“My favorite drummer,” Dave Grohl said as he introduced a special guest for the 16th song of the Foo Fighters’ headlining set. Shane Hawkins, son of the late Taylor Hawkins, then took the stage and performed with Foo Fighters at Boston Calling.
Shane drum-rolled the band into a blistering version of “I’ll Stick Around” off Foo Fighters’ debut record. He wasn’t the only family-based special guest of the night. Dave Grohl’s daughter, Violet, had just left the stage two songs prior after singing “Shame, Shame” and “Rope” with the band.
The lights dimmed after Violet Grohl left the stage, and Dave Grohl inched towards the mic with his head tilted down. He mentions that he and Taylor Hawkins used to play this next song together. He then performs a solo acoustic version of “Cold Day In The Sun” from 2005’s In Your Honor; the song featured Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals. After that, he introduced Shane. Shane played with the Foo Fighters at last year’s tribute concerts to his father. As we saw at those shows, his style is touchingly similar to his father’s.
Foo Fighters + Boston Calling
In 2020, Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline Boston Calling. Then, the pandemic hit, and the festival was canceled. Last year, as the festival returned, Foo Fighters were again scheduled to headline. Tragically, Hawkins died in March of 2022. Nine Inch Nails would take their place on the bill. The band’s Boston Calling headlining set has been three years in the making.
What Was Different From Foo Fighters First Night Of The Tour?
Foo Fighters opened their tour Wednesday night in New Hampshire. They ripped through a 21-song set that included four new songs that will appear on their new record, But Here We Are, due out on June 2. On Friday at Boston Calling, the only new songs performed were “Rescued” (set opener) and “Under You.” Shane Hawkins was a surprise, however. He did not appear with the band in New Hampshire. Violet Grohl did on night one, but only on “Shame, Shame.”
Next, the band will go to Ohio to play the Sonic Temple Festival on Sunday night.