Review by Max Stewart

In their 30th year, Foo Fighters have once again demonstrated that they are one of the most commanding live rock bands touring today. Their performances are more than just concerts: they are communal musical experiences that will send your hair flying and chills down your spine.

After about a yearlong break, Foo Fighters fans can exhale and rejoice in knowing that the six-piece is back to doing what they do best: ground-scorching rock ‘n’ roll shows. In a world of auto-tune and formulaic pop, Foo Fighters have always been authentically and unapologetically themselves despite any mainstream musical crazes. 

Foo Fighters gave fans an opportunity that is unheard of for similar musicians of their stature: performing a couple intimate shows at an affordable ticket price in California. After a Saturday performance at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA (900 capacity), the band’s social media accounts announced on Sunday that they would be playing another small gig at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA (1,200 capacity) on Monday.

As expected, within minutes of that news going public, legions of fans were lined up around the block and tickets sold out in a flash. Only in-person sales were allowed in an effort to curb the pesky ticket resellers in the market. For the lucky few that were able to secure tickets, it was a rare chance to see that musical magic in a smaller club setting. 

Foo Fighters have weathered some defining moments in the past few years, most notably the heartbreaking loss of legendary drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. After Josh Freese held down drumming duties from 2023 until earlier this year, the band recently welcomed Ilan Rubin (formerly of Nine Inch Nails) into the fold. In speaking to some of the attendees at the show, it was obvious that the longtime Foo Fighters loyalists are just happy to see the band together and performing again. In fact, after these warm-up gigs the band will look ahead to some massive shows in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Mexico later in the fall. 

On a sunny Monday in Orange County, folks with the most coveted tickets in Southern California braved the seasonal heat and started lining up in the early morning hours. There is undoubtedly a different energy and excitement in the air when the band performs a small show, which was immediately apparent when walking into The Observatory. Doors were at 6:00 pm, and the crowd paced to the guardrail, stocked up on merch with beers in hand, and intermittently started cheers over the next few hours in anticipation of the face-melting to come.  

The electricity in the room was magnetic as Foo Fighters hit the stage around 9:00 pm, opening with the pulsating rarity from 1997’s The Colour and the Shape, “Enough Space.” The venue erupted with pent-up exhilaration as floor attendees jumped in unison, quickly setting the tone for the night. The band then seamlessly transitioned into the equally earth-shattering, “All My Life,” which featured an impressive jam section towards the end. It was clear during the musically-technical “Rope” how tight the band sounds with Rubin in the mix. As someone who has witnessed many top-tier Foo Fighters shows over the years, it is obvious that having Rubin behind the kit feels like the start of a new and exciting era. A redefined musical chemistry is apparent and the band sounds fully refreshed. 

Frontman Dave Grohl has perfected the tempo of leading attendees on a nearly 3-hour rock journey: knowing when to slow things down with more ballad-type tunes (like the ethereal “Walk”), pushing the momentum for the heavier material (“Wattershed” was a sweaty mess of fun), keeping things light while jokingly threatening to play “Big Me” twice (“The dumbest f**king song I’ve ever heard in my life.. Let’s do it twice!”), or even telling a funny story of when he played The Observatory for a Dimebag Darrell (of Pantera) event where he barbequed in the back for 20 hours. The ultimate hype man and entertainer, Grohl had the audience in the palm of his hand throughout the entirety of the show. Before the band kicked off the tasty riff on “Stacked Actors” from 1999’s There is Nothing Left to Lose, Grohl declared: “Tonight we’re gonna play a bunch of songs from the last 30 years. Do you want to be here all night?!”, leading to a sea of roars from the crowd.

