Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl Makes Big Announcement at Surprise Gig Audio Ink Radio

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Makes Big Announcement at Surprise Gig

2025-09-14

Foo Fighters vocalist Dave Grohl has made a major announcement about the band at a pop-up show they did on Saturday, September 13. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo via Ken Settle

Foo Fighters are alive and well and doing their thing. On Saturday, September 13, the band announced that they would be performing a surprise “intimate, last-minute show” later that evening in San Luis Obispo, California. It was a last-minute announcement, but it caught the ears of people around the world quickly, so by the time the band took the stage, people were waiting to see what the band would do.

So, did they deliver? Absolutely. Vocalist Dave Grohl and the band put on a thrilling performance that was also the band’s first concert in more than a year and their first show their new drummer, Ilan Rubin.

Foo Fighters’ First Show With Ilan Rubin

The Foo Fighters’ concert was their first concert since their show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2024 (which was their last one with ex-drummer Josh Freese, too), according to Setlist.fm. It took place at the 900-capacity Fremont Theater, so a tiny venue. It’s hard to imagine seeing an arena-type band in such a small setting.

According to NME, Grohl made an announcement during the show that Rubin is now officially Foo Fighters’ new drummer.

“Everybody else has said it, I finally get the opportunity to say, ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome, the most badass motherfucker, Ilan Rubin, is playing drums in the Foo Fighters. It’s official,” Grohl said, according to reporting from NME.

On Reddit, a user also shared a video of the announcement, and NME also points out that the band has “updated their Facebook profile picture with an image of them with Rubin.”

In Grohl’s full statement, he says, “It’s safe to say that we’ve never played here before. But what a perfect place to pick up where we left off a … year ago. How many of you … sat out in that line all night long?” He then praised the crowd for doing so, and said, “There was this part of me that was like, ‘I hope some people show up.’ Then, someone sent me this thing with the line around the block and I was like, ‘When we get in here tonight, I gotta thank you crazy … for standing outside.’ It’s very sweet of you. That’s awesome.”

The band played material off their latest full-length album, 2023’s “But Here We Are,” as well as the classics, such as “Learn to Fly,” “Times Like These,” “My Hero” and Everlong. On top of those, the band also performed three songs that they haven’t rocked live in more than a decade with “Have It All,” “Exhausted” and their cover of “Winnebego.”

Just In: Foo Fighters Gig on Monday, September 15

On Sunday, September 14, the Foo Fighters announced that they’ll perform again at the Observatory in Santa Ana, marking a special follow-up gig. It will be their second show of 2025.

Foo Fighters’ San Luis Obispo Setlist (Sept. 13, 2025) (from Setlist.fm):
01. “All My Life”
02. “Rope”
03. “Have It All” (first time since 2015)
04. “Times Like These”
05. “Wattershed”
06. “Stacked Actors”
07. “La Dee Da”
08. “These Days”
09. “The Pretender”
10. “Walk”
11. “My Hero”
12. “Learn to Fly”
13. “Rescued”
14. “Aurora”
15. “This Is a Call”
16. “No Son of Mine”
17. “Shame Shame”
18. “White Limo”
19. “Winnebago” (first time since 2014)
20. “Best of You”
21. “Alone + Easy Target” (first time since 2018)
22. “Low”
23. “Monkey Wrench”
24. “Exhausted” (first time since 2014)
25. “Everlong”

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Cat Badra

Cat Badra is senior news and features writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.

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