Dave Grohl “Band on the Run”

Last night I was channel-surfing and came across a teriffic PBS special- a White House tribute to Sir Paul McCartney (actually a repeat from earlier this summer). President Obama was presenting the former Beatle with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The event was quite formal, with a restrained air of dignity and sophistication and a few sublime performances from such entertainers as Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris, who all sang covers of various Beatles / McCartney songs. One really special performance was “Band on the Run” by Dave Grohl, former drummer for Nirvana and current guitarist and frontman for the Foo Fighters. What I loved so much about it was that, well– he rocked his arse off, just like he always does! Never mind that President Obama was a few feet away, along with a stiff mix of seniors, suits and politicians that had likely paid thousands of dollars for tickets. Grohl blew the doors off the song like he was playing Lollapalloza, or an LA bar or something. Killer riffs. Hair flying. Ears ringing. It was great, and you could tell that McCartney and everyone else really dug it. I know I did. It was also a great reminder of what a versatile performer Grohl is and what a really talented songwriter McCartney is. Here’s the vid. Enjoy!