Foo Fighters, Brian Johnson, Eddie Vedder and More Perform at Vax Live

2021-05-14

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters performing amid a blue background and bright blue lights during a show in Detroit, Michigan.

Story by Charles Ken, photo by Ken Settle

Watch Foo Fighters team with Brian Johnson of AC/DC for a performance of “Back in Black” at Vax Live

Foo Fighters teamed up with AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson to perform an amped up version of “Back in Black” during last weekend’s Vax Live: A Concert to Reunite the World program.

The show, which celebrated COVID-19 vaccines and called on world leaders to make vaccines readily available, was attended by 20,000 fully vaccinated health workers and first responders. During the performance, Grohl stated that he wanted to make Foo Fighters’ performance extra special, which is why he brought out a famous friend.

“So, say you want to do something special, what do you do?” Grohl said. “You call a friend to come play with you!”

From there, Johnson entered the stage, and “Back in Black” started playing in the background. Watch the performance via YouTube below, and view the full show on demand via YouTube.com/GLBLCTZN.

In addition to Foo Fighters, other Vax Live sets came from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, whose solo band featured former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, as well as Jennifer Lopez, H.E.R. and J Balvin. President Joe Biden and Prince Harry also appeared at the event. Selena Gomez hosted the show. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman appeared as guest speakers.

Vax Live raised more than $302 million, exceeding the goal for the organization’s campaign, and secured 26 million COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to “provide equitable vaccine access to the world’s most marginalized communities and health care workers in critical need of global support.”

Organizers says Vax Live was the U.S.’s first large-scale music event for a COVID 19-compliant audience. The show was pre-taped at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles.

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.