a concert tends to be.
Grohl took particular joy in having launched the encore doing “something I never imagined I would do,” playing a double-neck guitar.
“Yes, that’s right,” he added, with a grin. “We’ll talk to my chiropractor tomorrow, but God damn, that was fun.”
By the time they brought encore to a close with “Everlong,” they’d been on stage for two and a half hours without wearing out their welcome.
Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow him on X @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl honored Taylor Hawkins at Phoenix concert
