Foo Fighters bring tour to Thompson-Boling Arena

Wednesday, Oct. 18, Foo Fighters rocked Thompson-Boling Arena in concert for the Knoxville community and UTK students on their “Concrete and Gold” tour.

Foo Fighters performed a three-hour set. They played hits such as “The Pretender,” “My Hero” and “Monkey Wrench” as well as new songs from their album “Concrete and Gold.” The band, along with special guest Mick Murphy, performed a cover of Van Halen’s “Eruption” and The Kinks’s “You Really Got Me.”

The audience ranged from long time fans who attended Foo Fighters’s first tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2000 to younger fans seeing them for the first time.

Freshman Alexis England said, “I grew up with Foo Fighters with my family and on the radio, and when I think Foo Fighters I think ‘Everlong,’ so when they left the stage the first time I was freaking out. When they finally came back and they ended with it, it made my day. That was my favorite part.”

Before Foo Fighters took the stage, The Struts, a band from the United Kingdom, prepared the crowd with their energetic rock sound. They performed songs from their album, “Everybody Wants,” like “Kiss This,” “These Times Are Changing” and “Could Have Been Me.” The band also performed their new single “One Night Only” for the eager audience.

“I personally do not know much about the Foo Fighters,” Hayley Bradshaw said. “This was my first experience. I knew a couple of their songs but not many, but confessions [“Best of You”] was my favorite.”

The founder of Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, entertained the audience with his commentary and energy that kept young and old fans alike laughing, singing and head banging along with the band. They returned to the stage at the end of the show to perform a three-song encore ending with “Everlong.”

Foo Fighters will be back in Tennessee Oct. 23 in Nashville and Oct. 24 in Memphis.

For more information about the Foo Fighters “Concrete and Gold” tour, visit https://foofighters.com.

Featured Image: Creative Commons

Edited By: Lexie Little