Five Times Dave Grohl Was The Coolest Dude In Rock ‘N’ Roll
Dave Grohl is a rock ‘n’ roll legend, rock ‘n’ roll royalty, or whatever title is bestowed upon someone that has been a key member of two legendary bands, Nirvana and The Foo Fighters. It’s not just his music that has made Grohl legendary in the world of music, it also has a lot to do with the person that he is, the way he treats his fans, and the fact that he will take a stand on issues and put the full muscle of his platform behind them to speak out. Also, he’s a really funny guy that seems like the kind of fella that would be a blast to sit out on the porch with, drinking something strong from a Mason jar.
There’s no single thing, or few things, that makes Grohl cool, but there are definitely a couple dozen times where he has done something that has left fans saying, “that is the coolest thing I have ever seen” or “he is the coolest guy ever!” Here are the five times Dave Grohl was the coolest guy in rock ‘n’ roll, in no particular order.
The Foo Fighters trolling the Westboro Baptist Church in 2011 prior to their show in Kansas City. The WBC was picketing the arena the Foo Fighters were playing because they were symbols of an industry that is “a microcosm of the people of this doomed nation… halfhearted, hell-bound, and hedonistic,” according to UpRoxx. Dressed as hillbillies with fake beards and all the necessary gear, the band parked a flatbed truck in front of the protest and began singing a country song that WBC picketers were actually getting into until Grohl began singing “hot man muffins” as a lyric, and the cheers turned to boos.
Grohl calls up an 8-year-old fan to sing with him live on stage. According to Loudwire, Grohl saw a kid in the audience singing along with “Times Like These,” and was so impressed that he brought him up to finish the song out. Of course, he also invited his parents up as well because as Grohl put it, “You better bring your Dad with you. Oh yeah, bring your mama. I’m not taking care of you, that’s for goddamn sure.”
David Letterman is such a big fan of Grohl and the Foo Fighters that they played his last show before closing the book on Late Night With David Letterman. With one song, they became a part of television history, ushered out a legend, and helped bring in a new era. When they played their hit “Everlong” to a montage of clips spanning Letterman’s career, it was not only a touching tribute, but it was also cited as the only choice for the final song on his show by The Guardian. Plus, the man can rock a tux.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKOtbVnV4M
Grohl stops a fight. Grohl has been adamant throughout his career that his shows are a place where all are welcome so long as they respect each other, and to prove it, he has stopped shows where he saw people fighting or otherwise disrespecting each other. One of those times was caught on camera, at the 2011 iTunes Festival in London. He stopped the show, called out the person that started the fight, and tossed him out saying, “You don’t come to my show to fight, you come to my show to dance!”
Grohl rocks it out with a broken leg. There was that time in 2015 when Grohl pushed on with the Foo Fighters’ tour, despite having a broken leg, and Roger Taylor and John Paul Jones popped up on stage to do a cover of the Queen/David Bowie classic “Under Pressure.” All you can say is legends recognize and attract other legends.
There are countless stories about the kindness, generosity, and overall coolness that Grohl exhibits. It’s one thing to be a good or even great musician, but it’s even better to be a good person, and by all accounts, that’s something Grohl has striven to be. Whether it is making a fan feel special, doing an awesome Christopher Walken impersonation, or telling fans that it is okay to like all kinds of music, whether it be his, Taylor Swift, PSY, or The Wiggles, it’s all good. That’s possibly the real reason he’s the coolest guy in rock ‘n’ roll.
