Foo Fighters play musical tribute to late drummer Taylor Hawkins on SNL

Saturday Night Live first-time host Nate Bargatze welcomed the Foo Fighters, who were there for the second time without Taylor Hawkins, and for the ninth time in total. Except for a sudden comment by break-out featured player Marcello Hernandez that took the band and audience by surprise, everything went smoothly.

The tantalizing yet tense highlight of the show was when Bargatze had barely finished introducing the Foo Fighters, and Hernandez made a witty comment, “Or should we say Boo Fighters?” Initially, the lead singer-guitarist shrieked in disbelief. But Hernandez smartly clarified his comment, albeit with a sheepish look, “Because it’s Halloween, you know, like ‘Boo Fighters’?”

To this blatant answer, Grohl’s words had a worrisome start, “You know what man?...,” before dispelling all suspense, “That’s the best idea I’ve ever heard!” The rest of the Foo Fighters were seen fighting grins in agreement. The band was set to perform songs from their latest album But We Are Here.

However, the best part of the show was the band’s second performance of the night. Continuing to play songs from But We Are Here, the band began pelting the notes of The Glass, an elegiac song that mourns the loss of a friend and how one is forced to go through life without the person.

The song was David Grohl’s tribute to the band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who had started playing with them in 1999, and had passed away in 2022. It’s iconic line, “I had a person I loved, and just like that/ I was left to live without him, left to live without him,” resonates deep within all who have loved and lost. The singer was joined by HER, both in vocals and instrument, to make a mark, by taking the song The Glass, to the next level.