The Foo Fighters made their first-ever appearance at the Hollywood Bowl alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic and renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
The one-night-only concert on Aug. 22 was part of a series celebrating Dudamel as he prepares to leave the LA Phil after 17 years. The performance brought together one of rock’s biggest bands and one of classical music’s most celebrated conductors for a set filled with massive hits, deep cuts and emotional tributes.
Dave Grohl Marks a Long-Awaited Hollywood Bowl Debut
Early in the sold-out performance, frontman Dave Grohl pointed out the obvious—but significant—fact that the Foo Fighters had never previously played the iconic Los Angeles venue.
Grohl addressed the crowd, “This is a first. First of all, I don’t know if you know, but Foo Fighters has never played the Hollywood Bowl before…,” he explained.
“Usually in this part of the program I ask the audience if they love rock ‘n’ roll music… But tonight, I’m gonna ask this question for the first time: Do you love Dudamel? Me too. So let’s play some rock ‘n’ roll for Mr. Dudamel. That’s what we came here to do,” the frontman said before launching into their setlist.
The band used the occasion to deliver a set that stretched beyond their standard concert routine, performing 15 songs with the added power of the LA Philharmonic.
Foo Fighters Give Their Hits an Orchestral Makeover
The collaboration allowed the Foo Fighters to revisit familiar favorites in a completely different setting.
The set opened with “Times Like These,” “All My Life,” “The Pretender,” and “Walk,” before moving into a series of deeper cuts and songs that rarely make appearances in the band’s live shows.
Among them was “A320,” originally released on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla. The band had performed the song only a handful of times before bringing it back for this special occasion.
Other rarities included “I Should Have Known,” “Razor,” and “Home,” giving longtime fans plenty of surprises throughout the night.
The concert also carried an emotional moment when the Foo Fighters performed “Aurora,” dedicating the song to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
The evening eventually built toward the song many fans were waiting for: “Everlong.” Grohl, who did not want for the night to end, said, “Ladies and gentlemen, on an evening like tonight, I don’t really know how to say goodbye, because I wish that we could do this every f****** night for the rest of our lives with all of these amazing people.”
Credit: Source link