Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin Host First Live ‘Hanukkah Sessions’ Performance

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl launched the “Hanukkah Sessions” during the pandemic. The celebration saw a series of covers recorded in Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin’s home studio. Each of Hanukkah’s eight nights was scored by a cover from a well-known artist.

Now, for their third installment of the series, Grohl and Kurstin brought an all-star group of musicians to Los Angeles’ club Largo for a live version of the event. Proceeds from the night went to the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization that combats hate speech in the U.S.

Per Variety, the show saw a setlist of songs by Jewish artists while Grohl and Kurstin provided a backing band. The night was kicked off by Judd Apatow who sang Blood Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel.”

Elsewhere in the night, P!nk came on stage saying “my name’s Alecia. I’m a Jew” before jumping into her 2001 hit “Get This Party Started.” Soon after P!nk wrapped up, Inara George sang 10cc’s “The Things We Do For Love.”

Grohl’s daughter Violet performed an acoustic cover of Janis Ian’s “Edge of Seventeen” before Beck performed his own “E-Pro,” The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O sang her band’s iconic track “Heads Will Roll” and Jack Black gave a rousing performance of Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio.”

Grohl wrapped up the night by singing Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” and David Lee Roth’s “Just a Gigolo.” See photos from the night below.

Past “Hanukkah Sessions” feature covers of songs by The Beastie Boys, Drake, Mountain Peaches, Bob Dylan, Elastica, The Knack, the Velvet Underground, Lisa Loeb, Barry Manilow, the Clash, KISS, Van Halen, Amy Winehouse, and Billy Joel.

The Foo Fighters recently completed a string of tribute concerts to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Lead guitarist Chris Shiflett recently said that the band will likely continue in the future. He went on to say that the pain of Hawkins’ death was still very “raw” but that the band would address it more “when we ever get around to putting out another Foo Fighters record and go back into the promo boogie-woogie.”

(Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images)