Foo Fighters fans flocked to the Kia Forum on Tuesday night for the Los Angeles version of Taylor Hawkins’ concerts, the first of which was held in London earlier this month. Pictures of the late drummer — who died suddenly in March at 50 while the Foo Fighters were on tour — adorned the walls of the arena, and his hawk crest was omnipresent as thousands of fans came to pay their respects, many of whom are already holding limited edition made merchandise. for this event.
“It’s a revolving door for rock heroes tonight,” Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl said during one of the many times he addressed the crowd during the six-hour concert, and he couldn’t be more precise. The impressive lineup was practically a lesson in rock ‘n’ roll history, including the likes of Joan Jett, Travis Parker, Josh Ohm, Wolfgang Van Halen, Alanis Morissette, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Stuart Copeland and Chad Smith as well as members of Queen, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Sound Garden, Rush, Metallica, and Black Sabbath. There was also comedic relief in the form of Jack Black and Dave Chappelle. But perhaps the most special guest was Shane Hawkins, Taylor’s 16-year-old son, who joined the Foo Fighters on drums at the end of the show for an emotional performance of “My Hero” and “I’ll Stick Around”.
Below, find the 10 most memorable moments from the Taylor Hawkins tribute party in Los Angeles, from Dave Chappelle’s cover of “Creep” to “Pink” rocking the Queen.
Violet Grohl opens with Hallelujah“
The show opened on a sad note as Violet, Dave Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter, took to the stage to deliver a sore performance of Jeff Buckley’s version of Leonard Cohen’s play “Hallelujah”. Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes on guitar, Violet’s soft, smooth voice roared among the crowd as concertgoers sang along, setting the audience up for what could be a night of high effort.
Joan Jett and Travis Parker Bring ‘Cherry Bomb’
The energy soon soared to a point as Joan Jett recruited Travis Parker and the Foo Fighters for a stunning performance of “Cherry Bomb” for The Runaways and her single “Infamous”. Despite her primitive nature, Jet was visibly emotional as she addressed the crowd. “I’m honored that he liked my music too,” she said, wiping her tears. “So I just want to say thank you for having me, thank you Taylor for being with me. And we’ll make up our super group when I get there with you.”
Kesha Goes Glam-Rock (and loses her shirt)
After Jett, Hawkins’ son Shane appeared on stage to present the next chapter, Hawkins’ cover band’s Chevy Metal. Greeted by warm applause, Shane said, “I’m supposed to introduce a band called Chevy Metal. Ah, I’m really nervous. So this is one of the best singing bands, ah, I’ve ever heard.” After performing “Lonely Heart Owner” with the current lead singer of Yes, John Davison—who happens to be Hawkins’ childhood best friend—Kisha, adorned with silver, arrived to perform David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Channeling her charming inner singer, Kesha showcased her superb vocals and stage presence while the audience sang along. About halfway through the song, Keisha played a wardrobe malfunction in which the top of her dazzling bra broke off, revealing silver pasties. “Not to highlight the situation, but Taylor would have loved that my breasts just fell off,” Kesha joked, before covering her chest and jumping off the stage.
Miley Cyrus Crohn “Picture” with Def Leppard
After a sensational set by Wolfgang Van Halen that included “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher,” the glam metal shout-out continued with the appearance of Def Leppard. Before jumping into “Rock of Ages,” Joe Elliott shared with the audience that Hawkins once sold Phil Collin’s guitar strings at a music store in Laguna Hills. Then Cyrus sat on stage, wearing a short black dress and large sunglasses, singing “Portrait”. Cyrus once again proved to be the queen of covers, as her deep, raspy voice added a modern twist to the song, often beating Elliott.
Pink earns MVP status with fighters Heart, Queen and Foo
If there was a MVP award for the night, it would undoubtedly have gone to Pink, who has appeared on stage for three different songs with three iconic bands and crushed them all. Initially it was the heart-thumping “Barracuda” with Nancy Wilson and John Theodore of Queens of the Stone Age, in which the Alto Pink belt sailed with ease. Later in the show, Queen’s Grohl and Brian May performed Roger Taylor, and Pink performed a powerful version of “Somebody to Love,” causing the audience to sing along as the concert approached midnight. To top it all off, Pink hosted during the Foo Fighters set at the end of the duo’s tribute party on “The Pretender” with Grohl, and she didn’t miss a beat.
