Foo Fighters

Photo by Gary Miller

Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl wanted to play for a good long while Sunday night. "Till they call the cops on us!" he howled upon first addressing the crowd. "All My Life" already seared; "Times Like These" ripped; "Learn to Fly" struck. The former Nirvana drummer wears it on his sleeve, all the joy and excitement that accompanies 13 years on the road as the Foos. He loves playing in a band – needs it almost – and with drummer Taylor Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel, guitarist Chris Shiflett, and company following suit, Virginia's shag-haired rock revivalist captained a ship built to bring a tired, beaten, but never broken crowd home after three days spent at full tilt. Not all the attention shot directly toward the dark-haired wielder of that Gibson DG-335. Violinist Jessy Greene (once of the Geraldine Fibbers) led a country rock shuffle, and Drew Hester, the "best triangle soloist in the history of the world," lived up to the title. Hawkins handled vox duties on "Cold Day in the Sun" as Grohl, ever the enthusiast, stepped aside in power stance, head banging and hair flying before remaining alone on stage for an improbable cut of "Everlong." Two high-octane set closers, a stretched out "Monkey Wrench" and tight counterpart "The Pretender," finished up early, leaving time for three-part encore "Big Me," "Aurora," and "Best of You." Grohl thanked Austin mercilessly, but thanks go to the Foo Fighters. It's they who swept through town like a firestorm, intent on shutting down ACL 2008 and leaving no doubt the deed was done by a group of screamin', spittin', cussin' rock stars.