Foo Fighters celebrate 30-year anniversary with surprise show in San Luis Obispo
Under blue light, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl raised his right arm and poured water onto his head during the opening track at the band’s surprise performance at Fremont Theatre. But before I was in the pit hearing “All My Life, side to side with packs of shirtless rascal boys and grunge millennials, there was an announcement that shook San Luis Obispo.
On Sept.12, the Foo Fighters shared on Instagram that their first headlining show in a year would be in San Luis Obispo the following day. Earlier that week, the group teased a photo of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s plaque in the Cal Poly Graphic Arts building and Grohl sporting a subtle Boo Boo Records t-shirt.
Fans could only get tickets in-person at the Fremont box office at 8 a.m. the day of the show. However, several San Luis Obispo locals started a line outside Fremont when the announcement reached their cellphones, which resulted in a line of campers painting Monterey Street.
The overnight campers curved around the block and beyond, drawing a crowd unlike any recent Fremont show. The theatre has a 900-person capacity, and local Mason Horstman was the first one in line for tickets.
“I was there at 6 p.m. yesterday and then came here at 2 p.m. to get in for doors,” Horstman said.
Excitement infiltrated the room, as many ticketholders were still on a high from the Foo Fighters’ initial social media announcement. Teenagers crowdsurfed over a sea of heads before the music even began, as others chanted “FOO” repetitively.
“I’ve never done anything like this. It’s my first time, I’ve never camped out overnight without a ticket,” attendee Brad Liggett said.
Liggett claimed his spot in line at 8:45 p.m. the prior night.
“I brought my 14-year-old son and his friend. He’s a big Foo Fighters fan, so I just had to make it happen.”
United in sound
When the band hit the stage, we were met with that same sparkle of enthusiasm, with Grohl’s first words being, “Oh my fucking god.”
By the third song, “Have It All,” (the track’s first live return since 2015) I became familiar with the crowd’s energy for the night: slam dancing, ninja moshing, frat flicking and rhythmic headbanging.
“She drains me when I’m empty/ She fills herself, she takes it all/ In too deep/ She’s spilling over me,” Grohl sang through gritted teeth.
The six-piece band performed a 25-song set, featuring old school hits like “Exhausted” and “Alone + Easy Target” from their first self-titled album.
Foo Fighters was released in 1995, marking 2025 as the band’s 30th anniversary. Through the lineup changes and sonic shifts, several fans in the audience had been following the music since its beginning.
“In the year 2000, I graduated high school, and my two best buddies and I went on a trip to Vancouver, Canada to see the Foo Fighters and the Smashing Pumpkins play at this festival,” concert attendee Adam Bramwell said.
“It was just like that first taste of adulthood, you know? The three of us just had an unforgettable trip.”
Bramwell was most excited to share the night with his daughter Lydia and wife Laura. He sees music as a celebration of love and bridge to family connection.
Where some Foo Fighters fans were reaching new highs of adulthood in the 2000s, others were taking their first breaths. Still, the group’s impact is just as present.
Local musician Joaquin Sanchez stood at the barricade with bandmates from the local group, “ultraviolets,” explaining that their first cover was the Foo Fighters’ “This Is a Call.”
“We were just so excited. We’re like, ‘Oh my God, we sound so good! We’re like Foo Fighters!’ These are like our fucking idols,” Sanchez said.
Nothing like a good SLO time
Grohl expressed to the crowd that San Luis Obispo was the perfect place to pick up where the Foo Fighters left off, making reference to Firestone Walker’s 805 Blonde Ale.
“805 motherfuckers,” he yelled into the microphone. “Isn’t that a fucking beer? It’s a lifestyle, that’s what it is.”
Central Coast pride took charge of the room as music drew in the community in one place for a shared night.
Though it was the Foo Fighters’ first time performing in San Luis Obispo, it was drummer Ilan Rubin’s first night playing live with the band, solidifying his spot on the stage. The complete band is Grohl, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, bassist Nate Mendel, keyboardist Rami Jaffee and new drummer Rubin.
Toward the end of the show, Grohl teased that the group will be performing more surprise shows, later posting to social media about a Santa Ana stop at The Observatory.
The Foo Fighters’ limited tour merchandise is as ominous as their recent announcements, with t-shirts reading “Somewhere 2025” and others directly poking fun, saying, “Playing the old songs because you like them better.”
The full set was roughly two hours long, though I’m convinced that the band could have played for five hours more.
“We don’t play those little one-hour shows. Let’s play till the cops come,” Grohl said, nodding at the band’s humble beginnings and playing for the pure thrill of community.
A number of moments struck me, like during “Shame Shame,” when Jaffee drove the keys to a new high as Grohl sang, “I found a reason and buried it/ Beneath the mountain of emptiness.” Or when Grohl introduced “Winnebago,” a track that predates the Foo Fighters and appeared on his solo compilation Pocketwatch, released only on cassettes.
The moment that took the crowd home though, was when the band performed the cult classic “Everlong.” There was something about the way the audience sang back every line, blurring the line between performer and crowd.
“As cliché as it is, Everlong will always be that song. As soon as I hear those first few notes, I’m ready to go,” attendee Tiffany Emry said.
For the complete setlist, visit KCPR’s Spotify here.
