Setlist + Video - Foo Fighters Play Surprise Comeback Show, First With New Drummer

Yesterday afternoon (Sept. 13), Loudwire reported on Foo Fighters announcing that they’d be playing a surprise “intimate, last-minute show” later that night in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Well, Dave Grohl and company did just that, resulting in an awesome performance that was simultaneously Foo Fighters' first concert in over a year and their first concert with now-official new drummer Ilan Rubin.

What Foo Fighters Played + Rubin Officially Joins the Band

The show took place at the 900-capacity Fremont Theater, and as confirmed by setlist.fm, it was their first concert since their show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2024 (which was their last one with ex-drummer Josh Freese, too).

According to NME, at some point during the night, Grohl confirmed that Rubin is now officially Foo Fighters’ latest drummer, too!

“Everybody else has said it, I finally get the opportunity to say, ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome, the most badass motherfucker, Ilan Rubin, is playing drums in the Foo Fighters. It’s official,” Grohl told the crowd (via NME).

Luckily, a fan posted a video of the announcement to Reddit, and NME also notes that the band have “updated their Facebook profile picture with an image of them with Rubin.”

Roughly halfway into the night, Grohl introduced the band after commenting on the show:

It’s safe to say that we’ve never played here before. But what a perfect place to pick up where we left off a fucking year ago. . . . How many of you fucking sat out in that line all night long? No shit? Well, guess what. You’re fucking badasses for doing that. There was this part of me that was like, “I hope some people show up.” Then, someone sent me this thing with the line around the block and I was like, “When we get in here tonight, I gotta thank you crazy motherfuckers for standing outside.” It’s very sweet of you. That’s awesome.

As for what they played, and surprisingly enough, they only did one song from their latest LP (2023’s But Here We Are): “Rescued.”

Of course, they pulled out some major hits, too – “Times Like These,” “Learn to Fly,” “My Hero,” “Best of You” and “Everlong” among them – as well as three songs that they haven’t done live in at least a decade: “Have It All,” “Exhausted” and their cover of “Winnebego” (originally released by Grohl on 1990’s Pocketwatch cassette album under the pseudonym Late!).

You can view Foo Fighters’ entire setlist (and see fan-filmed videos) below. Likewise, you can check out all of Foo Fighters’ upcoming tour dates (and grab tickets) here!

READ MORE: The Most Collected Albums By 11 Big '90s Rock Bands (on Discogs)

Foo Fighters’ San Luis Obispo Setlist (Sept. 13, 2025)

01. “All My Life”
02. “Rope”
03. “Have It All” (first time since 2015)
04. “Times Like These”
05. “Wattershed”
06. “Stacked Actors”
07. “La Dee Da”
08. “These Days”
09. “The Pretender”
10. “Walk”
11. “My Hero” (preceded by band introductions)
12. “Learn to Fly”
13. “Rescued”
14. “Aurora”
15. “This Is a Call”
16. “No Son of Mine” (with Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" interpolation)
17. “Shame Shame”
18. “White Limo”
19. “Winnebago” (Late! cover) (first time since 2014)
20. “Best of You”
21. “Alone + Easy Target” (first time since 2018)
22. “Low”
23. “Monkey Wrench”
24. “Exhausted” (first time since 2014)
25. “Everlong”

via setlist.fm

Dave Grohl Announces Ilan Rubin as New Foo Fighters Drummer (Sept. 13, 2025)

Dave Grohl Talks About Show + Introduces Band (Sept. 13, 2025)

Foo Fighters, “Have It All” (Sept. 13, 2025)

Foo Fighters, “All My Life” (Sept. 13, 2025)

Foo Fighters, “Winnebago” (Sept. 13, 2025)

Foo Fighters, “Exhausted” (Sept. 13, 2025)

Other Clips

Foo Fighters’ Recent Drummer Swaps + Other Recent News

Back in May of 2025, Loudwire reported on Josh Freese (who replaced late drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2023) being replaced himself.

“The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they've decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer.’ No reason was given. . . . In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I've never been let go from a band, so while I'm not angry - just a bit shocked and disappointed,” Freese wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

Two months later, it was revealed that Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails were swapping drummers, with Freese rejoining NIN (where he was a touring member from 2005 to 2008) and former NIN percussionist Ilan Rubin leaving after having been with the band off-and-on since 2008.

Even before joining NIN, Rubin was an accomplished musician, and both his placements in the Guinness Book of World Records (as ‘the youngest musician to ever play a Woodstock stage” with pop-punk band F.O.N.) and his 2020 induction into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (with NIN) further demonstrated that he was ready for Foo Fighters.

Likewise, Freese later commented that Rubin is “a phenomenal drummer” who’s “perfect for the [Foo Fighters] gig.” So, Rubin even got his predecessor’s seal of approval.

In their announcement post for last night’s show, Foo Fighters also “including a minute-long snippet of music” that’s “heavy,” “vocal-less” and “stacked with furious guitars and aggressive, punkish drums” (per Loudwire).

Loudwire continued: “It’s unclear whether it’s a new, as-yet-unreleased Foo Fighters song or perhaps an old vault track that’s never seen the light of day.”

You can hear the song sample below: