Times Like These...

It's important to remember who really ROCKS. What I love about the Foo Fighters is that they not only rock hard, but they are also legitimately talented musicians who don't need to rely on distortions to make their music sound full. With real musical and compositional skill and a sense of harmony and melody, their music has a mature sound. Though they are definitely a rock band, they push the boundaries of the genre and unabashedly do sweet acoustic renditions of their older songs, not in and of itself unique for a rock band. What makes them stand out is that they notably write several songs meant for acoustic instruments -- violin and piano included -- songs not meant to rock hard. The end result is a band that plays to the quiet and the riot of the human experience. They are, without a doubt, my favorite rock band.

daN and I had the honor of seeing them last night. Now, I had seen them twice before and didn't think twice about seeing them a third time on a Monday night and taking the following day off from work in order to facilitate its ease. They are amazing live. If you don't believe me, just remember that they've won a few grammies over the years, one of which is repeatedly "Best Hard Rock Performance." (This year, they also took "Best Rock Album.") And it IS. For one thing, they are funny. They definitely milked the "two grammies" thing, showcasing their grammy-award-winning triangle player with a great triangle solo.

The Foo paid tribute to what helped them get where they are: their acoustic collaborators who lowered on a stage from the ceiling onto a platform midway through the audience. Rather than having a lot of switching back and forth between instruments, the main band simply played an acoustic subset. The instruments were all set on the second stage; the band simply ran down a raised walkway that joined the mainstage and the supplemental stage, and joined their extra acoustic musicians. IT was COOL.

The whole thing allowed for a show with a nice flow to it. They opened rocking hard, and they closed rocking hard, but they had some quieter and high energy acoustic sounds in the middle.
Another thing I like about seeing the Foo Fighters is that they really do play a good mix of music from every album. Between the variety and the arch of music, the set list was wholly satisfying.

About their rock: all I can say is that they rock. Honestly. I don't know how to say it better than that. David Grohl is a sexy rock god, to quote one of daN's former employers. 'Nuff said. If you enjoy rock, see them if you can. It's worth whatever you pay.