The strum of a guitar can open a gate full of memories to come flooding back. To many, the Foo Fighters have brought unforgettable experiences since the ‘90s, creating a sense of nostalgia today. So when they arrived to the Suncity to play at the Don Haskins Center for the first time Oct. 5, the Foo Fighters showed that rock and roll never dies, regardless of how much time has passed.
With El Paso seemingly becoming a more frequent stop for musicians on tour, fans filled the Don Haskin’s Center with harmony. Tickets for the Foo Fighters sold out within minutes and gave almost 12,000 fans the opportunity to sing with them. It is ‘Times Like These’ where fans forever cherish the memory of seeing their favorite band live in their hometown.
It was throwback Thursday, as reminiscence filled the air both outside in the lines to get in and followed inside with much anticipation. This concert allowed many lifetime listeners of the Foo Fighters to see them for the first time. One concert goer, Quetta Rodriguez, has been listening to the Foo Fighters since her time in the military and now, after many years, she is seeing them in concert for the first time.
“It’s been forever [since I’ve been listening to the Foo Fighters],” Rodriguez said. “I was stationed in the military, and I learned about them when I was stationed overseas. It’s been a very, very long time.”
Disregarding the distance, Rodriguez flew from San Antonio to El Paso to see the Foo Fighters.
“We actually flew in today for this [concert],” Rodriguez said. “I’m so excited, I’ve been wanting to see them forever.”
To preserve the memory, fans bought tour merchandise. Countless number of Foo Fighter T-Shirts and hoodies were worn throughout the stadium. Dedicating artwork to each city, The Foo Fighters X El Paso poster featured a rattlesnake ablaze to capture the city. These posters were exclusive to El Paso and concert goer Julian Medina mentions how buying merchandise helps savor the memory of the experience.
“I just got one of their limited-edition El Paso posters,” Medina said. “I really wanted to pick this up because, as I go to concerts, I like to get memorabilia.”
Tour merchandise is exclusive, however merchandise created by fans is special. Kyleigh and Jacob Smelser decorated black jean jackets for a previous Foo Fighters concert to have one-of-a-kind clothing.
“They took a month to make,” Kyleigh said. “[Jacob’s jacket] has the embroidered hawk. That’s for Taylor Hawkins, the drummer who died from the Foo Fighters. We made them for the tribute concert they had for him last year.”
Taylor Hawkins, previous drummer for the Foo Fighters, passed away March 2022. Remembrance of Hawkins stayed prominent throughout the concert and. ‘Aurora’ was sang in tribute to the late drummer during the night.
As the Foo Fighters graced the stage during the night, Dave Grohl commented on his admiration for El Paso, because of its unique environment.
“I can’t believe it took us 30 years to play here, that’s crazy,” Grohl said. “[It’s] been a long time coming.”
A combination of both classic and new songs were performed throughout the night. Hits like “My Hero.” “All My Life” and ‘Monkey Wrench’ had fans jamming to every song. As the concert was nearing its end, fans anticipated one of Foo Fighter’s biggest songs. The Foo Fighters left the stage without performing the much anticipated song, leaving fans waiting. With a sweet surprise at the end that fans didn’t expect after they thought the band had finished, the Foo Fighters came back out with an encore, the final song and parting words.
“It’s never goodbye, but ‘Everlong.’”
Sofia Sierra is a contributor and may be reached at [email protected]
