The Foo Fighters finally invaded Wrigley Field last night, in a show that was nearly a year in the making. Dave Grohl put together a lineup, consisting of local bands Urge Overkill, Naked Raygun, and Cheap Trick, that influenced him as he was growing up and becoming the rock star that he is today.
Urge Overkill opened the show at 5:30 sharp, playing a quick 25 minute set that included an uneven rendition of Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon, their contribution to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack and their only song that I know. They were followed by local punk veterans Naked Raygun, whom I was familiar with by name only.
Cheap Trick was up next, and their short set was also short on hits, outside of a few of their 70s standbys. Having seen them previously, I was hoping to hear them break out their version of the theme to That 70s Show, but that was not to be.
Finally, the Foo Fighters took the stage, with Grohl, having broken his leg in June, sitting in an electric throne that could bring him out in to the crowd thanks to an extended stage. They wasted no time in getting things started, blowing out Everlong and Monkey Wrench straight out of the gate. 2 and a half hours later, they closed down the joint with a rousing rendition of Best Of You. In between, they put on a hell of a show, featuring their own hits along with some snippets of hits from Van Halen, Yes, and Alice Cooper.
It had been a while since I went to a full-on rock and roll show, and this one delivered the goods. It won’t be long before my next, and if it is half as good as this one, it will be a good time.