On the road in support of their ninth
studio album Concrete and Gold, Foo
Fighters brought their massively successful Concrete and Gold Tour to Austin’s Circuit of
the Americas, sans interactive success and with much head scratching. Playing a bloated, near three-hour set
list of excessive jams, mid-show covers and onstage banter, even bandleader
Dave Grohl’s personable humor and storytelling could not save the sinking ship,
which was largely in trouble four songs in, save for some key moments. The
incredibly talented band, rounded out by guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat
Smear, keyboardist Rami Jaffee, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer Taylor Hawkins
delivered plenty of recognizable hits along with some deep cuts, but the only
shining moments were when they connected with the sold-out crowd of about 12,000
during actual song pieces that weren’t superfluous jams eating into the clock, causing the title track "Saint Cecilia" from the EP of the same name to be excluded from the set.
Opening band The Struts’ vocalist and Freddie Mercury doppelganger Luke Spiller
surprised by joining the Foos onstage during a cover of Queen’s “Under
Pressure” and Kiss Guy, an audience member with Gene Simmons makeup, was
brought onto the stage to play guitar during one of the Foos recognizable
singles, “Monkey Wrench”, which added a fun twist to the staleness of the set,
but even that stretched unbelievable. Not just anyone can be picked at random
and know what to play. Even more suspicious is Kiss Guy carried a guitar pick
in his pocket.
Aside from performing impeccably (in their right) and presenting an effective, stripped down stage production, perhaps Foo Fighters would do best to trim the fat and craft a leaner, more structured set that would guarantee greater audience engagement rather than them standing around wondering if extended jams mean an opportunity to grab a drink or use the facilities. Closing number “Everlong” was the night’s soaring moment, a song everyone got together for, danced, jumped, and sang louder than the band. It was a save that was too little and came too late.
In short, Foo Fighters are a band with legacy and multiple platinum albums under their belts. For three decades, they have remained respectable figures with plenty of excitement to offer. They have a large fanbase that help them sell out venues arenas and amphitheaters the world over. They know their way around their respective instruments and awe with talent. They can play a show without a break (played all the way through without pausing for an encore) and everyone from the pit to the back of the lawn was standing the whole time, an indication of the fans’ enthusiasm and Foo Fighters’ incredible energy. Given their career, they have every right to present a show how they see fit. It’s just maybe taking the self importance out, cutting the shit and sticking to the plot would have worked best.
Aside from performing impeccably (in their right) and presenting an effective, stripped down stage production, perhaps Foo Fighters would do best to trim the fat and craft a leaner, more structured set that would guarantee greater audience engagement rather than them standing around wondering if extended jams mean an opportunity to grab a drink or use the facilities. Closing number “Everlong” was the night’s soaring moment, a song everyone got together for, danced, jumped, and sang louder than the band. It was a save that was too little and came too late.
In short, Foo Fighters are a band with legacy and multiple platinum albums under their belts. For three decades, they have remained respectable figures with plenty of excitement to offer. They have a large fanbase that help them sell out venues arenas and amphitheaters the world over. They know their way around their respective instruments and awe with talent. They can play a show without a break (played all the way through without pausing for an encore) and everyone from the pit to the back of the lawn was standing the whole time, an indication of the fans’ enthusiasm and Foo Fighters’ incredible energy. Given their career, they have every right to present a show how they see fit. It’s just maybe taking the self importance out, cutting the shit and sticking to the plot would have worked best.
Photo: Ticketmaster.com
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