It's times like these, in the case of a beloved artist's passing, that will make fans look back on all of the good-natured fun and memorable intricacies that caused us to gravitate towards them in the first place. As devotees of not just the Foo Fighters, but all of the members as separate individuals, we're taking a look back at some of our fondest souvenirs from times spent with the band, and their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
Celebrate the life and music of Taylor Hawkins and the Foo Fighters now on Foo Fighters Radio
Back in June of 2011, the Foo Fighters surprised concert-goers during KROQ's Weenie Roast in Los Angeles, who were already treated to epic sets from Bad Religion, Linkin Park, Rise Against, and more. After we caught best buds Hawkins and Dave Grohl hopping a fence to get into the show, the Foos then borrowed their friends The Strokes' equipment and brought down the house with an incredible 12-song performance.
WATCH: Foo Fighters surprise fans at 2011 KROQ Weenie Roast
Another moment we'll never forget happened in 2017, once again in Los Angeles, when the band performed for a group of lucky fans inside of KROQ's Sound Space and gave their take on that year's festival season -- including all of the up and coming bands they have been able to witness, as well as their on-stage CalJam antics with Liam Gallagher.
WATCH: Foo Fighters in the KROQ Sound Space
Fans will remember that Gallagher was invited on stage with the Foos, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, to perform The Beatles' classic "Come Together," which somehow, Liam needed to read the words off of a piece of paper in order to sing along. Hawkins was as diplomatic as he could be about that gem of a memory saying, "there's a lot of weird words in that song. You know, you can't just do it... You have to have the words there." Taylor explained that after a bit of hesitation, when they began to play the song Liam eventually sauntered onto the stage, the way "only Mr. Jefferson and Liam can walk... you know that walk... He gave me a big kiss on the lips and then went out there and was Liam Gallagher! All we wanted was Liam Gallagher on stage with us, we didn't care how!"
Taylor was also quite humble when it came to the little "museum" the band threw together for CalJam that year. What started as an idea to simply put Grohl's broken-leg-throne on display for fans to sit in, quickly morphed into a two-decade retrospective attraction. Hawkins says he "felt so weird" about the thought of being involved in such a project, adding, "it's hard for you to see yourself as -- anything that you have, would be that interesting to people." Although he concedes, "if there was a Queen museum, and Roger Taylor's first snare drum was right there, I'd be like, 'Oh my god, look at it!' for like an hour so..."
Always a pleasure, always a great conversation... Taylor Hawkins will forever be missed by the Audacy team. Watch both videos above to relive some of our favorite Foo Fighters moments.
The news of Hawkins' death has devastated family, friends, fellow artists, and fans alike, who have all turned to the power of social media to share their memories and condolences. Take a look at a number of touching tributes and memories right HERE, and stay tuned to Audacy for continuing coverage.
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