Why the Foo Fighters are My Favorite Band of All Time...

Hello again faithful reader (if there are any). Hope this finds you well and enjoying the fall season.

In case you know nothing about me, let me give you the three things people would use to describe me:

1) Clint is very nice
2) Clint might be the funniest guy I know
3) Clint LOVES the Foo Fighters

Okay, so the first two things might not be true, but the third thing is absolutely corrrect. On Sunday, October 9th, I was lucky enough to enjoy two hours and forty five minutes of the greatest (Rock and Roll) band of all time (for the fourth time)... As I was rocking out without my ear plugs, I started to think, "Why do I love these guys so much?" Carolyn was sitting next to me and was wondering "How is this band making him so energized and on the brink of insanity?" After thinking about this for a few days, I have some answers...

First, let's begin with what it all comes down to, the music. Now given, this band has gotten so big, and has been around for long enough, that most of what they played during their show can be found on their greatest hits album (gotta please everyone), but part of what makes them so good is the breathe of their music. Even in the show, they can rock harder than ever yet bring it down with some acoustic numbers (even a few with just Dave and a guitar). Beyond the show, their music is great and you can really understand the themes and meanings after seeing them live. For example, "Home" on the "Echos, Silence, Patience, & Grace" album is an homage to the roots of the band, and you can see they have not forgotten said roots. Some of my favorite Foo songs are songs I've never heard live ("M.I.A." and "End over End" for example) or are not even on their studio album ("A320" from the "Godzilla" soundtrack comes to mind). Oh yeah, and all their music is good, so they can play it in any order (the first time I saw them at the Fillmore, they opened with their most popular song at the time, "All My Life". They also played "Rope" second in Sunday's show. Wanna see the entire set list from last weekend? Check out the Spotify playlist).

If there's one thing I would say about the band... they are performers! They love to be in the spot light and entertaining people. Sharing impromptu stories, interacting with each other and the fans, and just getting jazzed by the stage make them fun to experience (you just don't "watch" a Foo show). The Pepsi Center is a big place, but Dave and company make sure to interact with as many areas of the arena as possible, including "the shitty seats" (by having a walk way right through the middle of the arena to a separate, smaller stage to play to the back of the house).

If anyone ever questions how much the Foo Fighters like their fans, you need to punch them in the shoulder. These guys know how lucky they are to have the large fan base that they have. There was a point in the show on Sunday when I looked at Dave (who was on the "little" stage) while the band performed, and I saw him just chatting with a fan. I dunno how, but Dave knew there was a fan who was attending her 40 somethingth Foo show, and gave her a shout out. He also addressed the "birthday girl" in the crowd who had a sign letting the world know she was a year older. Outside of the concert, I dunno if you've noticed, but the band has a new album out pretty regularly (keep in mind that bands don't make a ton of money off their albums)...

I love the Foo's stage presence... The show last Sunday is a great example. I already mentioned the "little" stage and walk way in the arena, but the stage it self was pretty impressive, creative, and unique. There were no monitors/screens to watch the band, and at first I was troubled by that, but then I realized that their show involves watching the entire band (through different areas of the arena) and having monitors (on one or two musicians) would take away from that. But their stage did have monitors overhead displaying different effects and adjusting heights throughout the show. Of course there were lights of all shapes and sizes, but I think my favorite part of the stage was the floor that lit up like a giant LCD monitor... very cool effect.

Finally, they're just a fun band. They love what they do, and it shows. Amazing how when people have fun, they're entertaining and their enthusiasm is contagious... that's the case at the Foo show. Great fans also help get into a show. The encore really stood out to me with them as an example of this. After leaving the stage for five minutes, the monitors lit up with Dave, Taylor, and Pat discussing how many songs to do for the encore (you couldn't hear, but it was obvious what the discussion was about). They started by saying "one more song" but ended with five (including a song that included a Tom Petty song, so really six), and it was fun to have Taylor and Pat pushing for more while Dave was "upset" about playing more (like he could ever be that upset about it). Sure, the segment was prerecorded I'm sure, but still tons of fun, different than any other encore I've seen, and a great way to keep the fans interested/involved.

Now, it's not just about the show and the music for these guys, or for why I like them. Check out this out: Dave Grohl Kicks Out Fan From Concert: Foo Fighter Singer Boots Fighter... Awesome right? how bout this one: Foo Fighters: Westboro Baptist Church Counter-Protest With 'Keep It Clean (Hot Buns)'... See? It's not just about the music for them. They're laid back, they keep it simple, and they're happy to talk and do interviews, so really, what's not to like?

So there you go, the major reasons why I love the Foo Fighters. I hope after reading this, you either have a new appreciation or enjoy them even more. Feel free to leave a comment about your experience with the band or why you may or may not agree with my opinion... #RockandRoll!