Foo Fighters rock Madison Square Garden's first concert back with a surprise guest

New York, New York – Rock and roll made a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden on Sunday, with the Foo Fighters coming in as roaring and amped-up as ever.

Madison Square Garden was packed with a full capacity fully-vaccinated crowd of 20,000 for the Foo Fighters on Sunday night.
Madison Square Garden was packed with a full capacity fully-vaccinated crowd of 20,000 for the Foo Fighters on Sunday night.  © Nicholas Deen

The Foo Fighters fittingly opened the sold out New York concert on Sunday night with their single Times Like These, and certainly led the crowd into an evening of learning to "live again."

They charged back into live music with an electrifying two hours-and-45-minute-long set, leaving the crowd of about 20,000 hanging on their every word.

"Thank you Madison Square Garden!!! It was a night we'll never forget. You were the loudest @TheGarden has ever seen!" the band tweeted afterwards.

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On Monday, they also piggy-backed their performance by announcing two shows in Europe planned for 2022. It comes after the pandemic halted their 2020 plans for a worldwide tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary as a group.

It was a momentous first after a year of being derailed. Madison Square Garden has not held a concert for the last 15 months, although The Knicks have returned to playing basketball at the arena to a socially distanced crowd.

As all attendees of the full-capacity audience on Sunday night had to show proof of vaccination, the event drew a small group of anti-vaccine protestors outside the venue in front of the arena's entrance by Penn Station.

Protestors also similarly gathered in front of a Foo Fighters show on Tuesday, at a smaller venue outside of LA, which also required vaccinations for the sold-out crowd of 600, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Yet for their show in New York, the rockers brought along a special guest to shake up the show with a little comedy – the one and only Dave Chappelle.

Dave Chappelle reopened Radio City in another surprise appearance on Saturday

Dave Chappelle shocked fans by taking the stage to sing a cover of Radiohead's Creep.
Dave Chappelle shocked fans by taking the stage to sing a cover of Radiohead's Creep.  © Nicholas Deen

"What the f--k?" surprised concertgoers exclaimed as Chappelle entered the stage. "Oh my God!"

"If you know the words, sing 'em with me," Chappelle urged the crowd as he sang a cover of Radiohead's Creep.

The comedian also made a surprise appearance the night before at Radio City Music Hall, where a sold out crowd of 6,000 attended a screening of his new documentary as the finale offering of the Tribeca Festival.

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The showing of Dave Chappelle: This Time This Place reopened Radio City Music Hall on Saturday for the first time since the pandemic. It also marked the closing night of the film and arts festival, which hosted 250 in-person events over the last ten days to mark its 20th anniversary year.

Sunday's concert was actually the second time Chappelle has collaborated with the Foo Fighters in New York this year. In November, he hosted a Saturday Night Live episode in which the band appeared as the musical guest.

Dave Chapelle (l) sang lead vocals on Creep with frontman Dave Grohl (r).
Dave Chapelle (l) sang lead vocals on Creep with frontman Dave Grohl (r).  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire & IMAGO / Agencia EFE

Foo Fighters plan to dominate 2021

After their Madison Square Garden concert, the band will headline at least two festivals and several upcoming shows across the US this summer and fall.
After their Madison Square Garden concert, the band will headline at least two festivals and several upcoming shows across the US this summer and fall.  © Nicholas Deen

The Foo Fighters will follow up their NYC concert with headlining performances at two summer festivals, six more planned solo shows across the US, "and many more to come," they said.

On Thursday they revealed their next project, a new disco-inspired Bee Gees tribute album – The Dee Gees: Hail Satin – set to be released in July. They also dropped a new album in February.

"The second we are given the go ahead, we'll come tear s--t up like we always do. Promise," frontman Dave Grohl wrote on Instagram last March as the group rescheduled tour dates.

The band certainly made good on that promise on Sunday.

The Foo Fighters closed the night at The Garden with their hit Everlong, singing, "Hello, I've waited here for you."

For fans who had anticipated their on-stage return for more than a year, it was well worth the wait.

Cover photo: Nicholas Deen

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