The Foo Fighters officially kicked off their summer tour but with a heavy heart. Their return to the spotlight comes on the heels of the death of bandmate Taylor Hawkins. Their long-time drummer unexpectedly died at 50 years old on tour in Colombia in 2022. The award-winning band immediately paused their world tour to grieve and to host a handful of tribute shows.
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Although their band may appear different with their newest addition Josh Freese on percussion, frontman Dave Grohl turned to social media Tuesday afternoon (June 6) to thank fans for being patient and for their overwhelming support.
The rocker expressed his gratitude in a handwritten note shared on the band’s official social media account.
“Hey. It’s been a while,” Grohl began the emotional update. “Now that we’ve returned from our first run of shows, I felt compelled to reach out and thank you all for being there for us. Every night, when I see you singing, it makes me sing harder. When I see you screaming, it makes me scream louder. When I see your tears, it brings me to tears.”
He continued, “And when I see your joy, it brings me joy. But, I see you…and it feels good to see you, churning up these emotions together because we’ve always done this together. Time and time again. See you soon.”
In late May, the hitmakers performed their first show with Freese in Gilford, New Hampshire. Since embarking on their must-see trek, Grohl has made it a mission to keep Hawkins’ legacy and presence alive. During opening night, Grohl performed a rendition of “Cold Day in the Sun,” which lives on their 2005 album, In Your Honor.
“Taylor wrote this song,” said Grohl to the audience, according to Rolling Stone. “I’m gonna do it for him tonight.”
At their appearance in Boston, he acknowledged Hawkins’ absence.
“It’s funny feeling being up here with you guys tonight, but I feel like let’s do it together,” he explained on stage. “We can make this thing feel alright. It’s different now. To see you and sing these songs to you, a lot of them mean something new now.”
The GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble will appear next in Rogers, Arkansas, and Pelham, Alabama, before their set at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
The Foo Fighters have been playing their biggest hits on the road and material from their recently released record, But Here We Are. The touching collection was inspired by Hawkins’ death and their healing journey. Tickets to the memorable trek are available for purchase, HERE.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Crown Royal
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