Dave Grohl returned to his old home in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to help christen The Atlantis, the new 450-capacity venue for the original 9:30 club. Grohl’s Foo Fighters had the honor of becoming the first band to take to stage at The Atlantis, and they performed 22 thrilling songs for two hours.
Appropriately, the party kicked off with Grohl reuniting with Pete Stahl, his old fellow DC hardcore band Scream. Together, they covered Bad Brains’ song “Live at The Atlantis”. From there, the Foo Fighters launched into a compilation consisting primarily of greatest hits – plus a few other surprises.
After dedicating the Foo Fighters performance of Break Me to Fougat, Grohl managed to work a few lines into Slow Ride. He welcomed his daughter, Violet Grohl, to sing “Shame Shame” and Rope, and invited his friend and 9:30 club owner Seth Hurwitz to play “Big Me”. Later, in a nod to the band’s early days, Grohl dusted off “New Way Home”, which has only been played twice since 2011.
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Throughout the show, Grohl reflects on his days as a teenager attending punk shows at the original 9:30 Club. He bristled about not getting a chance to play the venue himself, and was shocked to learn Pat Smear wasn’t. In fact, only two members of the Foo Fighters played the original 9:30 Club: Josh Freese as a member of the Vandals, and Rami Jaffe with The Wallflowers.
With a room full of friends, Grohl was in a particularly cheerful mood. He repeatedly referred to individual audience members, thanking the entire crowd for giving the Foo Fighters the strength to carry on in the wake of the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year. A performance of “Aurora”, which was dedicated to the late Foo Fighters drummer, was a highlight of the evening.
Grohl’s vocals were on point all evening, but she really came alive during “All My Life” and “Best of You.” It should come as no surprise either, but Freese was an absolute beast behind the group and made his presence felt on songs like “Rope” and “Monkey Wrench.”
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Finally, a quick note about The Atlantis: It’s awesome. The sound is crisp, the lighting is top notch, and good sight lines throughout the entire venue.
Watch the show’s video and full track list below.
The Foo Fighters’ upcoming itinerary includes festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Louder Than Life, Austin City Limits, and Riot Fest, as well as headline dates with support from The Breeders. Tickets for all of their shows are available here. their new album, But here we arearriving on June 2.
Scream’s Pete Stahl reunited with Dave Grohl to kick off the Foo Fighters gig in DC tonight. pic.twitter.com/Va2sBikqPi
– result May 31, 2023
The Foo Fighters gave a rare live performance of “New Way Home” during their show at The Atlantis in DC. pic.twitter.com/YRXnVyevr4
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– result May 31, 2023
Foo Fighters’ The Atlantis track list:
At The Atlantis (Bad Brains cover) (featuring Scream’s Peter Stahl)
This is an invitation
rescue
He walks
I don’t have it
learning to fly
go ahead
Heaven is alive
times like this
under you
claimant
my hero
I asked around
all my life
Shame Shame (with Violet Grohl)
Rope (with Violet Grohl)
Big Me (with Seth Horowitz)
Monkey wrench
Northern lights
New way home
your best
everlong
