The Foo Fighters brought a powerful, high-octane rock performance to Ford Field on Thursday night, powering through nearly three hours of music. While the band emerged from the 1990s post-grunge and alternative rock scene, their set proved they are a quintessential rock act, defined by melodic riffs, driving guitars, and the signature vocal intensity that earned them a 2021 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
This event marked the band’s debut at Ford Field and their largest Detroit show to date, drawing a crowd of more than 35,000 people. The setlist functioned as a hit parade, particularly in the opening stages, with nine of the first ten tracks being radio staples that cemented the group’s legacy. However, some fans noted that the placement of the anthem “My Hero” felt premature, as it was performed quite early in the evening.
Frontman Dave Grohl, 57, maintained a lively rapport with the audience throughout the night. He became visibly emotional when a fan presented a sign honoring Jennifer Finch, the former L7 bassist and Grohl’s past girlfriend, who passed away from cancer last month. Grohl also shared a nostalgic anecdote about his early days in Detroit, recalling a trip to Hamtramck with his first band, Scream. He recounted leaving $700 in cash on top of a gas pump, only to find the money still there when they returned, a stroke of luck that he said has made him feel a lifelong connection to the city.
Throughout the concert, Grohl frequently referenced his “old school” status and his 31-year career, often joking with younger audience members to look to the older fans for guidance. He was joined by his long-time guitarist Pat Smear, who celebrated his 67th birthday on Wednesday. While the band promised a three-hour show, they delivered a set lasting two hours and 50 minutes, utilizing some creative segments to fill the time. This included members playing songs from their previous projects, such as Grohl taking lead vocals on The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”—though he admitted to not knowing all the lyrics—and drummer Ilan Rubin stepping to the front for a cover of The New Regime’s “Tap Dancing in a Minefield” while Grohl moved to the drums.
The band maintained a disciplined approach to their arrangements, avoiding extended improvisations. Songs were often extended through structural repetition rather than jamming, as Grohl keeps a tight rein on the performance to ensure the band stays true to their recorded sound. Grohl powered through the setlist, which opened with “All My Life,” “The Pretender,” and “Times Like These,” frequently utilizing his signature “WUUAAHHHHHH!” vocal refrain to punctuate the music. Despite the intensity of the performance, the repetition of this vocal tic occasionally risked losing its impact by the end of the show.
And it was a hit parade, especially early on: nine of the first 10 songs were radio smashes, the songs that made Foo Fighters one of the most dependable radio bands of its era.
He also told a story about his first trip to Detroit, when he played Paycheck’s Lounge in Hamtramck with his first band Scream, and he slept in a sleeping bag in his band’s van outside of a home in Ann Arbor.
When they drove back to retrieve it, their $700 was still there, and Grohl said he’s felt lucky in Detroit ever since.
(One gripe: “My Hero” should always be saved for the end of the band’s shows, and was blown way too early in the night.)
It was very much a night of looking back, with Grohl, 57, joking throughout the evening of his elder “old school” status, and telling the younger folks in the audience to take their cues for what to do from the nearby dads in the crowd.
He’s been Foo Fighting for 31 years, he constantly reminded the crowd, and he’s no spring chicken.
(His forever enchanting guitar player Pat Smear, who still looks the same as he did when the band started, just turned 67 on Wednesday.) But the band was going for it, promising a three-hour show early on and delivering on that promise.
A jam band the Foos are not, and songs stuck closely to their set structures, even when elongated for effect.
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