Foo Fighters Carry The Rock Torch On Jazz Fest’s Final Day
By Mike Duffy
Heading into his band’s first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl was having some issues.
“I thought we were going to have to play some jazz, man,” he quipped. “That shit is hard.”
For a festival that typically features the musical gems of Louisiana and the surrounding areas, not to mention headliners that fall into the country, roots rock, or classic rock categories, Foo Fighters carried the banner for all-out alternative.
And the group did not take such a task lightly.
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| Shiflett feeling the groove on his birthday. |
Appearing on the Acura Stage Sunday around 3 p.m., Grohl and Co. ripped through a two-hour set that had a giant crowd relishing the comprehensive run through their 18-year catalog.
Such an epic event could have happened on the Foos’ last tour, but Grohl admitted that he didn’t realize he had skipped that part of the country as it was taking place.
Consider their appearance at Jazz Fest somewhat of an apology.
Never a band to skimp on songs, Grohl told the audience that they would “play until we feel like we’re going to barf.”
At this point, Foo Fighters have enough ammo to regurgitate hit after hit to cull together a full concert.
But even after opening with the anthemic “Times Like These” and getting into “The Pretender,” “My Hero” and “Learn to Fly” early, the interplay between audience and band made those tunes feel fresh.
Fans sang along with every song, jumped with every refrain and raised their hands skyward at the looming rainclouds.
There was one point, however, when an apparent lack of enthusiasm didn’t win them favor with the Foos.
As the band dusted off the angst-ridden “Breakout” from its 2000 double-disc There Is Nothing Left to Lose, Grohl got silent as the chorus rained out from the lawn.
Unfortunately, it was too soft for the frontman, as he playfully ribbed the crowd for singing too meekly. “It goes like this,” he quipped before letting loose his trademark howl into the microphone.
That’s not to mention the way guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, drummer Taylor Hawkins, and touring multi-instrumentalist Rami Jafee put everything into each song.
It’s a wonder the wiry Hawkins can even get through a show, considering how relentlessly he attacks his kit.
As if to give him a break for a moment, Grohl took a shot at his former Nirvana gig, subbing for Hawkins when the regular drummer sang “Cold Day in the Sun” midway through the set.
As Grohl stepped back out from his temporary perch, he joked, “Man, it’s hot up here.”
Throughout the rest of the show, the Foo Fighters peppered new tracks from their most-recent release, the acclaimed Wasting Light, and even more classics, such as the rarely-played “Big Me” and “This is a Call” from their 1995 debut self-titled album.
At the one-hour, 40-minute mark, Grohl asked the crowd if they were done yet.
“Me either,” he said, gearing up for an epic finish.
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| Mendel jamming on his P Bass |
First, the band celebrated Shiflett’s 41st birthday, which came with the requisite singing of “Happy Birthday” and the added bonus of a cake brought out by the guitarist’s wife.
“She made me promise not to smash it in his face,” Grohl said.
Then, there was the somewhat mellow cover of Tom Petty’s “Break Down,” which came one week after the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer played in the same Jazz Fest venue.
Finally, the Foos closed with a scorching version of “Everlong,” inciting the sea of humanity to undulate from stage to the back fence of the Fair Grounds Race Course, playing air guitar and drums in unison.
As Foo Fighters walked off, a majority of the crowd remained, hopeful for an encore.
Of course, as with most festivals, there are time constraints, so an encore was not in the offing.
Be sure, though, that the Foos got the most out of every second they had.