There’s no denying Tower Records' hold on us in the 1990s. It was a mecca for music fans where you could scour the aisles for limited-edition records minutes before seeing your favorite rock band perform. And it just so happens that one of those bands was Foo Fighters.
Dave Grohl and his bandmates set up the stage at Tower Records in Rockville, MD, on May 16th, 1997. It was a free parking lot concert supporting their sophomore album, The Colour and the Shape. The show drew people from all over the city, hoping to escape from reality with the power of rock music, as evidenced by some reminiscing YouTube comments. “Nostalgia to the core. Here I am, 12 years old, at this free Foo Fighters concert,” reads the comment section of one video.
Another person claims that they skipped school to attend this Foo Fighters concert, while more remark that they’ve been looking for these clips for years. We definitely don’t blame them, as these performance videos are gems for Foo Fighters fans! The Seattle grunge masters played fourteen songs at Tower Records, many of which they now haven’t played in years. Do you remember their older favorites like “Enough Space,” “Wattershed,” and “New Way Home?” While they were only a few years into their career at that point, it was instantly clear that Foo Fighters were destined to be one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
In the 2020s, we know Foo Fighters as the rock stars who sell out stadiums, headline major music festivals like Bonnaroo, and have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. However, the 1997 show at Tower Records is a reminder that we all have to start somewhere. A 20-something Dave Grohl played his heart out in front of hundreds of fans with each and every song. These include live premieres of their 90s favorites “Doll,” “Wind Up,” and “See You,” plus a mini-cover of Black Sabbath’s “Into the Void.”
This 1997 Foo Fighters concert was jam-packed with '90s grunge favorites, including “For All the Cows,” “Hey, Johnny Park!”,” and “Monkey Wrench.” Grohl was coming into his own as frontman of his own band after spending years as the drummer for Nirvana. And his confidence and charisma were evident from the concert’s beginning to end. Those lucky enough to be at Tower Records that day witnessed a core moment in Foo Fighters history that’s unlikely to happen again, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t envious!
Of course, there are still plenty of chances to see Foo Fighters in 2023. They’re headlining music festivals like Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Fuji Rock Fest, and more! But in the meantime, check out the full setlist from the Rockville show here.
