Not even Mother Nature could stop the Foo Fighters 20th Anniversary Blowout at RFK Stadium on Saturday.
The band threw itself — and a crowd of 40,000 spectators — a rockin’ fiesta to coincide with the ruby anniversary of the release of its self-titled first album in 1995. Backed by a bevy of supporting acts such as Gary Clarke Jr., Buddy Guy, Heart, LL Cool J and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, the Foos celebrated both their music and America’s birthday in high-rock fashion.
All of the supporting acts recently appeared on frontman Dave Grohl’s HBO docuseries, “Sonic Highways,” which chronicles the music scenes in U.S. cities that have added to the lexical vocabulary of rock.
Immediately after Miss Jett’s set early Saturday afternoon, concertgoers were asked to clear the field and seats because of anticipated lightning. Though the lightning never arrived, the stadium was soaked for more than an hour, delaying the afternoon’s schedule into delay and turning the stadium floor into a mud pit.
Mr. Clarke, a New Orleans guitarist, then took the stage for a nearly hourlong set of standards and original compositions. A rotating, two-front stage allowed the acts to follow one another without delay, so Mr. Clarke was succeeded immediately by Heart, the Seattle-based band fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.
Ann Wilson’s full-throated soprano remains as strong and vibrant as it was when the band broke out four decades ago, and her operatic vocals filled RFK on perennials like “Crazy on You” and “Barracuda.” Nancy Wilson, the band’s lead guitarist, also took center stage for vocals on the gentle “These Dreams” from the 1980s.
Next was New York rapper/movie star LL Cool J, who kept the crowd pumped with a spirited set that included his 1990 megahit “Mama Said Knock You Out,” which he performed as the classic music video was displayed on the Jumbotron.
Chicago legend Buddy Guy, 78, made his ax sing the blues during an effervescent set that not only served to counterpoint LL Cool J’s rapfest but also showcased hip-hop’s ancestry — a fact Mr. Guy noted during his own performance. With a sense of sweet irony, Mr. Guy smiled during his cover of “Feels Like Rain” — also the title of his 1993 album — saying he was glad the Fourth of July showers had already come and gone.
Mr. Guy stepped away from the mic to allow Quinn Sullivan, a 16-year-old guitarist from New Bedford, Massachusetts, take center stage on “Buddy’s Blues,” which the teenage phenom wrote about his mentor. He sang and led Mr. Guy’s band in the song, resulting in a transcendent blues experience that evoked the single loudest crowd reaction of the afternoon.
“Should I keep him up here?” Mr. Guy asked, to enthusiastic response. Quinn remained onstage for the rest of Mr. Guy’s 10-song set. The youngster played with the touch and feel of an old blues guitarist, and even engaged in a spirited call-and-answer duel with Mr. Guy at center stage that left no throat in RFK silent.
The District’s own Trouble Funk performed horn-heavy songs as the last of the sunlight disappeared. It became noticeable during the band’s performance why RFK has lost its appeal for big concerts: The sound bounced back off of the 54-year-old stadium’s walls in half-second delay.
Following Trouble Funk, the stage was reset for the headlining Foo Fighters while a bit of Mr. Grohl’s “Sonic Highways” played to the stadium on large screens. Many of its interviewees were seen on the stage during the afternoon and early evening, and a clip of Mr. Grohl discussing music with President Obama in the White House was shown.
The crowd at stage left became ecstatic as Mr. Grohl, hobbled by a recent stage fall in Sweden, was assisted up the backstage steps. The stage lights soon came up to reveal the Foo Fighters, with Mr. Grohl propped up in a self-designed “throne” that allowed his broken leg to rest while the 46-year-old thrashed his guitar. A specially designed gurney allowed Mr. Grohl’s chair to extend onto a catwalk to get him closer to the crowd, sometimes with bandmates joining him.
“There was no way I was canceling this concert,” Mr. Grohl told the enthusiastic crowd.
Throughout the Foos’ performance, Mr. Grohl continued to circle back to how important it was that he come back to the District, where he grew up before moving to Seattle to join Nirvana as its drummer, to celebrate his band’s 20th anniversary. He heaped praise on his bandmates and hometown fans, reminiscing on his formative years in patronizing the D.C. music venues, including the 9:30 Club, which was “hosting” the Fourth of July festival at RFK.
“It would be a little bit difficult for you all to fit there,” Mr. Grohl said of the District club.
In a 2-hour set, the Foo Fighters rocked the crowd with hits including “Something From Nothing,” “Learn to Fly” and “Big Walk” while delving deeper into the catalog for tunes such as “Congregation.”
On crutches, Mr. Grohl trudged his way to the end of the catwalk to sing “My Hero,” backed only by bandmates Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear on acoustic guitars.
Mr. Grohl also got his “revenge” on his alma mater, Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, where his teenage band lost the school’s “Battle of the Bands.” The Foos performed a cover of “Under Pressure,” Queen’s duet with David Bowie, featuring vocals from drummer Taylor Hawkins.
In a surprise, Mr. Grohl brought onstage his mother, Virginia Grohl, before performing “For All the Cows,” offering thanks for his mom’s 35 years as a public school teacher in Northern Virginia.
The evening capped with “Best of You,” followed by a vibrant fireworks display that concluded just before midnight, a fitting close to the anniversary of Mr. Grohl’s musical legacy and his hometown — the capital of the nation born on the Fourth of July.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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