There’s something about the Foo Fighters, the headliner at this weekend’s Virgin Fest in Baltimore, that made them a classic as soon as they formed in the 1990s.
As rock fans know, Dave Grohl formed the band in 1995 after the suicide of Kurt Cobain and the breakup of Nirvana. Though the band may have been formed as something of a side project for Grohl, it has steadily maintained top chart positions and a highly engaging stage show.
“We all work at it, but Dave is in charge; he’s the man,” said bass player Nate Mendl, the only original band member except for Grohl. “[Engaging the fans] is a special responsibility, and he — and we — all take it very seriously. We try to send out [metaphoric] tentacles into the audience. … We want to make sure everybody feels the show is a communal thing. It matters to us.”
Consider that setting the tone for this year’s Virgin Fest which includes nationally acclaimed musicians including Nine Inch Nails, the newly reformed Stone Temple Pilots, ‘Lil Wayne, Kanye West, newcomer Duffy, Citizen Cope and many others.
Each of these musicians, in their own ways, hold similar affection for their fans. When Foo Fighters recently played a sold-out show at Wembley, it designed an “in the round” stage because of its concerns some fans wouldn’t be able to see the band. Consider Nine Inch Nails which bested ticket scalpers by reserving the best seats in each venue at which the band will play on its recent tour. The band worked out a system to ensure fans will receive those tickets.
Chicago musician Andrew Bird basically rewrites songs on the fly during shows to ensure each audience has a special experience. Of course D.C.’s own Citizen Cope, aka Clarence Greenwood, writes songs that bring personal messages about his experiences and views to fans.
“I make my own sound from what I feel,” Cope said. “I have fans who respond to that sound for whatever reason. If I lose that feeling, I’ll stop.”
Hopefully there’s little chance of that, at least for the time being, as the musicians tune up for the Fest and take massive doses of inspiration from each other and the fans.
“We are always working on our live shows,” said Mendl. “Ever since the first time when we played large venues and headlined, we’ve challenged ourselves to make the shows better and better.”
