MASSACHUSETTS: Son of late drummer Taylor Hawkins, Shane Hawkins, carries on his father's legacy as Foo Fighters pay tribute. The Foo Fighters performed at the Boston Calling music festival for their second show of the most recent tour in a moving homage to their late drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Shane Hawkins, Taylor's 17-year-old son, joined the band on drums during their performance of 'I'll Stick Around' at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston, Massachusetts. Taylor died on March 25, 2022, while touring with the band in Colombia, leaving a tremendous loss to the band and the music world.
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'Ladies and gentlemen, Shane Hawkins!'
Frontman Dave Grohl, as per People, exclaimed to the fans before the concert. "How about we do a song with one of my favorite drummers in the world? Ladies and gentlemen, Shane Hawkins!" The crowd, the report said, erupted with enthusiasm as Shane took his place behind the drum set, carrying on his father's legacy.
The band was intended to perform alongside Taylor Hawkins at the music festival in 2022, but their withdrawal was forced by the tragic and untimely death of the drummer in March of that year at the age of 50.
This moving concert was the Foo Fighters' second with their new drummer, Josh Freese, who joined the band lately. While it is uncertain whether Freese, 50, would become a permanent member, he has effortlessly filled the position for live performances, joining Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee. Freese's joining would make him the band's third drummer, following Hawkins and William Goldsmith, who both featured on the 1997 album 'The Colour and Shape.'
'I'm gonna do it for Taylor's family'
Dave Grohl candidly addressed the difficulties they faced playing again without their cherished drummer as the Foo Fighters hit the stage. He shared with the crowd, "I'm gonna do it for Taylor's family, and I'm gonna do it for Taylor because we used to sing it together." Grohl's description of the band as a family that had supported one another on their journey highlighted the close camaraderie that the members shared. “So our band is truly like a family. Because we’ve been together for so long, we truly love each other. So tonight, all of our families are here because we have to do this together," he further said.
'I feel like let's do it together'
Grohl continued, "It's a funny feeling being up here with you guys tonight, but I feel like let's do it together, we can make this thing feel alright." In a poignant conclusion to the show, an emotional Dave Grohl dedicated the band's classic hit 'Monkey Wrench' to "Shane and the Hawkins family," further emphasizing the band's heartfelt remembrance of Taylor and the profound impact he had on their lives. Through their music and the inclusion of Shane, the Foo Fighters ensured that Taylor Hawkins' legacy would endure, keeping his spirit alive in the hearts of both the band and their devoted fans.
