Foo Fighters finish Bonnaroo with a fantastic, visceral show 2023
A week before the Foo Fighters closed Bonnaroo on the What stage, vocalist Dave Grohl tweeted a thank you letter on Instagram:
“Seeing you sing every night makes me sing harder. Your screams make me scream louder. Your tears move me. Your excitement makes me happy. But, I see you… and it feels nice to see you, churning these feelings together.”
Foo Fighters’ passionate, honest Bonnaroo show seemed unthinkable a year ago.
After Taylor Hawkins died in March 2022, the band went on hiatus. The band lost its most known and important drummer, Hawkins, after his death. A Foo Fighters gig without body-bending drum fills whipping Hawkins’ sweat-soaked blonde hair? A three-hour show without his impromptu banter or Queen covers? Last year, impossible.
Bonnaroo closes with Foo Fighters’ raw, exciting show.
The band kept playing. At 9:33 p.m. Sunday, it continued with gusto as rain loomed. But the weather held off and Grohl came out screaming through the staccato machine gun beat 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 most/Feel it come to life when I see your ghost.”
As the song, which evoked early Metallica, progressed, the band teased “Enter Sandman” before Grohl’s several audience addresses.
“It’s gonna be a long night, mother****ers!” Grohl yelled.
The Foo Fighters tore through early favorites and songs from their well-received new album “But Here We Are.” Grohl continually vowed to play until the band was ejected. New drummer Josh Freese, a member of Devo and Nine Inch Nails, pushed the rhythm with strong, powerful beats that boomed around the field and solidified his place in the band.
The Foo Fighters’ stage presence revealed why they’re rock royalty after nearly 30 years.
Paramore’s Hayley Williams joined the band for a moving rendition of “My Hero.” Violet Grohl harmonized with her father on “Shame Shame” and “Show Me How.” The band dedicated an ethereal “Aurora” to Hawkins. Grohl claimed it was his favorite tune.
After nearly two hours of gutsy rock songs, the event closed with “Everlong.” Despite their obvious location, the Foo Fighters feel authentic. When Grohl looked to lose control, his band’s steady playing and rhythm brought him back. But Grohl’s roaring, unpredictable caged tiger mentality keeps this band exciting and not nostalgic.
