Missed Part One? —> Faith & Gratitude, pt 1
A few feet away from me, Andi, the photog, had secured her barricade spot. I knew her photogenic eye surpassed mine, so as a bookend to my first Taylor essay, she’s sharing her images to help illustrate the rest of this story.
(unless otherwise noted)
SHOWTIME!
Before any words were spoken, bathed in a blue and purple light, Violet Grohl and Alain Johannes played a hauntingly punk version of Halleluya.
The Foo Fighters come out, and, being good hosts, welcomed us into the evening they had curated. Though the show would be just as thoughtful as Wembly, Dave promised something would be very different.
Next, Joan Jett, dressed like a road-hard rockstar, shared just how big her heart is underneath that exterior while expressing how much Taylor meant to her. With Travis Barker on drums and the rest of the Foo backing her, she blasted through Cherry Bomb and Bad Reputation.
Shane Hawkins, Taylor’s son appeared. “I’m really fucking nervous. But, this is the best cover band I’ve heard in my life. Here’s Lou, Wiley & Brent Woods; it’s Chevy Metal!” With John “Lou” Lousteau filling Taylor’s drum throne, they tore through Riff Raff (AC/DC), Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes’s, Jon Davison on VOX), then, invited Kesha out to sing Heroes (Bowie).
Kesha’s swagger and rhinestone glitter style were perfect for the song and occasion. Halfway through the song, her bikini broke revealing a pair of silver star pasties. “I have to make light of this situation, ‘cause Taylor would have loved that my tits just fell out.” Standing proud, she saluted T., his family, friends, and fans.
Members of Taylor’s solo project, Coattail Riders, came next. I can’t describe how great it was to hear these songs live. Range Rover Bitch and It’s Over are driving, funky, orchestral tunes that blend all of T’s influences. Blazing through an arena sound system, these songs went supersonic.
The same crew on stage invited out Mark King to sing the Level 42 classic, Something About You. Then Justin Hawkins and Rufus Taylor brought everyone smiles with I Believe in a Thing Called Love.
Between sets, our Foo Fam reconvened. The sadness we’d prepared for had somehow been supplanted with pure joy. The hours in line, fans pushing behind us, and the heat of the front row were taking their toll - YET, we couldn’t stop smiling. By the way, we weren’t even an hour into the show.
HISTORY OF ROCK
American Rock icon Joe Walsh delivered grit, honor, and improvisation to the night. To be close enough to see his fingers conjuring magic was incredible. A bonus highlight was watching Dave double drum with The James Gang drummer, Jim Fox, on Funk #49.
An hour and a half into the show, we caught our breath swaying along with Mark Ronson and Co. singing Gerry Rafferty’s, Right Down the Line.
Our moment of respite was cut short when Them Crooked Vultures appeared. Josh Homme crooned like a king, but right in front of me was John Paul Jones from Led F**KING Zepplin. JPJ is a master craftsman firing off low-end riffs, bending notes, and trading wry smiles with his bandmates. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Two hours in, Dave walked on stage and introduced one of my highlights. Wolfgang Van Halen. His dad is my favorite guitarist. VH my favorite band. The passion Wolf has for carving his own career is beyond admirable, but tonight for Taylor, he slayed Panama and Hot For Teacher, just as good as his pop ever did.
Fourteen-year-old me freaked out when Deaf Leopard played Rock of Ages and Photograph (w/ Miley Cyrus), followed by Nikki Sixx & Tommy Lee playing Livewire and Home Sweet Home (Motley Crüe). Bonus points to Derek Day, who nailed the vox on both Crüe songs while springing across the stage like a kid in a candy shop. His every served the songs and the night all too well.
Two and a half hours had passed, and Dave walked out to say… “We’re just getting warmed up.” He wasn’t kidding.
To be continued… PART 3