Concert Review: Foo Fighters @ BMO Stadium

words and photos by: Logan Martin

Starting as a humble solo project of Dave Grohl’s after Nirvana broke up, Foo Fighters has evolved into a decade-spanning giant of rock n’ roll. Along with 15 Grammy wins, Dave Grohl became a double-inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (following the band’s induction in 2021), solidifying the band’s place as one of the greatest of all time. Following the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, the band picked up Josh Freese, a “band-less” drummer who previously played for Nine Inch Nails, Guns n’ Roses, and A Perfect Circle, to name a few. Besides this, the band has stayed relatively true to its lineup from the ‘90s.

For one of the final dates for the Everything or Nothing at All tour, Foo Fighters played BMO Stadium in LA on August 11th. The band has had a pretty intense tour schedule for the last year or two, going back on tour in the United States in May of this year just months after touring Australia and New Zealand. My personal Foo Fighters appreciation consists of a handful of songs that I listen to religiously, but aside from that, I’m not too well versed on their discography. Either way, I’ve known of them for as long as I can remember, and some of my friends are huge fans, so I was really excited to be able to see them. 

Alex G was one of the openers, which really surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alex G, but from my conversations with other people my age, people who love Foo Fighters often have no clue who Alex G is, and vice versa. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex G is touring with them simply because Dave Grohl’s daughter is a fan of his, but nonetheless, it’s a great way to draw in the younger generation. Unfortunately, Alex G’s music doesn’t translate all that well to live performances. The amazing work he does with layered vocals and funky electronic instruments just can’t be replicated on stage, especially in a 30 minute opening set. I enjoyed his set regardless, and it was soooo cool getting to shoot him from the photo pit, but sadly only the drunkest audience members were grooving with his performance.

While in the photo pit for Alex G, I noticed two girls standing a few feet away from me who I thought must be the only people around my age at this entire stadium. They also had all-access passes, which I thought was odd. I was generally shaken up by the entire experience so far, so going out of my way to talk to anyone was out of the question, but I silently admired their great outfits for a minute until Alex G’s set began. The concert continued, and as more time went on, I began to wonder, “Who were these people?” Teenage girls with access to anywhere in the stadium at any time, that’s pretty strange, isn’t it? The second half of Foo Fighters’ set comes around, and Dave Grohl makes an announcement that he would like to bring up a special someone to perform a song together. A teenage girl, around my age, walks up on stage: Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet – who I had just been right next to. They performed the song “Show Me How”, a beautiful song they wrote together for Violet’s grandmother/Dave’s mother. Violet has a  voice that fills in the higher octaves that Dave’s typically doesn’t reach. The combination of their voices made that song feel way different from any of the others.

My hat goes off to their sound + lights crews, they did a phenomenal job creating a perfect atmosphere. Several times throughout the set, Freese would rapidly hit his kick drums, the bass filling my head, and I felt there. Occasionally, I would zone out during a song I didn’t know or get distracted because my back hurt from standing for so long, but the band never failed to steal back my attention.

About halfway through their set, Dave Grohl introduced the band members. Lead guitarist Chris Shiflett showed his rock n’ roll chops by playing this intricate guitar solo, and I had a “He did the thing!” moment when he played licks from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and AC-DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” With the audacity of a lead guitarist, he kept prompting the audience to cheer for him by putting his hands to his ears, which I found slightly aggravating but funny nonetheless. Keyboardist Rami Jaffee’s segment was actually hilarious, he played nothing but these synth chord progressions, and his face kept getting distorted on the big screen with psychedelic visuals, it was so unexpected and ridiculously funny.

At one point, Grohl brought out his acoustic guitar and was hanging out at the edge of the catwalk, where he played a couple acoustic songs of his as well as an instrumental called “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners”. I now know that this is an actual song that he wrote and that can be found on their Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace album, but I never would’ve guessed it. Nobody paid attention to this jaunty instrumental tune, but that only made it more intriguing to me. It felt like much of the audience didn’t understand or care about what they were seeing since Grohl wasn’t belting out any lyrics. What a shame.

Nearing the end of their tour, Dave Grohl announced that he wanted to do something special that he hasn’t done yet. I love when band’s say things like this (even if they’re lying) but after scanning the setlists of other tour dates, I’m convinced that he was telling the truth. For the second to last song of the show, Shane Hawkins, son of the late Taylor Hawkins, stepped out to play one song with the band. They played “I’ll Stick Around”, and Shane’s drumming was electric. His energy was way different from Josh Freese’s style, more youthful and dynamic, largely in his movements. I really liked this change of pace, if only for one song, and it solidified in my head that this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime show.

I had originally planned to slip out of my seat, grab my gear and head out near the end of the set, around when everyone starts begging for an encore, but little did I know how much I would have regretted leaving early. I wasn’t aware of the Foo Fighters tradition to not say goodbye at live shows. Instead, they play “Everlong”. As it is with many Foo Fighters fans of my generation, “Everlong” is one of the aforementioned songs of theirs which I listen to religiously. It’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, and I would be lying to say I didn’t spend the entire set hoping they’d play it. It’s evil to keep everyone waiting until the end, but it made it so much more impactful when I finally heard it. The crowd’s energy was at an all time high, lights flashing everywhere, and towards the end, a fireworks show began outside the stadium! Unforgettable.

I hope everyone gets the chance to see Foo Fighters live! I wish them all the best in the remainder of their tour and all to come in the future. The worst part of the show was the $80 parking.