John Fogerty, Rick Springfield + Stevie Nicks Rock NYC With Dave Grohl and the ‘Sound City’ Players
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame assembled an all-star cast of musicians for his new documentary 'Sound City,' and for the lucky fans in select cities, he has been taking the show on the road with him. Following performances in Park City, Utah, and Los Angeles, the Sound City Players hit New York City for a one-night stand last night (Feb. 13) at Hammerstein Ballroom.
The 'Sound City' documentary chronicles the famed Los Angeles studio where such acts as Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Cheap Trick and others have recorded landmark albums. These gigs celebrate the studio, the documentary and the musicians themselves by screening footage from the film in between live sets.
The three-and-a-half-hour concert was highlighted by sets featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival star John Fogerty and Fleetwood Mac chanteuse Stevie Nicks.
Grohl may have been the star of the show, as he played drums or guitar in every set of the night, but the night's MVP was Fogerty. The CCR legend's seven-song set was by far the most powerful one of the evening, as he was backed by the entire Foo Fighters band. Fogerty sounded as good as ever on such classics as 'Born on the Bayou,' 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Fortunate Son,' the last of which he traded verses with Grohl.
Stevie Nicks was the night's final performer and was also joined onstage by the entire Foo Fighters lineup. While not as energetic as Fogerty's set, Nicks delivered an emotional and stirring performance. After duetting with Grohl on 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,' she introduced the next song, 'You Can't Fix This.' The tune was recorded specifically for the 'Sound City' soundtrack and deals with the tragic loss of Nicks' 18-year-old godson at a fraternity party. The Fleetwood Mac singer closed out the night with the classics 'Dreams,' 'Landslide' and 'Gold Dust Woman.'
Earlier in the evening, Rick Springfield offered up a five-song set that featured a cover of Sammy Hagar's 'I've Done Everything for You' and was highlighted by his infectious hit 'Jessie's Girl.'
Right before Springfield's gig, guitarist Rick Nielsen was joined by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic for a five-song set that was made up of mostly Cheap Trick tunes. In the two previous Sound City shows, Corey Taylor of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour had taken lead vocals during this set, but due to previous commitments was replaced on this night by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who struggled to hit the notes on Cheap Trick classics like 'I Want You To Want Me' and Surrender.'
The night kicked off with sets by Alain Johannes of Queens of the Stone Age, Chris Goss of Masters of Reality and Lee Ving of Fear, all joined by various members of Foo Fighters. Check out the night's entire setlist here.
All told, it was a very memorable evening of music in New York City. Find out more about the 'Sound City' movie at this location, and check out our exclusive photos from last night's show below:
Check Out Photos of the Sound City Players in New York City:
John Fogerty Set:
Rick Springfield Set:
Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick's Set:
Lee Ving Set:
Chris Goss Set:
Al Johannes Set: