Foo Fighters At Fenway: After Years Of Grief, Dave Grohl & Company Are Having Fun Again [Photos]

Foo Fighters hit the historic Fenway Park for the fifth time on Sunday evening for their first stop in Boston since Boston Calling last year.

That set at Boston Calling 2023 came just as the band was getting back on the road in the wake of drummer Taylor Hawkins‘ tragic passing the year prior, and a deep sense of sadness permeated the performance. This go-around, it felt like Dave Grohl and the gang had learned to live with the weight of touring without their friend and bandmate. Grohl was his usual, lively, joking self, interacting with the crowd throughout the set and getting them ever-more riled up.

After opening with the ripping “All My Life” the band tore through a setlist of classics (“For the OGs,” as Grohl said) and newer songs. They teased classic rock riffs from other artists during band intros and embraced the atmosphere of stadium-sized rock and roll irreverence throughout the night.

Still, Hawkins’ memory remained a presence. During “My Hero” a subtle hawk icon appeared on the screen behind the band. Later, Grohl dedicated a moving “Aurora” to the late drummer and beloved friend gone too soon. They may be getting back to what they do best, but Hawkins is never forgotten and never not with them.

As the night went on, Grohl spent time reminiscing about a previous stop at Fenway when he played in a throne on a broken leg, teasing Berklee College of Music students, joking about his own age, and boasting to fans who were seeing the band for the first time that they would play until they got kicked off stage. At various points, Grohl would take a timely pause, letting the crowd pour love down from the stands before finishing off a song.

The energy was undeniable, and the crowd was lock-and-step with Foo Fighters every step of the way. This felt like the Foo Fighters of old—no longer dutifully mounting a memorial tour for their fallen brother but rather internalizing that grief, growing from it, and re-learning to fly. The Foo Fighters are having fun again, and the fans are loving it.

Below, view the full setlist and check out photo galleries from Sunday’s Foo Fighters show at Fenway Park via Brent Goldman. For a full list of upcoming Foo Fighters tour dates, head here.

Setlist: Foo Fighters | Fenway Park | Boston, MA | 7/21/24
Set: All My Life, No Son of Mine [1], Rescued, The Pretender, Walk, Times Like These, Generator, La Dee Da, Breakout, Band Intro Medley [2], My Hero, The Sky is a Neighborhood, Learn to Fly, Arlandria, These Days, Skin and Bones [3], Under You [4], Nothing at All [5], Shame Shame, This Is a Call, Monkey Wrench, Aurora, Best of You
Encore: The Teacher, Everlong

[1] featured “Enter Sandman” (Metallica) and “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath) snippets.
[2] included snippets of “Eruption” (Van Halen), “Thunderstruck” (AC/DC), Sabotage (Beastie Boys), “Blitzkrieg Bop” (Ramones), “March of the Pigs” (Nine Inch Nails).
[3] acoustic; Dave Grohl on guitar, Rami Jaffee on accordion.
[4] acoustic; Dave Grohl on guitar.
[5] featured “Blackbird” (The Beatles) snippet.
[6] dedicated to Taylor Hawkins