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By now everyone knows who and what Dave Grohl does and has done. There are very few artists in the world of Rock and Roll that are as capable and as adaptable as he is with the art form and not to mention as skilled as he is. From drumming in one of the world’s biggest rock bands ever to becoming the frontman of one of the most consistent and strongest rock outfits in the world, Grohl has always not only been a consummate artist but a performer as well. Monday night's "secret/special/exclusive" record release show in celebration of the just released and most excellent Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace showed the power of Grohl and Co.
Kicking it off was the hard hitting "Let it Die," and from there the band never let up, seamlessly segueing between songs and cruising into "D.O.A." and a chill-inducing version of "Everlong" that started with a virtuoso Grohl, and joined by the rest of the band for the climax of the song. At some point Grohl decided to throw out the set list and completely wing it. Some surprises included awesome covers of the Prince joint, "Darling Nikki," the Dead Kennedy's classic "Holiday In Cambodia" and were even joined by new running mate Lemmy of Motorhead on a song. The two-hour set concluded with the anthem-ic "Best of You".
I moved to LA to study film but along with it came the amazing music scene. It is amazing how one week a band, say oh the Foo Fighters for instance, play a 20,000+ capacity outdoor stadium one week and then play a 1,000 or so capacity theatre the next. Only in LA. The tiny Henry Fonda theatre was rocked to its core Monday night by the Foo Fighters, as they tore through their set, never letting off the gas pedal and always rocking.
It is amazing seeing a band of such stature and caliber play a small intimate venue as this. It is so fun to be in a room with 100% of the crowd being huge fans of the band. They jumped, sang, clapped and laughed at the right times and Grohl was gracious and thankful not only to the crowd but his band as well. There are very few artists out like Grohl. You can see his passion and sheer enjoyment he gets from playing with this band in their live performance. From shredding solos to screaming in the mic, he was always entertaining and captivating.
