Foo Fighters took the stage at Empower Field for what would be an incredible night of rock and roll. It was a storm of a show, hits and deep cuts circling each other like a slowly building hurricane. The band’s legendary frontman, Dave Grohl, had his signature sense of humor on display throughout the night during a show that was equal parts touching and exhilarating for an audience that screamed along with every word that was sung.
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The Pretenders opened for the Foo Fighters, setting the stage for a special night of music and nostalgia. They kicked off their set with the uplifting “Let The Sun Come In,” instantly captivating the audience with the melodic guitars and powerful lyricism of “We don’t have to fade to black, let the sun come in”. Midway through their performance, they delighted fans with their classic song “Back on the Chain Gang,” summoning loud cheers and sing-alongs. Later, they surprised those in attendance with a cover of The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing.” It rocked the stadium and everyone applauded the rendition.The Pretenders closed their set with “Middle of the Road,” with singer Chrissie Hynde rocking out with her signature energy and charisma. After the song ended, she blew a kiss to the fans and thanked them for their support over the years. This left the crowd primed and exhilarated for the Foo Fighters.
As the lights turned down and the anticipation grew, Foo Fighters kicked off the show with their explosive hit “All My Life,” sending the crowd into a wave of joy and excitement for lots more bangers to come. The energy in the stadium was loud and clear, as thousands of fans screamed and cheered, setting the tone for this historic night.
The next song, a southern-style clap-along tune titled “No Song Of Mine,” kept the momentum going. Foo Fighters gave a nod to rock legends by playing snippets of Black Sabbath and Metallica into the mix of this song, much to the surprise of the audience. Dave Grohl, the charismatic person he is, had the crowd pumped up and fully engaged from the beginning of the show. “Guess what,” Grohl repeated three times, building suspense before stating, “I love you guys, we’re all going to be best friends by the end of this show.” The crowd roared with excitement and the connection with the band continued to grow with everything he said on stage to us beloved fans in attendance.
“Do you like rock n’ roll?” Grohl asked the crowd, to which the response was a resounding “Yes.” “Me too,” he replied with a smile on his face, before strumming into “The Pretender.” As Grohl commanded, “Let me see those hands,” a sea of hands moved back and forth. The band stopped mid-song, and the entire stadium stomped their feet, creating a thunderous sound that shook the venue. “Hell yeah,” Grohl exclaimed, a look of joy on his face. The band played their hit “Walk,” and during the line “I never want to die,” Grohl pointed to himself with passion, connecting deeply with the audience regarding his own mortality, the band’s longevity and how committed they are to playing this music for the rest of their lives.
Right after the song, he shouted, “What’s up, motherfuckers?” further hyping the crowd. “This is the biggest American Foo Fighters show we’ve ever played,” Grohl announced, and the crowd responded with more stomping. “We didn’t think this many people would come,” he joked, reflecting on the massive turnout.
Reflecting on their history in Denver, Grohl reminisced, “No one saw us when we played The Ogden Theatre in Denver in 1995. We’ve been coming here for 30 years.” He added humorously, “Nate, our bassist, was our first accountant. He joined this band 30 years ago with me. He would have to count to the $700 we made a night.”
Afterward, Grohl took a moment to introduce the band, and each member played a cover song. Highlights included “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys, and “Whip It” by Devo. While introducing drummer Josh Freeze, Dave noted, “Josh was in Devo for like 20 million years.” He continued, saying, “We’re a super group coming from other legendary bands if you didn’t know.” He then singled out their keyboardist, jokingly calling him “The one guy that took lessons to be in the band,” as psychedelic visuals were projected on the screens while the keyboardist finished off the introduction section with a solo.
“Who’s never seen us before? You’re my target demographic,” Grohl said with a smirk on his face. “Guess what? Your ass is mine.” The crowd laughed as the band launched into “My Hero.” The stadium had a vibrant singalong with the enamored fans. When they played “Times Like These,” the sight of thousands of phones lit up created a spectacular visual effect around the stadium. “I can hear a rumble. I’m worried about the structural integrity of this stadium,” Grohl joked.
“We’re this close to making this a stadium show into a keg party,” Grohl said, holding onto hope for some extra madness to compliment what has already been an electric show. “You guys want to sing along? My favorite thing is to sing along with you all.” Grohl then moved to center stage with an accordion for two acoustic tracks, “Skin and Bones” and “Under You.” He then asked, “How do we make it special? We bring an accordion,” adding a unique touch to these sing-along performances.
“It stinks up here of weed,” Dave noted with a laugh. “I stopped smoking weed when I was 20, which was 35 years ago. I don’t have to smoke because you guys get me secondhand high.” Later in the band’s set, Dave asked, “Can you still scream?” before bursting into their next song, “Monkey Wrench.” The stadium lights came on, and the crowd’s screams filled the air. Opener Wolfgang Van Halen joined the band on guitar for the last part of the song, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
They then dedicated “Aurora” to their late drummer Taylor Hawkins, calling it his favorite song, making for an emotional part of the show. The set closed with “Best Of You,” but the night wasn’t over. The band returned for an encore, delivering a couple more songs before ending with their classic “Everlong.” The crowd sang every word, feeling the final moments of an amazing night.