Chad Smith Drums by Alanis Morissette on “You Oughta Know”
Hawkins got his start as drummer for Alanis Morissette in the 1990s, so it was fitting that she performed “You Oughta Know” with Chris Chaney, the former guitarist. Leading the drums is Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, another longtime friend of Hawkins (in particular, he opened the Foo Fighters on a stage of the Chili Peppers’ Californian tour in 2000). Although Morissette jumped right into the song and didn’t provide any notes, her one-minute hug with Grohl after she plucked the last chords said it all.
Jack Black Intrus Rush
In a surprise appearance, Jack Black stops at the tribute to give some words about Hawkins and introduces the next chapter, Rush. “Has anyone come to Dave’s forty-fifth birthday?” Black asked while the crowd became unruly. “One for the ages. And (Taylor) ripped it off and I snuck out backstage before the show started, and I stuck my head in Taylor’s dressing room and had sex as hard as hell. And it was nice to see him because he was serious, not having sex with others. He really meant it and it was important to him. He didn’t want to make a good show, he just wanted to blow people’s minds. he did. I’ve done it every time. And the other time I saw him in this room, he wasn’t mind blowing, he was in the audience just like you, and he was watching one of the best damn shows ever. Do you know what I’m talking about? They are about to go out now. It’s an honor to introduce one of my favorite Taylor bands of all time. Ladies and gentlemen, give up on Rush.”
Backed by rotary drummers including Grohl and Smith and Tool’s Danny Carey, Rush — who has been inactive since the death of drummer Neil Peart in 2020 — then gave tight performances such as “2112: Overture,” “Working Man,” and Rush. Hawkins’ favorite song is “YYZ.”
Andreas Neumann
Brian May dedicates Love of My Life to Taylor and Alison Hawkins
In one of the show’s most tender moments, Brian May took to the stage solo to perform “Love of My Life.” He explained that he was not planning to perform the song, but Hawkins’ widow, Allison, asked him to. “I want you to do it for me and Taylor because it was our song,” May said as she recounted Alison’s lyrics. It was played at our wedding. She said, “I ask everyone to sing it as a gift for the love of my life.” She sang the melody in a stifling voice as telephone lights flashed the searchlights, and Alison and her children went up on stage and embraced.
Dave Chappelle covers “The Creep”
In perhaps the strangest moment of the night, comedian Dave Chappelle stepped on stage and instead of making a stand, he blasted off the cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Chappelle waves a cigarette in the air, sings in karaoke style, slightly off the tune and with a cheeky smile. Although it seems random, this isn’t the first time the Chappelle and the Foo Fighters have played this song together – the comedian joined them at the Madison Square Garden Show in June 2021 for a similar performance. With the song over, Chappelle dropped the microphone and walked off the stage as Grohl laughed, “I didn’t see that coming, did I?”
Voss attends a rotating lineup of drummers, including Taylor’s son
The night ended with a set of 11 Foo Fighters songs, during which the group changed drummers for each song, including Travis Barker for “Walk”, Matt Cameron of Soundgarden for “Low” and Weezer’s Pat Wilson for “Sky Is a Neighborhood” and Omar Hakim for the movie “Run”. But the hottest guest drummer ever was Hawkins’ son, Shane, who took the coveted seat on the emotional “My Hero” and the fast-paced “I’ll Stick With You.” Shane clearly shares his father’s ability, getting along with Voss at a near-perfect time and getting all of his emotions out of gear. He wasn’t the only drummer to show affection over the past few songs — Rufus Taylor collapsed during the drumming of “Best of You,” and Smith had to take a moment before releasing on the show’s last song, “Everlong.” But there was plenty of support to walk around, as everyone exchanged tight hugs and long hugs as the night drew to a close.
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