Photos & review by Brian Berson

Scoring a ticket to a concert is always exciting, but after a fifteen month wait there are few words to describe the feeling. Sure, you may have waited fifteen months or longer in the past to see your favorite band, but not seeing any live music at all in that time was tough. Certainly we all enjoyed a few virtual concerts over that time, but COVID-19 has really changed the world, how could I not address the elephant in the room? 

With that being said, things are starting to change back slowly. And with the announcement, only a few short weeks ago, that the Foo Fighters will bring back Rock and Roll to Madison Square Garden, the change back became so much more real. 

I would have loved to have had my professional camera with me but coming out of heavy restrictions, there were few photographers approved for the photo pit access. But being so excited to be there anyway, I broke out my cell phone to snap a few shots as I wanted to share my experience with all of you.

Arriving at the arena I was joined by 18,000 other fans who shared in the incredible excitement of being there and being together again. Before we knew it, we were at our seats and the house lights went down on the world’s most famous arena. With a roar that only a sold-out crowd could give, all of the maskless fans (who were either vaccinated or tested negative) cheered their hearts out as Rami Jaffee (keyboards) started to play a quiet chord on the keyboard. Before long, Dave Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) gently sang “I, I'm a one way motorway,” the first line of the Foo Fighters hit song “Times Like These.” It was a perfect opening song to address the pandemic and the new reality for this country and the world. After a few verses of just vocals and keyboards the band kicked in and Chris Shiflett (guitar, backing vocals), Pat Smear (guitar), Nate Mendel (bass) and Taylor Hawkins (drums, backing vocals) did not let up for the next three hours! 

The Foo Fighters played all their biggest hits. A few highlight moments worth mentioning happened throughout the evening and include, Hawkins taking lead vocals on Queen’s “Somebody to Love” while Grohl took an old familiar seat behind the drums. The band brought out a special guest, the legendary comedian Dave Chappelle for another cover, Radiohead’s “Creep.” The band played songs from their entire catalog and even road tested four songs from their February 2021 release, Medicine At Midnight, much to the crowds delight.

Being at the first full capacity show in NYC after the last fifteen crazy months was a special feeling, being shoulder to shoulder with fellow music fans made you forget about everything we as a society have dealt with over that time and proves the power of rock n roll can bring people together and helps us all move on to living a normal life again. 

The setlist was as follows …

Times Like These 

The Pretender 

Learn to Fly

No Son of Mine

The Sky Is a Neighborhood

Shame Shame

Rope

Run

My Hero 

These Days

Medicine at Midnight

Walk 

Somebody to Love (Queen cover) 

Monkey Wrench

Arlandria

Breakout

Creep (Radiohead cover with Dave Chappelle) 

All My Life

Aurora

This Is a Call

Best of You

*And an encore of:

Making a Fire

You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees cover)

Everlong