Taylor Hawkins: 10 Great Performances, With Foo Fighters and More

Backing Alanis Morissette on Letterman (1995)

Hawkins’ first high-profile gig wasn’t with the Foo Fighters; it was with Alanis Morissette. Like Morissette, Hawkins on the time was a twentysomething nonetheless figuring all of it out, embarking on an 18-month tour as 1995’s Jagged Little Capsule become a gargantuan success. This Letterman look is an early instance of the precision and infectious, hair-flailing enthusiasm Hawkins dropped at all of his performances. “She gave me lots of area to do what I wished,” Hawkins recalled of Morissette, whom he performed with till becoming a member of the Foos in 1997. “It was in all probability the largest album of the yr, and there was lots of stress on her. She was having to study to be this chief on the job, which isn’t straightforward. But it surely was actually one of the vital enjoyable instances of my life.” —C.H.

Powering the Foos Via “Monkey Wrench” (1997)

Grohl appreciated to joke that in the event that they ever made a Foo Fighters film, he’d wish to be performed by Christopher Walken. He knew what the dramatic turning level within the movie can be, too: “You may simply think about what it will sound like,” he advised Rolling Stone in 1997, doing a satisfactory Walken impression. “Me making the decision to Taylor to affix the band: ‘We want a drummer actual dangerous.’” You may see the moment influence Hawkins’ arrival made on the Foos on this Later … With Jools Holland efficiency from that very same yr. A brief-haired, clean-shaven, 25-year-old Hawkins is already an unstoppable dynamo, absolutely dialed in to the music and giving the Foos the rhythmic engine they wanted to blast off into greatness. —S.V.L.

Fronting a Quasi Zeppelin Reunion (2008)

Six months after Led Zeppelin’s beautiful reunion on the O2, Dave Grohl reunited half of the band (guitarist Jimmy Web page and bassist John Paul Jones) for an ad-hoc one-off at Wembley Stadium. With Grohl filling in for the late John Bonham on drums and Robert Plant absent, Taylor Hawkins mustered his finest Golden God for a searing rendition of “Rock and Roll.” The place many singers lose their higher vary as they enter their thirties, Hawkins (then age 36) hit Plant’s highest excessive notes effortlessly. “We performed ‘Rock and Roll’ with Taylor on turbocharged vocals and Dave on drums after which for ‘Ramble On,’ they swapped, with Taylor on drums and Dave Grohl on vocals,” Page wrote on Instagram following Hawkins’ demise. “We put in some critical variations of those two songs. It was so good to play with him. I actually admired him and he was an excellent musician: his approach, his vitality and spirited enthusiasm.” —Okay.G.

Presenting World-Class Rush Cosplay on the Rock Corridor (2013)

On the evening he helped induct Rush into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame in 2013, Taylor Hawkins provided two stunning tributes to considered one of his drumming heroes. The primary got here throughout his speech. “Fuckin’ Neil Peart … come on!” he enthused. “This man spawned a era of air drummers for many years to come back.” The second, extra spectacular homage arrived when he took the stage in full 1976 garb (a poufy wig and a flowy kimono) to carry out a flawless cowl of the raging instrumental overture to Rush’s high-prog landmark 2112 together with Dave Grohl on guitar and Nick Raskulinecz — who produced information for each Foo Fighters and Rush — on bass. The best half is when the precise members of Rush emerge alongside their doppelgängers to interrupt into “Tom Sawyer.” This clip completely sums up the way in which Hawkins all the time appeared just like the purest embodiment of each younger rock fan who obtained the prospect to reside out their adolescent goals each evening onstage — and who by no means did not kick ass whereas doing so. —H.S.

Serving to to Ship Letterman Off in Fashion (2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKOtbVnV4M

When David Letterman returned to his CBS late-night present after present process open-heart surgical procedure in 2000, he knew which band he wished to be there. “What about Foo Fighters?” he recalled telling producer Sheila Rogers. “She stated, ‘Nicely, I’ll ask them.’” As he recalled it, the Foos then canceled a tour simply so they might come again to New York and play “Everlong” at his request — that’s the type of stand-up guys all of them had been. Fifteen years later, when Letterman retired from the Late Present, he made the identical request for his closing musical visitor, and the Foos as soon as once more answered the decision. Hawkins was there in dapper black-tie, slamming away on “Everlong” and rising to the event, making Letterman’s final CBS present really feel like a memorable milestone in rock & roll as a lot as late-night TV. “God bless you, gents,” Letterman stated. “Thanks, and good evening.” —S.V.L.

