Dave Grohl isn't one to disappoint his fans, especially for the Foo Fighters' 20th anniversary show in Washington D.C. After the unfortunate tumble offstage and leg injury in Sweden, he and the Foo Fighters couldn't bring themselves to cancel any more dates after nixing a few European gigs. The down-to-earth rocker decided to grit his teeth through the pain and carry out the rest of the band's gigs, sitting a top a specially crafted throne, broken leg and all.
Saturday night at RFK Stadium, Foo kicked off its anniversary and 4th of July hometown gathering. Based off of an elaborate drawing Grohl doodled while medicated in the hospital, the road crew crafted the throne, adorned with a collection of guitars, lights and speakers. His left leg sat in a purple cast during the two-hour set while the rest of his body flailed about and put on the best show possible. Although Grohl couldn't work the perimeter stage, the throne proved to be mobilized, able to move forward, notes Rolling Stone.
Sharing the date with United States independence, the Foo Fighters picked the patriotic holiday to celebrate its anniversary in tribute to the day its self-titled album was released in stores. Tracks from the album are usually scarce in setlists, but this time around the album was widely celebrated with tracks such as "Alone + Easy Target" and "For All The Cows." For the latter, Grohl's mother appeared on stage, explaining that the song reminds her of Richard Marx.
The group's latest studio album, Sonic Highways, wasn't represented too heavily, although "Congregation" was performed as a crowd pleaser. Grohl assembled and enlisted a group of eclectic artists to commemorate the special day including Joan Jett and Heart boasting their rock and roll roots, as well as Buddy Guy and Gary Clark Jr. bringing in the blues. RDGLDGRN, LL Cool J, Trombone Shorty and Troublefunk were also among the diverse bill, reports NME.
Before hurling into an acoustic rendition of fan-favorite track "My Hero," the 46-year-old former Nirvana drummer dedicated the song to the local musicians that surrounded him as he grew up and was inspired to follow the same path because "in Washington, your heroes were your friends."
