Foo Fighters “Everlong”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It’s rare that a truly great band emerges out of the ashes of a legendary group, but Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have now been around longer than twice the tenure of Nirvana and they’ve produced some of the more  propulsive, accessible and radio friendly rock of the past decade. This show was electric from the opening as the group pounded away at virtually every highlight of their canon, firing up bristling renditions of “Let it Die” and “Times Like These” early on and following them with the powerful recent hit “The Pretender” as a chaser. They then settled into an inspired groove, piledriving the hits home. The great thing about the Foos is that they marry Grohl’s inspired knack for melody and hooks with a thunderous musical dynamic ably anchored by  drummer Taylor Hawkins, who powers the songs home with much the same manic yet focused glee of his boss in his days behind the kit. They integrated new songs from Echoes, Silence Patience & Grace like the winning “Long Road to Ruin” but didn’t flog the Grammy winning record and the show managed to balance songs from the Foos’ entire catalog. Grohl is a great frontman, too, as he dropped witty asides (he’s the funniest guy in rock) and played to the audience while running down the long catwalk that bled to the center of the Forum. He’s also a deceptively strong vocalist—he managed to be expressive and bold without overstating his case and a few banshee shrieks punctuate the monster riffs.  The Foos  may not be the best individual musicians but together they bash and pop like few other bands out there. The band played a mid-set acoustic interlude that worked. Unlike most hard rock acts that go this route, the Foos didn’t go into a coma and let the show momentum lag. “My Hero” was turned into a sing-along but it never dissolved into arena parody. Violinist Jessy Green added resonance and some sweet vocals to the mini set that culminated in a galvanizing “Everlong.” They managed to take the rest of the set home with guitarist Chris Shiflett delivering ringing riffs without ever grandstanding–these guys are wonderfully disciplined and with encores like the hot cover of “Darling Nikki” and “All For You,” the Foos turned this second night of a hometown throwdown into a raucous celebration of muscle, melodies and mayhem.

— Ken Capobianco