Stealing the Present on a Killer “Keep With Me” (2015)

“Keep With Me” is a quintessential rock & roll music, and along with his hyperactive drumming, deep sense of groove, and raspy voice, Taylor Hawkins, a perpetual scholar of the rock canon, was the perfect conduit for revamping the Faces’ basic observe onstage. The Foo Fighters coated the music quite a few instances at festivals and live shows, typically bringing out particular friends — like Eagles of Demise Metallic guitarist Dave Catching within the model above on the 2015 Rock am Ring in Germany — for a bigger scale rock ensemble jam session. However regardless of who got here out to play with the Foos once they’d roll out “Keep With Me,” this was all the time Hawkins’ second. —E.M.

Teaming Up With “Gnarly” Peer Chad Smith on a Traditional Energy Ballad (2016)

Hawkins was rock’s best superfan, and his unabashed love for the style went manner past the core classic-rock cannon. Take his 2016 efficiency along with his facet venture the Coattail Riders, the place he coated Evening Ranger’s “Sister Christian” — the “Stairway to Heaven” of hair steel. Hawkins even introduced Purple Scorching Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith onstage, telling the group, “He’s one of many best of all time, there’s no query. I used to take a seat behind him when the Foo Fighters toured with the Chili Peppers again in ‘99. Me and Dave would simply be like, ‘Oh my fucking god, he’s so gnarly.’” Smith manned the keyboard in shades whereas Hawkins sat on the drum equipment, singing and taking part in Kelly Keagy’s components as he delivered the facility ballad. Evening Ranger paid tribute to Hawkins following the information of his demise, writing, “We all the time obtained a kick seeing Taylor cowl ‘Sister Christian.’ Our ideas are along with his household and buddies. Heaven simply obtained a little bit louder.” —A.M.

Doing His Finest David Lee Roth (and Alex Van Halen) With Chevy Metallic (2019)

Taylor Hawkins noticed his many facet tasks as an opportunity to have an absurd quantity of enjoyable and reside out his childhood rock-star fantasies. That was actually the impetus for the formation of Chevy Metallic, a bunch he began along with his longtime buddies Wiley Hodgden and Mick Murphy. Within the phrases of the band, they had been a “70s dirt-rock cowl band” that centered on the music of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Queen. Take a look at this video from their Might 4, 2019, set at California’s BeachLife Fest the place they did a set of strictly Van Halen covers from the David Lee Roth period. Hawkins spends the set going forwards and backwards between the drums and the entrance of the stage as he belts out classics like “Scorching for Trainer,” “Panama,” and “Imply Streets.” He liked his time within the Foos, however he additionally lived for nights like this. —A.G.

Nailing Queen’s “Someone to Love” at MSG (2021)

Taylor Hawkins’ easy vocal activates Queen’s “Someone to Love” (considered one of Freddie Mercury’s most difficult vocal performances) had been one of the vital talked-about components of Foo Fighters excursions lately. When the band performed Madison Sq. Backyard in June 2021, only a few months after individuals began getting Covid vaccines and will begin gathering collectively once more, he insisted on performing the music as his younger son, Shane, appeared on. “Fuckin’ Madison Sq. Backyard,” he stated beforehand. “A yr in the past, I didn’t see this.” With Grohl behind the drum equipment, Hawkins carried out acrobatic feats of vocal dexterity as he hit each impassioned excessive notice, each craving low notice. Watching the band construct the music again up after its quiet half — “I would like someone to like” — was emotional then, as a declaration of freedom from the clutches of the Covid pandemic, and it’s much more so now, seeing Hawkins getting swept away by the music. —Okay.G.

Exploring New Realms of Rock With NHC (2021)

Taylor Hawkins liked the whole lot about being a part of the Foo Fighters, even when his function within the songwriting course of was considerably restricted. “Foo Fighters may be very a lot Dave’s band,” Hawkins advised Rolling Stone in late 2021. “Plenty of instances, once we make a Foo Fighters document, Dave has demos which might be fairly near what he needs to listen to. We simply go in and fill within the blanks.” That’s why Hawkins devoted a lot of his time to outdoors tasks when the Foos had been inactive. The latest one was his “Yacht Goth Supergroup” NHC that he shaped with Dave Navarro and bassist Chris Chaney throughout the pandemic. Their debut LP has but to be launched, however they shared a handful of songs like “Feed the Merciless” late final yr, and even performed a few West Coast exhibits. An American tour was within the works for this yr, and Hawkins had large concepts for it that can sadly by no means be realized. “I type of think about our reside present being someplace between Rush and the Faces,” he advised Rolling Stone. “I need there to be a looseness, a celebration vibe. My angle is, ‘If you happen to’re right here, rise up on the stage and play with us.’ Let’s simply say America is there. We’ve got no drawback getting them up there and taking part in ‘Ventura Freeway.’ America, when you’re round, be a part of the gang.” —A.G.