Band welcomed Josh Freese as their new drummer earlier this month
The Foo Fighters are making sure their new drummer, Josh Freese, feels right at home.
On Sunday, the band closed out the 2023 Sonic Temple Arts & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio, marking their third show since officially announcing that the renowned drummer would join the band full-time for their summer tour. As a way to help welcome Freese to the band — and introduce Foo Fighters fans to him in return — Dave Grohl and company dedicated a portion of the set to Freese’s catalog of music with previous bands, including a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs.”
Opening with an epic drum solo, the cover came as part of a medley, which included Devo’s “Whip It” and Puddle of Mudd’s “Blurry.”
Before joining Foo Fighters, Freese was an in-demand session and live drummer who has had lengthy tenures with everyone from Guns N’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails to Paramore and Devo.
After months of speculation, Freese was formally introduced as the band’s new drummer in a humorous clip during their “Preparing Music for Concerts” live stream last week. In the clip, Foo Fighters are solicited by potential A-list drummers — like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee and Tool’s Danny Carey — before it was ultimately revealed that the seat behind the kit belonged to Freese.
The announcement was long-anticipated by fans, especially after Freese, without explanation, canceled his summer shows backing the Offspring and Danny Elfman. Freese was also among the all-star drummers to perform with Foo Fighters during their Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts in 2022, leading to speculation that he was among the frontrunners to replace Hawkins full-time.
Foo Fighters’ summer tour — spanning North America and Europe — kicked off earlier this month and includes stops at festivals like Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Ohana, Riot Fest, and Austin City Limits.