Dave Grohl returned to his old stomping grounds in Washington, DC on Tuesday to help christen The Atlantis, a new 450-person capacity replica venue of the original 9:30 Club. Grohl’s Foo Fighters had the honors of becoming the first band to take the stage at The Atlantis, and they turned in a thrilling 22-song, two-hour performance.
Appropriately, the concert kicked off with Grohl reuniting with Pete Stahl, his old bandmate in the DC hardcore band Scream. Together, they covered the Bad Brains song “Live at The Atlantis.” From there, Foo Fighters launched into a set primarily consisting of greatest hits — plus a few more surprises.
After dedicating Foo Fighters’ performance of “Break Me” to Foghat, Grohl managed to work in a few lines from “Slow Ride.” He welcomed his daughter, Violet Grohl, to sing on “Shame Shame” and Rope,” and invited friend and 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz to drum on “Big Me.” Later, in a nod to the band’s early days, Grohl dusted off “New Way Home,” which had only been played twice since 2011.
Throughout the show, Grohl reflected on his days as a teenager attending punk shows at the original 9:30 Club. He waxed poetic about never having an opportunity to play the venue himself, and was shocked to learn that Pat Smear hadn’t either. In fact, only two current members of Foo Fighters played the original 9:30 Club: Josh Freese as a member of Vandals, and Rami Jaffe with The Wallflowers.
With a room full of friends, Grohl was an especially jovial mood. He repeatedly singled out individual audience members, and thanked the entire crowd for giving Foo Fighters the strength to carry on following the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year. A performance of “Aurora,” which was dedicated to the late Foo Fighters drummer, was another highlight of the evening.
Grohl’s vocals were in fine form throughout the evening, but really came alive during “All My Life” and “Best of You.” It also should come as no surprise, but Freese was an absolute beast behind the kit and made his presence felt on songs like “Rope” and “Monkey Wrench.”
Lastly a quick note on The Atlantis: it’s awesome. The sound is pristine, the lighting is top-notch, and good sightlines throughout the entire venue.
Check out video of the show and the full setlist below.
Foo Fighters’ upcoming tour itinerary includes festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Louder Than Life, Austin City Limits, and Riot Fest, as well as headlining dates with support from The Breeders. Tickets to all of their shows are available here. Their new album, But Here We Are, arrives on June 2nd.
Scream’s Pete Stahl reunited with Dave Grohl to kick off Foo Fighters’ gig in DC tonight. pic.twitter.com/Va2sBikqPi
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) May 31, 2023
Foo Fighters delivered a rare live performance of “New Way Home” during their show at The Atlantis in DC. pic.twitter.com/YRXnVyevr4
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) May 31, 2023
Foo Fighters’ The Atlantis Setlist:
At The Atlantis (Bad Brains Cover) (with Scream’s Peter Stahl)
This Is a Call
Rescued
Walk
No Son of Mine
Learn to Fly
Breakout
The Sky Is a Neighborhood
Times Like These
Under You
The Pretender
My Hero
I’ll Stick Around
All My Life
Shame Shame (with Violet Grohl)
Rope (with Violet Grohl)
Big Me (with Seth Hurwitz)
Monkey Wrench
Aurora
New Way Home
Best of You
Everlong
