Taylor Hawkins was a through-and-through rock drummer who never shied away from showing his enthusiasm. The longtime Foo Fighters drummer died on Friday at the age of 50, shocking the music world and drawing tributes from everyone from Stevie Nicks to Questlove. “The Foo Fighters family is devastated,” the band wrote in a statement that night. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.”
Hawkins defined his style of playing with impeccably polished drum fills, breathable verses built around staccato hits, and a toothy grin that never left his face. Dave Grohl later referred to Hawkins as his “best friend and partner in crime” in his memoir The Storyteller, and his other bandmates credit him as the force behind Foo Fighters’ now legendary live shows. “He came into a band that was pretty scrappy… and then was like, ‘Hang on a second, what if we become good,’” Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel told Rolling Stone.
In the process, Hawkins’ drumming work became a pillar of modern-day alternative rock, and his radiant charisma would rub off on everyone he met along the tour route. To remember one of today’s great rock drummers, here are five definitive live performances.
“You Oughta Know” (Letterman, 1995)
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When he was 23 years old, Hawkins joined Alanis Morissette as her touring drummer in support of Jagged Little Pill. It was a turning point in both artists’ careers, and Hawkins made it clear he was a star in the making without ever stealing the limelight from Morissette herself. During her TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1995, Morissette performed a goosebump-raising rendition of “You Oughta Know” that explodes with each chorus. That’s in part thanks to Hawkins’ ferocious drumming. At every turn, from the song’s dreamy interlude to those relentless drum fills in its final reprise, he’s putting on a show that warrants attention from the viewers tuning in nationwide. Clearly it worked.
“Everlong” (Letterman, 1997)
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Letterman is a longtime fan of Foo Fighters, and he’s never hidden his love for the band. He invited them to play his first show back after heart surgery and his final episode in 2015. Looking back at their first Letterman performance with Hawkins in the band, it’s obvious why the talk-show host proudly labeled Foo Fighters his “favorite band.” There’s a raw energy to their 1997 performance of “Everlong” that speaks to the invigorating nature of rock music. Dave Grohl’s voice is still rough around the edges, Nate Mendel has a steady yet meek bass presence, and Franz Stahl offers a lively guitar counterpart despite his short-lived presence in the band.
Hawkins, however, is so polished that it’s impossible to find a moment where he slips up. He mirrors the exact drum track heard on the recorded version of “Everlong” from The Colour and the Shape while adding an extra bit of flair. That feat is extra impressive considering Hawkins wasn’t even the drummer who tracked that version; Grohl plays drums on the album because Foo Fighters’ original drummer, William Goldsmith of Sunny Day Real Estate, left the band mid-recording sessions. Hawkins lands drum fill after drum fill, his arms raised high above his head for each blistering round of notes, and there’s a huge grin plastered on his face. Letterman was so impressed that when it came time to shake hands after the performance, he walked past everyone else in the band in a beeline to congratulate Hawkins first.
“Stacked Actors” (Hyde Park, 2006)
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Foo Fighters opened their third album, 1999’s There Is Nothing Left to Lose, with the fan-favorite song “Stacked Actors.” It’s a blistering track that toes the line between coy alt-rock and muddy grunge, and its ability to bounce between the two different styles rests largely on Hawkins’ shoulders. Foo Fighters progressively settled into their live rendition of the song over the years, and there’s arguably no better video proving such than their live set at London’s Hyde Park in 2006.
Hawkins guides the first third of the song with jazzy percussion and flamenco-style wood block accents before giving way to metal-inspired double stops when “Stacked Actors” morphs into a grunge song. During the show, he hammers on the toms for a guttural and primitive sound that encourages his bandmates to let loose on guitar as they saunter across the stage. It’s the act of a seasoned musician knowing how to shift the attention onto others when they need it most. In exchange, they later turn the spotlight on Hawkins for a drum solo that’s as assiduous as it is playful, with Hawkins showing off his control behind the kit, his unceasing energy, and the joy of playing a Marco Polo-esque game with the enormous crowd using fake stops and starts.
“My Hero” (Lollapalooza, 2011)
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All the technical prowess and personal style that goes into playing drums means nothing if you don’t have the stamina to pull it off. The level of fame awarded to Foo Fighters meant Hawkins was regularly put in a position to give it his all despite less-than-optimal conditions. During their 2011 headlining set at Lollapalooza, a thunderstorm rolled through Grant Park in Chicago, dousing the band as they played and the thousands of fans gathered to watch. Hawkins never loses grip of his drum sticks or his tempo.
Instead, he flies through “My Hero” with the type of effortless coolness that’s usually choreographed for a music video. As the song progresses, Foo Fighters are continually drenched by the rain and puddles of water pool on the stage around them. Yet Hawkins never lets up. It’s the type of showmanship he was known for—from dressing up like his heroes to doing his best Freddie Mercury impression in public—even when factors are out of his control. Every cymbal hit sends raindrops flying into the air around him, but he couldn’t look less bothered. Instead, when he speeds up the tempo for the intense outro, Hawkins looks right at home. This is what he’s always dreamed of doing, rain or shine.
“Aurora” (Madison Square Garden, 2021)
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Foo Fighters were chosen to play Madison Square Garden’s first full-capacity show since the start of the pandemic, and on June 20, 2021, the band treated New York City to a nearly three-hour-long setlist for the historic occasion. Beyond the usual hits and expected material from their new album Medicine at Midnight, Foo Fighters’ best moments occurred when they performed fan-favorite hits from their catalog.
With “Aurora,” a delicate number taken from There Is Nothing Left to Lose that doubles as Hawkins’ personal favorite, he reminds concertgoers that he isn’t all fast-paced drum rolls and aggressive hits. During their Madison Square Garden version, there’s a delicateness to Hawkins’ playing that makes the twinkly song levitate. He imbeds feelings of gratitude and joy into his performance, from the loose opening segment to the glittery build-up it concludes with, that come across clearly, even through video. Hawkins will always best remembered for his alt-rock drumming and anthemic style of playing. Foo Fighters fans know that he was much more than that, too, and always will be.
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