The first time I saw the Foo, I was in my early twenties and they were new on the circuit. A girlfriend and I had become quick fans and were excited to see them perform in an all-day music festival put on by a local Bay Area (Northern California) radio station. They had just begun touring and, to put it nicely, the objection went something like, “Dude. The drummer of Nirvana has a band?” Man, were they ever wrong. (Not to mention untrue, fans, since Dave totally wrote and sang for Nirvana! Hello?) But those putting on the concert knew what they were doing, even if they had to put them up really early in the show when attendance was pathetically low. Down in front, my girlfriend and I didn’t care about that which was or wasn’t around us as we sang along, danced and cheered. Dave Grohl was kind enough to notice and commented, “Thank you! Thank you *both* very much.” Anytime, Dave! You’ve been inside my head and rocking my world for many years. I just wish I had seen you drum for Queens of the Stone Age! Darn it!
My excitement at going to see the Foo Fighters at the Forum (Los Angeles) was palpable, and, perhaps a bit annoying to my friends. Sorry!!! I’ve been a fan for twelve, going on thirteen years and have not seen them perform for two long years! Besides I’ve been listening to Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace (their latest, Grammy Award winning album) endlessly since its release. I had heard that they rocked for over two hours the prior night, as they were playing two sold-out shows back to back, and wondered if they could bring it a second night.
The show was opened by Serj Tankian, the Lebanese-born, Armenian-American poet who was the voice of alternative hard rock band, System Of A Down. I friggin’ love System and was disappointed when they took their “extended hiatus” in August of 2006. Both System and Tankian’s solo debut album, Elect the Dead, is music with a conscience and a message. There were many fans in the audience, and a good energy went out as he performed songs such as “Empty Walls”, “The Unthinking Majority” and “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” a great commentary on the hypocrisy of our existing government officials. (Not naming names here, Bush. Haha. Oops!) Check out Tankian when he tours with Rage Against the Machine’s guitarist Tom Morello in their Axis of Justice Tour beginning this Spring 2008. The Justice Tour celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights and encourages grass roots and national political and social causes. I guarantee it’ll be a great show!
As we waited for the Foo to take the stage, a very bizarre thing happened. Now let me say that I was not down on the floor, as I usually am, but about ten rows up in the first section. The Forum, located in Inglewood, CA near LAX, seats 18,000 people by a somewhat precarious construction in a tightly raised form guaranteed to give anyone vertigo, and better traversed in sobriety. So, I am sitting anticipating the Foo one moment and had a young, attractive brunette in my lap the next. WTF?!?! It was her skull smacking into my knee that registered first. Then, the realization that I had a woman lying across me, her head in my lap. She looked up at me, more dazed than embarrassed. Her girlfriend was only minorly less inebriated, so we had to assist in getting them to safety. The guy next to me said, “I think you saved her life! Had you not been there, she would have kept flying!” I looked at the empty seats in front of me and realized what he was saying. Dude!!! Suddenly my bruised knee didn’t seem too big a price to pay!
Finally the Foo took the stage in a rousing rendition of “Let It Die”. They had come to Rock, and Rock they did! Next up was their popular single “Pretender” as Dave expertly covered the stage and engaged the audience. Dave, dude, you have come a long way and you Jammed So hard! Beautiful! They played “Long Road to Ruin”, “This Is A Call”, “Times Like These”, “Best of You”, “Learning to Fly” amongst others. Old, new (and yet to be released, but since they will be touring all of this year the next album will probably not be released until mid-2009 
) and even some guitar jammin’. Jessy Greene was fantastic on violin, cello and singing a duet with Dave. Mr.Kilmister, lead singer of Motorhead, was the guest performer. My favorites were the acoustic version of “Everlong” and a treat, Prince’s “Darling Nikki”, which Dave swears they have not played in ages and only play in Los Angeles. Home advantage! And well deserved, because the crowd was electric! GO LA!!! We fuckin’ Rocked it too! You know I did! 
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