A First and a Farewell at the Hollywood Bowl

The Foo Fighters played their first-ever show at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, Aug. 22, backed by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It also marked Dudamel's penultimate night as conductor and music director after 17 years with the LA Phil, before he moves to New York. As reported by both the Santa Ana Orange County Register and Rolling Stone, the sold-out show was a celebration of both milestones.

Early in the set, Dave Grohl acknowledged the band's debut at the venue. "First of all, I don't know if you know, Foo Fighters never played the Hollywood Bowl before; this is our first time at the Bowl," he said, according to the Orange County Register. He then asked the audience, "Do you love Dudamel?"—a question he said he had never posed before—before launching into "The Pretender."

Rolling Stone highlighted Grohl's celebratory mood, reporting that he chugged champagne toward the end of the show and declared, "It's a celebration." He also interacted with bandmates, passing the bottle, as noted by the Orange County Register.

A Set of Hits and Deep Cuts

The Foo Fighters performed 15 songs over an hour and 40 minutes, according to the Orange County Register. The set opened with "Times Like These" and "All My Friends," and included hits like "The Pretender," "Run," "Best Of You," and "My Hero," during which Grohl shouted, "This song was made for the Hollywood Bowl," as reported by the Orange County Register.

Both outlets noted the inclusion of rarer tracks. Rolling Stone reported that "Home" had not been played since 2007, and "Razor" had not been played in 20 years, according to the Orange County Register. The latter was given a full orchestral treatment with "gorgeous, lilting strings," as described by Rolling Stone. The Orange County Register also noted the performance of "A320," a song that had been played live only about ten times since its 1998 release.

The presence of the LA Philharmonic added a distinct dimension to the rock songs. Rolling Stone described "The Pretender" as "buoyed by horns that made it sound like a lost James Bond theme," a detail also echoed by the Orange County Register's coverage. A gospel choir of ten singers in red, blue, and yellow robes joined for "The Sky Is a Neighborhood," and Rolling Stone added that the choir also contributed to "Run."

Tributes and Sentiment

The emotional highlight of the night was a lengthy rendition of "Aurora," dedicated to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Grohl looked out over the Bowl and said, "He would have loved this," as reported by both outlets. The song has been dedicated to Hawkins regularly since his passing, Rolling Stone noted.

Grohl also expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, telling the audience, "I wish that we could do this every night for the rest of our lives, with all these amazing people," according to Rolling Stone. The Orange County Register reported a similar sentiment, quoting Grohl's wish to take the orchestra on tour.

A Grand Finale

The show ended with "Everlong," as reported by both outlets. The entire orchestra and choir built to a crescendo as fireworks blasted over the Bowl, with Grohl singing the lyric, "If anything could ever be this good again," according to Rolling Stone. The Orange County Register also confirmed the fireworks finale.

Audience estimates differed slightly between the two reports: the Orange County Register estimated 17,000 in attendance, while Rolling Stone put the figure at 17,500. Dudamel had one more show scheduled at the Bowl on Sunday, according to the Orange County Register.