“Taylor [Hawkins] wrote this song,” said an emotional Dave Grohl before performing “Cold Day In The Sun,” a song that the Foo Fighters‘ late drummer wrote and sang lead vocals on their 2005 album In Your Honor. “We used to sing it together,” added Grohl. “So I’m going to do it for him tonight.”
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As Grohl played the song on acoustic guitar, a silhouette of a hawk was shown on a screen behind him in honor of Hawkins. “That’s for you, Taylor,” said Grohl at the end of the song.
Playing to a packed house at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire, on Tuesday (May 24), the band opened the night with “Rescued,” the opening track on the Foo Fighters’ forthcoming album, But Here We Are, out June 2.
The concert also marked the band’s first show with their new drummer, Josh Freese, who wore a sleeveless T-shirt with the words “Employee of the Month.”
Throughout the show, the Foo Fighters played through a 21-song set, including hits “Monkey Wrench,” “This Is A Call,” “The Pretender,” “My Hero,” “Times Like These,” “All My Life” and “Everlong.”
The band also slipped in more new songs from But Here We Are, including the title track, “Under You,” and “Nothing At All.” Following their show, Foo Fighters posted a video on social media from the show with the caption. “Thank you so much for coming. We’ve missed you.”
Produced by the band and Greg Kurstin, the album runs through some of the emotional waves of the past year following Hawkins’ death. The drummer died on March 25, 2022, at the age of 50 in Bogota, Colombia, while the band was on tour.
The album, the band’s 11th release, also marks a new chapter for Foo Fighters. But Here We Are is a “testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family,” reads a descriptor of the album.
The 10-track album opens on “Rescued,” a resolute song of healing and renewal chanting — We’re all free to some degree / To dance under the lights / I’m just waiting to be rescued / Bring me back to life / Kings and queens and in-betweens / We all deserve the right / I’m just waiting to be rescued.
In the fall of 2022, Foo Fighters returned to the stage for the first time for two tribute events for Hawkins in London and Los Angeles.
“Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life and for the past 27 years, our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together,” read a letter from the band posted in December of 2022.
The band’s post continued, “A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were—and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”
Foo Fighters recently released their latest single, “Show Me How,” on May 25 and will continue touring across North America before wrapping up on October 14 in Austin, Texas.
But Here We Are track list:
“Rescued”
“Under You”
“Hearing Voices”
“But Here We Are”
“The Glass”
“Nothing At All”
“Show Me How”
“Beyond Me”
“The Teacher”
“Rest”
Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images
