The long-awaited return of the Foo Fighters to Brazil came with a bittersweet taste, as expected. The band was the main headliner on Saturday night at The Town , and it was impossible not to think about the events of the last year and a half during their performance.
Initially, Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline another festival, Lollapalooza Brazil in However, two days before their performance, the band was struck by tragedy with the sudden death of their beloved drummer, Taylor Hawkins .
The weight of grief fell heavily on the Foo Fighters. Its members spent months without being seen in public and returned to the stage six months later with two tribute shows to the drummer . Shortly after that, the band announced that it would continue to be active and gradually resumed its tour schedule .
Amidst the pain and loss, a new album emerged. But Here We Are (2023) was released 14 months after the tragedy and is the first album without Taylor Hawkins' participation, leading Dave Grohl to take over the drums in the studio for the first time in over 15 years. Live, Taylor's place is now taken by Josh Freese , who has played with Guns N' Roses , Nine Inch Nails , The Offspring , and many more. The drummer was cheered by the audience on Saturday night and marked the performance with a frenetic and powerful energy.
The Foo Fighters' performance at The Town was full of energy and quite long, lasting over 2 hours. The band played some of their biggest hits, starting the show with "All My Life" and filling the setlist with songs like "My Hero," "Learn To Fly," and "Walk," ending with "Best of You" and "Everlong." The audience joined them throughout the entire show, singing all the lyrics, doing acoustic choruses, and keeping the energy high.
Visibly moved, Dave Grohl dedicated the song "Aurora" to Taylor Hawkins because it was the drummer's favorite song to play live. The speech was less intense than the one in Curitiba , but it was noticeable that Grohl's voice faltered when dedicating the song to his friend.
In their highly anticipated return to Brazil, the Foo Fighters delivered a performance that was worth the wait. Throughout the show, Dave Grohl repeatedly expressed his fondness for the Brazilian audience and promised to keep coming back as long as the fans come back to see them too. And judging by the packed house at the Skyline Stage, it's safe to say we'll always be back.
