The Foo Fighters took to the Rock in Rio stage with a task that few bands manage to accomplish without resorting to self-parody: transforming more than three decades of their career into a show that felt like the present, not a retrospective. Dave Grohl and company closed out the night last Friday, the 4th, at the City of Rock, with an extensive repertoire, sharp musicians, and the willingness to transform each great hit into a new opportunity for interaction with the audience.
The current Take Cover Tour marked a new phase for the group, with Ilan Rubin taking over on drums and making his Brazilian debut 's departure Josh Freese. However, this turbulent change of drummers did not affect the performance or energy of the Foo Fighters, who revisited different moments of their career while presenting tracks from their recent album Your Favorite Toy. To the delight of the most nostalgic fans, this album appeared sporadically in the setlist, while classics dominated most of the show.
Dave Grohl still knows how to command a crowd
The show started at full throttle and kept the band moving for much of the set. “All My Life,” “The Pretender,” and “Times Like These” quickly established the scale of the show, but it was Grohl’s ability to transform the stage into an extension of the audience that gave the performance its personality.
Grohl remains one of the most effective frontmen in arena rock, thanks to his ability to alternate between humor, improvisation, and intensity. He ran around the stage, talked to the audience, and also gave his bandmates space to shine. Breaking the expectations of fans who anticipated a 27-song setlist, Grohl said, "We only have two hours, but we're going to play as much as we can," and with his characteristic humor, continued, "If you can't sing, try copying the 50-year-old guy next to you." One anticipated track was the cover of "Marigold," and before starting, Dave Grohl quipped, "This one's for the old Nirvana fans.".
The new lineup also found its place. Ilan Rubin didn't try to imitate Taylor Hawkins; on the contrary, his drumming brought its own personality and supported the songs with precision. The show took on a more sentimental and meaningful atmosphere during the song "Aurora," dedicated to Taylor Hawkins. The tribute didn't interrupt the show or turn the performance into a sad ceremony; the song appeared integrated into the repertoire, allowing the drummer's memory to be present. The track contrasted directly with the explosion of "Everlong," which closed the show with fireworks and left the audience with a feeling of cleansed souls.
In the end, the Foo Fighters didn't survive three decades of rock because of nostalgia, but because they know how to put on a great show for thousands of fans. And those fans won't even have time to miss them, because the band returns to Brazil at the beginning of 2027 for two shows as part of the Take Cover Tour 2027.The performances will take place on February 18th at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte, and on February 20th at Estádio MorumBIS in São Paulo. Tickets are already on sale through the Ticketmaster and at the official box office.
