Words & Photo by Anthony Abu-Hanna
Early Monday afternoon the Foo Fighters started teasing their next surprise show with hints like a rock that said “Toad” on it and a shot of a Connecticut t-shirt. What came next was a whirlwind. At 3PM Monday the band dropped that they’re playing the legendary Toad’s Place, a 1,000-capacity venue in New Haven. The only way to get tickets? Line up outside Toad’s and hope you’re lucky enough to snag some.
I was in the middle of a work meeting when the announcement came through. If anyone knows me, I tend to just say ‘fuck it’ and send it. So halfway through the meeting I was out the door and into my car. Picked up my friend who also wanted tickets, and we raced to New Haven.
We arrived to a line over 350 people long, so we quickly got in back. And there we waited for hours. Finally, we made it inside and secured our tickets – $30 each with no fees, unheard of these days. Nothing to do but wait until the next day.
Tuesday rolls around and it’s an absolute slog of a day. But finally, we were ready to go. At the door, you had to present both your ID and the credit card used to purchase. If you had two tickets, both you and your guest had to enter together. You got a wristband and were ushered inside.
This is where the fun begins.
If you’ve never been to Toad’s Place, just know it’s dark, a little dingy, and small. This club has hosted Billy Joel, U2, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and so many more iconic musicians. And now, the stage was set for the Foo Fighters to play there for the first time ever.
We waited around for a little over an hour, bought some merch, and got hyped up. The merch was spectacular – all t-shirts were $20, hoodies $40, and posters $20. The Foo Fighters were treating us to something special right from the start.
Holy shit.
The above statement is my entire review.
“I can’t believe we’ve never played this fucking joint,” said Dave Grohl to a packed-to-the-brim house on a Tuesday night. The Foo Fighters performed an unrelenting 28-song set that spanned three decades of their career. This wasn’t just a standard set – this was a masterclass in playing what fans want. Oldies, rarities, and fan favorites dotted the performance, along with snippets of songs like Prince’s Purple Rain and Motörhead’s Ace of Spades.
Standout rarities included songs like Weenie Beenie – played a mere 42 times since 1998 – plus Exhausted, Have It All, Low, and Enough Space. A real treat came in the form of Winnebago, a song by an early project of Grohl’s called Late!
The past couple years have put a monkey wrench in the Foo Fighters’ touring capabilities. Between Taylor Hawkins’ death in 2022 and Josh Freese’s departure from the band earlier this year to return to Nine Inch Nails, these shows have been a showcase for the band’s newest drummer – Ilan Rubin – who coincidentally performed with Nine Inch Nails from 2009 until 2022.
Dave constantly asked how long we’d like them to play, starting at an hour and a half and getting near to three hours. And near to three hours is exactly what we got. The raw energy he puts out is second to none – he’s a master of the stage. Sure, he looked like a wet rat by the end, but we all did, cramped into that tiny room.
Throughout the night, the Foo Fighters got introduced to a new, never-before-heard chant from the crowd – originating from a group directly in front of me. “Pat fuckin’ Smear” echoed through the club multiple times, with Dave specifically noting how he’s never heard that one before and it’s usually just people chanting “Pat Smear.”
The night kept going and going before it finally had to end, just shy of 11PM. The Foo Fighters performed a nearly three-hour spectacle that left me speechless. I’ve seen some very special, intimate, and small shows in my time – and this easily ranks in my top five concerts of all time.
Who knows how many more of these the Foo Fighters will do? Pay attention to their social media and you may be clued in to another one, possibly coming to a city near you!
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TheWaster.com | New Haven
9.24.25
