November 6, 2000

Queens Of The Stone Age - Atlanta Tabernacle

With help from the Queens, Dave Grohl's taught this crowd a thing or two about rock in the now...

A lot of people stateside dismiss Foo Fighters fans as musical
lightweights. Like, it's so NOT cool to dig the band of Nirvana's
drummer! Didn't they learn anything from Kurt Cobain? Well, apparently
they learned quite well how to spot rock and roll when they see it. After everyone from Grandaddy (Elliott Smith) to David Bowie (NIN) have been overlooked in opening slots by rabid headlining fans, Queens Of The Stone Age must be enjoying their reception as much as the crowd are enjoying the Queens' heavy metal onslaught.

They've toned down their attack slightly from their own
club tour earlier this year, but only in the way that a punch in the face is only slightly less painful than a kick to the head. 'Feel Good Hit Of The Summer' starts their set and 'The Lost Art
of Keeping a Secret' ends it. The band only stop long enough for
frontman Josh Homme to lift up his beer and say "Cheers" to the crowd. The feeling was mutual.

The Foos storm onstage with 'Breakout' and Dave Grohl has everyone here
hanging onto his every word. When he tells some moshers that It's much
cooler to "jump up and down" than "hit each other on the head" the pit
disappears immediately. Later, during 'Stacked Actors' he stays true to
the song by putting down his guitar and actually climbing up into the
rafters. Tonight's show is being taped for pay television but Grohl says "he doesn't give a shit what it sounds like on TV, as long as you guys are
happy!"

And who wouldn't be with songs like 'My Hero', 'I'll Stick Around'
and recent radio favourite 'Learning to Fly'. The night before, Dave took over local alternative radio and played everything from Beach Boys and Kraftwerk to Buzzcocks and Black Flag. He may be a devoted student of music's past, but tonight, with help from the Queens, he's taught this crowd a thing or two about rock in the now.

Christopher Huttman