Live, Love and Connect: viva The Foo Fighters

Regina, Edmonton & Vancouver—

Three shows, seven days
2,043 km driven
Seven reunions with friends
145,500+ fans sharing songs and special moments 

“It’s pure joy,” exclaims Karyn Decore, describing the scene while she and I stand just off the stage, looking out over the 43,500 Foo fanatics packing Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on a perfect night in mid-September.

“The anticipation of having these tickets on our calendar,” explains Naomi Kerchinsky, “when we bought these in October of last year, it’s so much fun to have something like this to look forward too.”  

 Kerchinsky, her hubby Aaron, 61,000+ other fans and I enjoyed 31 years of Foo Fighters memories over their three-hour Vancouver BC Place set.

One of the lines from a very famous Foo Fighters anthem: 

It’s times like these; you learn to live again. It’s times like these you learn to love again. 

- Times Like These, The Foo Fighters

Words written to this song 23+ years ago, are now more important than ever in an era of AI.  

For me, going on tour, reconnecting with friends, teaches me – or reminds me - to carry my own gratitude for our ability to learn, to love and to connect.

“Bands of this size don’t come to Regina,” says massage therapist, Josh Apperley.  With over three decades of experience behind them, The Foo Fighters have always been very thoughtful in building their tour stops, ensuring over the years to stop in smaller cities, allowing their massive fan base the opportunity to see them live.  

Consideration all around, whether it's stopping in smaller markets, or in whichever city they do play, putting out an electrified experience three hours long—this is standard practice for this band.  

Or how about including a signature graphic designer in each stop who designs that night’s one-of-a-kind poster; congrats too, Gigart (Regina), Canadian’s @SaraDeck (Edmonton’s, https://saradeck.com/index.html) and @Pathamou (Vancouver’s poster, http://www.pathamou.net/)

A band made up by musicians, each legends of their own. Pat Smear played guitar alongside drummer (and now Foo Fighters frontman) Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain in Nirvana. 

The Foo’s keyboardist Rami Jaffee spent 15 years with the Wallflowers (hit song One Headlight). Lead guitarist Chris Shiflett player for the band No Use for a Name, paving the way for punk rock to gain notoriety in the mid-90’s.

Bassist Nate Mendel—who was an investor with Grohl, in the start-up of Nelson’s Baldface Cat Ski operation (100% fact)—prior to the Foo with the band Sunny Day Real Estate. And how about Ilan Rubin, backing the drums for over 16 years with the Nine Inch Nails, before joining the Foo Fighters in mid 2025.  

Those of us in the crowd in September 2026 will likely not forget anytime soon the energy Rubin brought to the drums during these shows, or when Dave handed him his guitar so he and Grohl could switch roles for a tune. We all watched in awe as Rubin slayed his moment front and centre stage.

We @festivalseekers exist for times like these. Sign up for our e-newsletter so we can keep you connected.

Whether it’s following your favorite band across multiple cities or showing up for that local show down the block or booking your festival tickets ASAP for next summer, we believe supporting live music is key to keeping our souls charged in all the right ways.

As Grohl said in some his final words to us in each of these shows, “by now, you all know how this works, we’ll put out another album in the next few, and in about two years from now, we will be back on tour.”  For me - having now 23 live experiences with this band - that time can’t come soon enough.

Know Before You Go: Foo facts

Like disco? Did you know during COVID the Foo Fighters put out a disco cover album of Bee Gee’s tunes? 100% the truth, it’s called “Hail Satin” with the Foo moonlighting as the Dee Gees. A favorite of mine from this classic is their remake of the Bee Gee’s song “Tragedy."

Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways is a classic rock docuseries showcasing the road trip helping to inspire the album with the same name—a video production that took home two Daytime Emmy Awards (2014). 

Timed right for Halloween, check out Studio 666, the Foo’s first ever horror movie (2022).

And if you haven’t had the chance yet, pick up Grohl’s book, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music and learn all about his significant connections to Canada.

If you want to score pre-sale ticket access for their 2028 tour, sign up to their e-newsletter off the home page of their official website.

Long live the Foo and long live the experience of connecting with our friends while getting our socks rocked off!