Foo Fighters played a super-emotional show at Madison Square Garden over the weekend
It’s been FOREVER (okay, 15 months) since Madison Square Garden hosted a full-capacity gig. Sunday night, the Foo Fighters opened things up again.
Everyone had to be double-vaccinated. Tickets lived on your phone which was scanned on arrival. Then you had to toggle over to another spot on your phone–your Apple Wallet on an iPhone, for example–which provided official New York State proof that you’d received two jabs. Then you got it. Ushers and security were masked. Everyone else was free to go with bare faces.
Were there anti-vaxxers protesting the double-jab policy? Yeah. A couple. Most people didn’t even notice them.
Imagine the roar when the Dave Grohl sang this as the first song of the set.
It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again
Damn. Jealous.
The atmosphere was one of a giant party that lasted about three hours. Rock’n’roll brought things back to life after the pandemic. And then Dave Chappelle showed up to perform a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
More information here and here.
I was there!!!! Band went on around 8:10 and walked off at 11:00!!!! Just under 3 hours!
I was in my seat a little early because I was under the impression they were going on right at 8. I watched the place fill up and it felt good. I was talking to the people sitting next to me about shows, and the merch, and that felt so normal. Speaking of the merch, I didn’t love it. But whatevs.
The show was a whirlwind. First hour flew by and Dave started asking the crowd if they wanted a 2 hour show? 2 1/2 hour show? 3 hour show?! He played it off like a joke, but an hour in he basically said, “Tuck in kids, cause we’re going to be here for a while.” He talked a lot, and kept asking for the house lights to come on, he was funny and the absolute perfect front man to lead us through this great experience. He made me feel like I was a part of something special. I can’t describe it accurately, but half-way up to the nose bleeds to the side of the stage, I felt like Dave was talking to me. I was locked in and I remember wearing an ear-to-ear smile the WHOLE TIME.
The hits didn’t stop coming, the sing-a-longs were loud and filled my heart with warmth and my skin with goosebumps.
I love when the Foos do cover songs, they really delivered! Taylor singing Queen’s Somebody To Love with Dave on drums? It was fucking glorious! Dave Chapelle doing the absolute worst, and simultaneously absolute best version of Radiohead’s Creep!!!! C’mon!!!! The “Run” part at the end was DEAFENING!!!!! Everybody in that room was living an experience they were going to be talking about for years and they knew it. ( Two things: I would love to know what the boys from Oxford think. And the last time I saw Creep live was in that room and Radiohead was playing it.)
(I’m old and that’s the only reason I’m going to say this: The first album was something special in 1995. It was Dave’s “coming out party.” He was already a phenomenal drummer, but that record established him as a force. Plus, the video for Big Me really showed the world that this guy is fucking funny! So, I would have liked more than This Is A Call during a 3-hour show.)
Closed with Everlong! Absolute perfect night! I got home wired! Poured a drink and listened to the Foos until 3:30AM.