Foo Fighters brought their stadium-sized energy to a much smaller stage on Thursday night, performing a surprise, secret concert at New York City's Irving Plaza. The intimate venue, with a capacity of just around 1,000, was a stark contrast to the baseball stadiums the band usually fills.
A Tumultuous Journey
Two years ago, the band nearly made a triumphant return to New York City with a sold-out show at Citi Field in Queens, a venue that holds nearly 42,000 fans. However, their fiery set was cut short by a torrential downpour and fearsome lightning, creating unsafe conditions. In hindsight, that night was portentous: the next two years were tumultuous for the band. In 2024, frontman Dave Grohl announced he had fathered a child outside his marriage. Then in 2025, the band parted ways with drummer Josh Freese after just one tour, hiring Ilan Rubin as his replacement two months later.
A Turnaround
Things have since improved. Last week, the band released its 12th studio album, Your Favorite Toy, a high-energy collection of tracks with an aggressive, fast-paced punk style, distorted vocals, and occasionally over-compressed production, as noted by The Associated Press' Dennis Waszak Jr. in his review. Those songs felt right at home at Irving Plaza, where the larger-than-life rock band brought a sonic immediacy to the intimate venue.
The Secret Show
Foo Fighters announced two surprise shows on Wednesday: one at Irving Plaza on Thursday and another at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey on Saturday. Tickets were priced at $30, limited to two per purchaser, and available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at each venue. Some fans camped overnight, while others lined up hours before. The lucky few who secured tickets wore vintage Foo Fighters merchandise and swapped stories about past shows, speculating on how the band would adapt to such a small stage.
When the Foo Fighters took the stage at 8:06 p.m., Grohl greeted the crowd with an energetic, "How ya doing?" and promised a mix of new tracks and "old school" favorites. The setlist included 2002's All My Life and Times Like These, late '90s hits like Monkey Wrench and My Hero, and week-old songs Spit Shine and My Favorite Toy. "Sometimes I ask the audience if they love rock 'n' roll music," Grohl told the crowd. "I'm not gonna ask you all because I know you love rock 'n' roll music."
Despite the stripped-down location, the band had no interest in a minimized show. There were no pyrotechnics or fireworks, but surprises abounded: Window, a new song, made its live debut. The band opened a five-song encore with A320, their contribution to the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack. At one point, a concertgoer shouted, "Taylor Hawkins forever!" in memory of the late drummer. Grohl instinctively responded, "That's right!"
Two and a half hours into the set, Grohl said, "For those who've never seen us before, next time we'll try to make it feel like this." Of course, next time is likely to be in a venue 40 times the size of Irving Plaza, giving the still-buzzing crowd something to ponder as they exited into a rainy April night.
