Foo Fighters rocks 150 at record-store gig in Niles

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By KALEA HALL

khall@vindy.com

NILES

Amy Ronyak waited “Everlong” to see the Foo Fighters. That’s why she rushed at the opportunity that came this week to see them perform at the Record Connection in Niles on Saturday.

“Dave Grohl is one of the last original rockers left,” she said. “He isn’t about the fame. He is about giving back to the fans.”

Like Grohl, the 23-year-old is native to Warren — making the experience even more special.

Warren proudly promotes its Grohl connection with “Dave Grohl Alley.”

The Foo Fighters, fronted by Grohl, could have gone elsewhere to perform in a small venue in celebration of National Record Store Day. But then someone told Grohl he ought to play in the town where he was born.

The band already was slated to perform nearby at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland last night.

The Record Connection happened to be the venue for the epic show that took place from noon to 1 p.m.

Grohl rolled up to Pine Tree Plaza on his burgundy-colored motorcycle while 150 lucky – and ecstatic – fans waited inside a small storefront a few doors down from Record Connection. Inside the store-turned-rock-venue, records dangled from the ceiling along with quotes from Grohl, a 2015 ambassador of Record Store Day.

“I believe that the power of the record store to inspire is still alive and well, and their importance to our next generation of musicians is crucial,” one of Grohl’s quotes read.

From the moment Grohl and the band got on stage, the crowd did not stop rocking – and neither did the band.

Grohl told the crowd he just found out his uncle’s first job was at a shoe store around the corner.

“Grandma’s house is right up the street,” he said.

It was a show that many in the crowd knew would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They waited for hours, some of them sleeping outside of the store or in their cars Wednesday night so they could make the concert list.

Foo opened the show with “White Limo,” a heavier rock song that ignited the pumped-up crowd.

Once the music began, it revved the room, sending chills.

The small venue was hot, but Grohl wanted it to be hotter. It was loud, but he wanted it louder.

“Arlandria,” “Congregation,” and “Pretender” were next on the list.

Solo time came and Grohl, former drummer for Nirvana, took over for Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters’ drummer. Hawkins took on a vocal solo.

Grohl jumped back on the microphone and finished “Pretender” with the crowd’s help.

“Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you?”

The crowd really lost it with “My Hero.”

They sang with the band and to the band: “There goes my hero, watch him as he goes.”

It seemed as if concert-goers were yelling to Grohl, their rock hero whose long brown hair was flying to the music.

The final song was the band’s cover of “Kids of America.”

Rolling Stone, the legendary rock magazine, posted a review of the Niles concert on its website Saturday night, and of the performance of “The Pretender,” the magazine note:

“Over the course of 15 minutes, the song swung from buzzing, shoegaze-leaning passages to a section that conjured images of back country bar band stomping its way through a sweaty roadhouse boogie.” Record Connection owner Jeff Burke, who has owned the shop since 1980, called Saturday the greatest day of his life. It all started when he worked with a customer one day who took interest in his store.

It turned out the customer was a scout sent out by the Foo Fighters management team.

Burke got a call a few days later, offering the rock show.

“I said, ‘What do I have to do to make this happen?’” Burke said.

After running around all day Saturday selling records and prepping for the concert, Burke said he felt humbled.

“I worked hard for 35 years,” he said. “What a payoff!”

The concert, he said, ignited a fire in him and the business.

It did the same for the fans.

Ronyak walked away with guitar picks that Grohl himself handed to her.

“It was the greatest experience of my life,” she said.

Shala and Dan Kearsey of Ravenna left with the set list, guitar picks and a drum stick.

Shaking, Shala said, “It was spectacular.”

That it was. And Grohl himself said so, while thanking the crowd for coming.

“We will see you again,” he told concert-goers. “But there’s no way it could be cooler than this.”