Tonight’s earlier post about bringing the Foo Fighters to work made my mind hop into the DeLorean and travel back in time to when I lived in New York.
Yes, Modern Philosophers, I’m going to share a rare Big Apple story with you.
New York is an amazing city, and not just because it is home to my beloved Yankees. It truly is the City That Never Sleeps, and there is always something exciting happening. Sometimes, when Maine gets a little too quiet and boring, I long for the days in my hometown when I was younger, life was simpler, and I didn’t have a mortgage.
If you live in New York, something you have to do is attend a taping of one of the many amazing television shows that call the City home. I was lucky to see both Late Night With David Letterman and Saturday Night Live before I left for California.
I have a very specific memory about the night I went to see SNL in historic Studio 8H. We sat in the balcony, and I was accompanied by Dave, Karen, and that blonde who would grow up to become my ex-wife.
I don’t remember much about the show. I’m pretty sure John Turturro was the host. I remember Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken, and how silly it was to see the cast members just wheel themselves onto The Weekend Update set in their chairs.
What I will never forgot, however, is the musical guest. It was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but for some reason, they had a guest drummer that night.
The drummer used to be in some little group from Seattle called Nirvana. Now, he’s the front man for an up and coming group called Foo Fighters.
Yes, I got to see Dave Grohl go all medieval on the drums for two very memorable performances that night. I was a Nirvana fan, and I knew Grohl had been their drummer, but seeing him play live was quite an experience. The man was unbelievable.
From the studio audience, I could see all the cast members as they gathered just off camera to cheer on the performance. They seemed as mesmerized by the young drummer as I was. When the songs ended and the show went to commercial, many of the cast members went to talk to Dave rather than to Tom Petty.
Quite often now, when I hear a Foo Fighters’ song, my mind will drift back to that incredible night when I got to witness their front man killing it on the drums.
Those were the days, Modern Philosophers. I still love New York…
The Return of the Modern Philosopher 
Your memory held onto the best part. Dave Grohl is unbelievable, and in person must have been electric.
Yeah, he was awesome. I know he likes being the front man for Foo Fighters, but I wish he hadn’t given up on the drums on a regular basis…
what a cool memory )
Even though I try to repress the memories of those times, there are a few good ones that force themselves to the surface of my mind!
I love hearing drum solos. Almost always my favorite part of a performance. For instance: I saw Newsboys in concert a few years ago, and halfway through the song “Jesus Freak,” the drum set lifted into the air and tilted forward, and the drummer started playing while spinning sideways. Coolest thing ever.
That does sounds pretty awesome. You should take up the drums… 🙂