Amid rainy conditions at the outdoor Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Foo Fighters began their first show since drummer Taylor Hawkins’ March 2022 death tonight (May 24) in Gilford, N.H., with “Rescued,” the thunderous lead single from their upcoming album, But Here We Are. The group’s new drummer, Josh Freese, was introduced during a Veeps.com livestream on Sunday.
The show continued with older tracks “Walk,” “No Son of Mine,” “Learn To Fly,” “Times Like These,” “The Pretender,” “Breakout,” “The Sky Is a Neighborhood,” and “My Hero,” and also featured the live debuts of the new album’s title track and “Nothing at All.” Vocalist/guitarist Dave Grohl’s teenage daughter Violet joined the band on backing vocals for “Shame Shame.”
The evening’s emotional high point came when Grohl performed the Hawkins-sung fan favorite “Cold Day in the Sun” on solo acoustic guitar. The track was a frequent showcase for Hawkins during prior Foo Fighters concerts.
”Thank you so much for coming,” the band wrote on Instagram after leaving the stage. “We’ve missed you.”
The only prior time the surviving members of the band — Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, and keyboardist Rami Jaffee — have been on stage together since Hawkins’ passing was at two star-packed tributes shows in his honor last year in London and Los Angeles.
The group vowed to carry on without Hawkins in a New Year’s Eve message to fans, promising, “we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Foo Fighters have tour dates booked through Nov. 26 in Abu Dhabi. But Here We Are will be released on June 2, and features Grohl on drums for the first time since 2005’s In Your Honor.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to SPIN for further updates.
