COPING VIA MIXTAPE: THE FOO FIGHTERS

Welcome to Coping Via Mixtape, my first genuine feature on No Expiration!

Here's the deal: I can't get to all the shows I want to see. I don't have the bucks. Or even the time. So sometimes I pretend that I'm going to a show, even when I know I'm probably not actually going. That was the case when the Foo Fighters played MSG recently. So, I acted as if I was going, and psyched myself up (or out) by making a mixtape for the show. In this case, a mixtape of my favorite performances by Dave Grohl. Here they are:

Scream: "Caffine Dream" (Scream was the Washington D.C. based hardcore band Dave was in before Nirvana; as with Nirvana, he wasn't the original drummer).

Nirvana: "In Bloom"

The Backbeat Band: "Good Golly Miss Molly" (The Backbeat Band did the soundtrack to the 1994 film about the early days of the Beatles, Backbeat. Dave played drums, Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs sang John Lennon's part, Dave Pierner of Soul Asylum did Paul McCartney's Mike Mills of R.E.M. played bass, and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Don Flemming of Gumball played guitars.)

The Foo Fighters: "This Is A Call"

Reeves Gabrels: "Jewel" (Reeves was the guitarist in David Bowie's band; this song features Grohl, Bowie and Frank Black)

Mike Watt: "Big Train" (this is from the ex-Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist's solo debut; this song featured Dave on drums, Eddie Vedder on guitar and I think Krist Novoselic was on it too. The first time I saw The Foo Fighters was opening for Watt, before their first album came out. Eddie Vedder's then-wife's band, Hovercraft opened, Ed played drums. Then the Foo Fighters, then Watt, with Ed on guitar and Grohl on drums. At a small club. At the height of the "grunge" era. It was pretty incredble.)

Foo Fighters: "Monkey Wrench"

Queens Of The Stone Age: "No One Knows" (Dave was the drummer on their Songs For The Deaf album)

Probot: "Shake Your Blood" (Probot was Dave's totally awesome metal project, featuring a number of [mostly obscure] metal vocalists. Lemmy from Motorhead is on this one, he's easily the most famous guy on the album [other than Grohl])

Tenacious D: "Tribute" Dave not only played drums on thier debut album, but played Satan in the video.

Scream: "Gods Look Down" (Dave wrote and sang this one; I guess it's the first song he wrote and/or sang)

Nirvana: "Marigold" (the only Nirvana song that Dave wrote and sang; I think it was just Dave, with Krist on bass, I don't think Kurt Cobain was even on this song).

Nirvana: "Serve The Servants"

Iommi: "Goodbye Lament" (this is from Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi's solo debut. It featured lots of guest stars: Dave sang, wrote the lyrics and of course played drums on this. Brian May of Queen, a good friend of both Dave and Tony, also plays guitar)

Probot: "Red War" (featuring Max Cavalera from Sepultura and Soulfly; I think he wrote the lyrics shortly after 9/11)

Foo Fighters: "Stacked Actors"

Mike Watt: "Against The '70s" (also featuring Grohl and Eddie Vedder)

Queens Of The Stone Age: "First It Giveth"

Garbage: "Bad Boyfriend" (Garbage, of course, features Nevermind producer Butch Vig on drums, but Dave filled in for him on this one).

Foo Fighters: "Best Of You"

Foo Fighters: "The Pretender"

Tenacious D: "Beezleboss (The Final Showdown)" (Dave reprises the role of Satan on this one)

Pete Yorn: "For Us"

David Bowie: "I've Been Waiting For You" (Grohl plays guitar, not drums, on this Neil Young cover).