An insane one-two punch you only find in NYC with a club show from a stadium filling band to one of the biggest parties in history.
Here is December 2015 in New York part IV –
Sonic Highways Live Finale w/ The Foo Fighters – December 5th – Irving Plaza – New York City
The Foo Fighters put out a new album and an HBO series about it, both called Sonic Highways. The premise of the show was Dave Grohl & co. traveling to eight different US cities and discussing those cites’ musical histories while also showing clips of them recording parts of their album in each. The documentary wrapped up with the NYC episode, and like they have done in other cities, they planned to celebrate with an intimate show.
A few disclaimers: I was a huge fan of Nirvana as a kid and loved that first Foo Fighters records that Dave did by himself. Though I’ve kept up with Grohl & all of his fun projects over the years like Probot, playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures, I can’t say that I’ve paid much attention to his day job since 1995 up until 2011 when they put out the only thing that to me has sounded similar since with Wasting Light & a great accompanying film project about the history of the band called Back and Forth.
Next came an even more ambitious film project & accompanying soundtrack called Sound City detailing the history of the famed studio where Nirvana’s landmark Nevermind was recorded. I saw the premiers of both films in their corresponding years at SXSW and both were followed later that night with “surprise intimate shows” at Stubb’s that I attended as well.
Because of that access, them doing annual smaller gigs,that Grohl doesn’t have that stadium rock vibe & I really just haven’t been paying attention, it doesn’t (nor will it ever) occur to me that the Foo Fighters are as huge as they actually are. That’s why when they announced this club gig I didn’t really think anything about it other than I thought it was cool that they were trying to get back to something real. A club show that only costs $20 bucks that you had to buy in cash on the day of.
Hell they even made a flyer –
And in spite of this being in NYC and not Austin again I was still floored when I walked to the venue the day of the show to see the BIGGEST FUCKING SHITSHOW IN HISTORY out front of a line that seemed to reach Staten Island and people in tents that had been out here all night in the freezing cold. Sorry but in spite of my cursory interest – for the fucking Foo FIghters?!?!?!
…and it was also raining – luckily I made a few calls and landed on the guest (or so I thought…more on this in a minute) as it could have been Prince in there and their was still no way I was standing in this line that was as hostile as it was long. That had some crazy buy system setup that completely fell apart and people were on the verge of rioting when I passed by. Fuck that noise, I went and played pinball up the street and got out of the rain until showtime.
When I returned, things weren’t much better – the cops were moderating the line like a hostage situation had broken out – ridiculous.
While in line I had heard that the Foo Fighters had SOLD OUT MetLife Stadium across the river where I saw freaking Wrestlemania last year! Again, this would have never occurred to me.
When I finally get inside the venue, the guest list area was two tables setup opposite of the new usual ticket windows. I give the nice girl my ID but she can’t seem to find my ticket and asks of my affiliation/how I secured my ticket. When I tell her this, this wired up Hispanic kid overhears it (whom is also in the can’t find my ticket category) and suddenly he’s on me like white on rice groupie style. He’s really loud and freaking out and I’m now concerned that the nice girl is no longer going to help me because of my now erroneous link to this young, but dressed like a 90s Hip-Hop backpack kid who seems seconds away from asking to top me off.
At first I’m thinking the recognition could help my cause, but suddenly I’m starting to get it that he’s working me and the girl in a “See? I know people, now let me in” way with a two-fer of “Dude, please help me get in…please” to me. I try to be polite while shutting it down but it’s not happening and now thanks to this charachter from the Boondocks come to life I’m equally out in the cold.
I think fast on my feet and so when I saw they were bringing in the patrons two at a time assigning a pair to each of the two tickets windows and when one of the windows was empty I ran over there as fast as I could. Though you had to have a special yellow wristband given out at 8am that morning just to have the PRIVLEDGE to but a ticket for $20, with the cold everyone’s wrist were covered in jackets and the girl behind the window never asked to see it and gladly took my credit card. Just as my inner Mcconaughy was saying “Alright, Alright, Alright” that fucking groupie dude saw what I was up to and came running over there and thanks to security already being on his tip came over, made the clerk cancel my transaction and threw us both out!
I went storming off into the night, not necessarily mad that I was missing the show but more embarassed as to how – when suddenly Boondock Groupie comes chasing after me to get my contact information! I STILL tried to be cool but when I only gave him my Twitter handle, he started aggressively haggling for more lobbying for my cell number.
I’m a total nobody who sometimes works with celebrities, can you imagine how this guy would act towards one of those celebrities if this is how he was towards me?
In that second I started to sympathize a little with what they go through. I finally told this guy to fuck off and leave me alone.
But then I turned the corner and said to myself “Yeah, fuck that guy and fuck this, I’m seeing this show” so I went back (for pride reasons) stood in line and when I got back up to the guest list area I insisted they do something about it until they did and suddenly I was inside ready for the show.
The schedule was they were gonna premier the final episode (NYC) and then the band would follow.
Sonic Highways is meant to reflect Grohl’s own fandom and musical upbringing–but it also positions itself as a type of definitive oral history of each city’s music scene.
That kind of self-awareness from Grohl–knowing that he’s reached a level of success far beyond the people who helped feed his roots deepen the show along with Grohl remembering where he came from and what he owes.
As promised after the screening ended, here came Grohl and the Foo Fighters –
As the band kicked into “Big Me,” the object of Grohl’s affection – the greying, grinning Steve Rosenthal, owner of the seminal Magic Shop studio in SoHo – whipped off his T-shirt as Grohl blanched comically. Rosenthal’s bittersweet musings on the record industry were a central focus of the just witnessed episode.
What came next was a raucous, unflagging set that lasted nearly three hours.
Familiar covers of from Tom Petty & the Rolling Stones’ with drummer Taylor Hawkins doing the vocals, Grohl clambered atop the band’s stacks and swung over the balcony, where he paced the entire upper floor and soloed among the astonished VIP denizens before racing back to the stage in time for the song’s falsetto bridge.
As their marathon set wound down, Grohl smirked at the subtly thinned-out audience: Even 20 years into the Foos’ career, he can still outlast some younger fans. “This sure is a lot of fun,” he said, kicking into the euphoric closing chimes of “Everlong.” “I’m sure glad I don’t work at the furniture warehouse anymore.”
Setlist –
Outside
The Pretender
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Rope
My Hero
Hey, Johnny Park!
Monkey Wrench
Congregation
Walk
Cold Day in the Sun
I’ll Stick Around
In the Clear
Big Me
Something From Nothing
Times Like These
These Days
Miss You (The Rolling Stones cover)
Breakdown (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie cover)
All My Life
This Is a Call
I Am a River
Best of You
Everlong
I too was exhausted, but the crazy thing about NYC is that even at this late hour, I still had another major event to attend. Off to Brooklyn!
Jena Ardell
Sam Clarke
Andrew White
Sachyn Mitael