Foo Fighters are a band in the truest sense — with every member’s unique musical contributions combining to form the essence of the signature FF sound. Guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear have mastered the tasks of smoothly interweaving guitar parts in a three-guitar band in a way that doesn’t sound muffled or overbearing. Shiflett’s lead guitar prowess was highlighted throughout the night (most notably on “No Son of Mine”) and Smear’s signature distorted fury was front and center (including a striking solo on “La Dee Da”). Nate Mendel is perhaps the most consistent bassist in modern rock: his steady low-end keeps the band afloat at every turn and it was delightful to hear his vocals more prominent throughout the night. Keyboardist Rami Jaffe’s perfectly placed voicings and harmonies fit effortlessly amongst the loud guitars, as highlighted in instrumental interludes on songs like “My Hero.”

Fans that ranged from Boomers to Zoomers sang the choruses of massive hits like “These Days” and “Best of You” in unison, as their voices echoed beautifully throughout the walls of the small venue. Music is the great unifier, and Foo Fighters are the quintessential band to provide audience members with a reprieve from the turmoil of the outside world. It is hard not to get emotional when hearing the masses cathartically scream “I never wanna die!” or “It’s times like these we learn to live again” alongside Grohl. Seeing Grohl’s gleeful smile as he exchanged glances with other band members and the captivated audience was a testament to how happy he is to be back on stage. And no doubt, the feeling was mutual. 

“Do you like rock ‘n’ roll? Do you LOVE rock ‘n’ roll?” Grohl proclaimed during “The Pretender,” one of the many peak songs of the set that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Their self-titled 1995 debut album was well-represented and was another opportunity for hardcore fans to see some rarely performed tunes like “Alone + Easy Target,” “Exhausted,” “Wattershed” and even deepest of all deep cuts, “Winnebago.”  The band’s first record has a gritty and unfiltered aesthetic that translates masterfully in a live atmosphere, with all of the rough-around-the-edges qualities fully maintained. 

The setlist was overall representative of most of the band’s releases, while leaning heavily on the riff-forward and screaming signature Foo sound. “Monkey Wrench” showcased the well-oiled musical unit with Rubin now behind the kit, so much so that Grohl had to take a drink of champagne to “celebrate Ilan’s drum solo.” “No Son of Mine” off of 2021’s Medicine at Midnight is a thrashing song inspired by Lemmy of Motörhead, so fittingly the band included an “Ace of Spades” interlude to the delight of the many headbangers in the crowd. Two such metalheads were actually sitting right in front of me (Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and his 14-year-old son, Revel), and Grohl dedicated that portion of the song to them. It was heartwarming to watch a father and son bask in the greatness of a Foo Fighters live gig together, proving their fanbase casts a wide net. In fact, the band has always had a welcoming familial vibe, which was evident when they brought out longtime guitar tech Sean Cox to wish him a happy 60th birthday ahead of the “crew favorite” and yet another clobbering rarity, “Weenie Beenie.” On the introspective “Under You,” inspired by the tragic passing of Hawkins, it felt like a passing of the torch in Hawkins’ home of Orange County (just a few miles up the road from the late drummer’s hometown of Laguna Beach, CA).

Rubin eloquently summed up the excitement of joining the band in an Instagram post after the band’s first warm-up show: “Last night with Foo Fighters could not have been a better time. After keeping my head down for a couple wild months and throwing myself into the material, that first show was such an incredible release of energy. I’ve been taken aback by all the positivity and support, and I just wanted to say thanks! Excited for all the volume and sweat that lies ahead.”

Whether at a stadium or small club, Grohl always carries himself in a relatable way that makes audience members feel like they are in his garage listening to some buddies jam. And it truly felt that way at the Observatory. The band has solidified why they are pillars in the modern rock scene, with the charismatic and effervescent Grohl leading fearlessly with a smile every step of the way. 

This Orange County concert felt like a reset and almost reintroduction of the band. After some lineup shakeups and a period of relative quiet, the Foo Fighters have reemerged not just as the rock titans that the world knows them as, but as musicians who care about their hardcore fans, their deep catalog, and about doing something meaningful rather than just delivering the predictable. 

Fans owe a debt of gratitude to Foo Fighters for keeping authenticity and the rousing pulse of rock ‘n’ roll alive in a dwindling sample size of major rock acts. The band has now entered an exciting new era, watch them as they go…