Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl made an unexpected appearance at the second weekend of Coachella, joining conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for unique orchestral renditions of two of the band’s iconic tracks. On Saturday, April 19, Grohl took the stage with his guitar at the Outdoor Theatre in Indio, California, delivering powerful performances of “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” and “Everlong.”
Venezuelan maestro Dudamel, who has served as the Los Angeles Philharmonic‘s music director since 2009 and is slated to lead the New York Philharmonic next year, conducted the orchestra during this surprising collaboration. The performance marked a significant moment for the LA Phil, representing their debut at the renowned music festival. Gustavo Dudamel described playing Coachella as “a dream,” noting: “I think we were always waiting to see who would take the steps to say, ‘Let’s do this.'” He added: “It’s wonderful because of all the work that we have done at the Hollywood Bowl, playing every summer with so many artists with different styles. I think the road took us to this moment, to celebrate all of these years in such an iconic place where classical music is not usually part of the message.”
Grohl‘s appearance at Coachella was his first time performing Foo Fighters songs publicly since August 2024. In the intervening months, Grohl made headlines for acknowledging that he “fathered a child out of wedlock.” In a September 2024 Instagram post, the musician stated: “I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness.” He has since made several high-profile returns to the stage, including performances with his surviving Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear at the FireAid LA benefit concert in January and the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert in February.
Notably, Foo Fighters have not performed as a band since Grohl‘s personal revelation. Furthermore, reports in October indicated that Foo Fighters are planning to go on an “indefinite hiatus.” This followed the band’s “unexpectedly canceled their scheduled performance at the Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with only three days’ notice.” Hellfest founder Ben Barbaud also revealed that “Foo Fighters cancelled their summer tour,” leading to Muse being called in as a headliner.
