No Eddie Vedder. No Brad Pitt. Joe Biden didn't even show up.
It was only the Foo Fighters.
In the days leading up to the Foo Fighters Rock The Vote show at the Fillmore, there were all kinds of rumors swirling regarding special guests at the concert. People were expecting other well known musicians, celebrities, and politicians. Dave Grohl even poked fun at the rumor. He said, "ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce..." A fan yelled for Pearl Jam front-man Eddie Vedder. Grohl laughed it off. He claimed, "I don't have that kind of juice...I'm just a drummer."
Instead of all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the DNC, fans were treated to well over three hours of Foo Fighters rock n' roll and that seemed to be exactly what the crowd wanted. The show was at the Fillmore, which has a capacity of less than 2,000 people. A far cry from the massive festivals the band has recently played. They played England's Reading Festival in front of 80,000 people a week and a half ago.
While the show was promoted by Rock The Vote, there was a lot more rocking than vote talk. Dave Grohl finally mentioned the cause towards the end of the lengthy concert. He did not endorse any candidate. He did not wish to give a long speech. He only encouraged concert goers to voice their opinion.
For the rest of the night, Grohl and his band voiced their opinion. With Grohl, Pat Smear, and Chris Shiflett on guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums, and Rami Jaffee on keyboards, the Foo Fighters showed why they are one of the hardest working bands in music. After blowing through most of the band's biggest hits in the first part of the show, Foo Fighters began digging deep into their archive.
Early in the show, fans were treated to classics like All My Life, The Pretender, and Learn to Fly as well as new hits from the band's latest album, Wasting Light. As the concert progressed, the band dusted off oldies like Winnebago and several tracks from the band's debut album.
It is difficult to find flaws with the Foo Fighters. They give the fans their money's worth. They display a wide range influences, often showing their grunge and punk roots, yet throw in impressive blues licks as well. Grohl is playful with the crowd on the mic. At one point during the show, he made his way through the crowd and climbed on the bar. On one side, he shoots Jager and drinks beer on the other side. He asks for Jager shots and partakes with some of the band. Later, he shares Jager shots with the crowd.
Dave Grohl did wear an ABBA shirt only to make you jealous. You could criticize him for that. While the band barely stopped at all during the first half of the concert, as the show continued, Grohl began to acknowledge the length of his own concert. A lot. For the last hour of the show, he knew he had that Everlong bullet chambered and ready to fire. But, he delayed it in favor gifting longtime fans with deep cuts.
There is absolutely no question that you should see a Foo Fighters show, if you are a rock fan. The band's energy and talent is un-matched. Also, if you are often turned off by politics, they will avoid that subject even when they are involved with a political movement.
