Foo Fighters Knockout Halt Hour Set for Indie Venues

Foo Fighters played a five-song set at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California on Friday as part of the three-day Save Our Stages Festival fundraiser for the National Independent Venue Association.

Although it was called an “acoustic” performance, there was plenty of amplification, though frontman Dave Grohl and guitarist Chris Shiflett played plugged-in acoustic guitars throughout. In keeping with the show’s theme, the bandmembers spoke between songs about their experiences playing the legendary L.A.-area venue between songs. Grohl began by recalling that he met Poison’s Bret Michaels the first time he visited the Troubadour.

Guitarist Pat Smear recalled that his first time there he’d experienced a “punk rock riot” at a Go-Go’s show and gotten into a fight with Tom Waits. Taylor Hawkins came to see a friend of a friend’s band — and “they sucked.” Shiflett remembered riding there in a “party bus from Santa Barbara,” and he also once saw Poison at the venue. The first time he ever played there was his first show with Foo Fighters.

The set was played with no audience. It consisted of “Skin and Bones,” “My Hero,” “These Days,” “Times Like These” and a solo performance of “Everlong” by Grohl that was preceded by a pitch for the fundraiser: “Each of us have had pretty amazing experiences at this club, but there are lots of smaller venues like this around the world that need your support right now.” He spoke of the “life-changing and formative experiences that inspired us to play music” that took place as a result of independent venues, and explained that “it’s crucial that we do everything we can to make sure these venues survive.”