When Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett was recording “In Your Honor” earlier this year with bandmates Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel and Taylor Hawkins, the two sides of his brain weren’t right and left so much as they were electric and acoustic.
“In Your Honor,” the Foos’ mighty double-disc set released in June, had a similar two-track mind: The polished electric rock of Disc One and the sparse acoustics of Disc Two. But on the current Foo Fighters tour, which stops tonight at the Pepsi Center with Weezer and the Kaiser Chiefs in support, Shiflett’s brain gets a break from Disc Two and the acoustic music therein.
“We haven’t gotten into touring the acoustic stuff yet,” Shiflett said earlier this week from the road. “Actually, we do play ‘Cold Day in the Sun’ every night, but we don’t do it acoustic – it’s more of a rockin’ version.
“We talked about doing an acoustic tour next year for that record, but we think it’s just better to keep the rock stuff moving,” he said. “We don’t take a lot of time on songs. We play eight songs back-to-back, and then Dave will maybe say a little something, and then it’s five more songs one after the other. We jam through it pretty fast. It’s like seeing the Ramones.”
The machine-gun method of performance is the ideal showcase for most of the Foos’ music, which, aside from the occasional grunge leftover like “This Is a Call,” pretty much defines alt-rock in the post-grunge late-’90s with its unabashed earnestness and appreciation for a big, plump hook.
Granted, songs such as “Times Like These,” “Learn to Fly,” “My Hero” and the new “Best of You” can be cloying. But they’re the Foos’ bread and butter. These are the tracks that, with radio’s help, have made the group one of the defining rock bands of its generation.
“It took a while once we started recording (‘In Your Honor’) for us to really know if we were actually going to go through with it and actually make a double record with the acoustic stuff,” Shiflett said. “It was a risk, sure, but when we were done recording, we felt pretty strongly that we’d made a great record.”
But the dilemma of the new record – and this tour, to an extent – is that it pits the Foos against themselves. The rockers plug in and rage, and Dave Grohl’s eyes roll back in his head; meanwhile, their other selves strum and coo while Dave Grohl’s eyes are pensively closed.
Clearly it’s the Foos’ louder side that appeals more to the masses. But the truth is, the Foo Fighters are a better, more original band when they’re taking it easy. Consider the understated subtlety and beauty of “Walking After You,” “Big Me,” “Lonely as You” and “Everlong.” The latter two songs aren’t exactly soft or acoustic but still have the band holding back and showing the power – and potential – of restraint. It’s something the band enjoys immensely.
“There’s always been a mellow side to this band, and everybody has a love for acoustic music, the Eagles, Elliott Smith, Wilco, whatever – everybody has an appreciation for that side of music,” said Shiflett. “Plus we’ve done acoustic shows through the years, and those benefit shows and in-stores have been some of the most fun shows we’ve done. We all grew up playing loud rock music, and when you take yourself out of that familiar, comfortable environment, it’s always gonna be more thrilling.”
It’s good news, because while the rock portion of “In Your Honor” is well and good, it lacks the angular, punchy step of a song like “All My Life.” The straightforward rock here is outshone by the acoustic material, which is often complemented with keyboards. Tracks such as “Friend of a Friend,” “Virginia Moon” and “Razor” are where the record’s heart resides.
The meditation of “Friend of a Friend” is unexpectedly poetic and quiet, and “Virginia Moon,” with its bossa nova beats and Norah Jones harmonies, flows surprisingly well. But “Razor” leaves the biggest impression. The kind of track you want to hear Grohl sing with only an acoustic guitar and his legs dangling over the stage’s lip, “Razor” is a sweet, contemplative journey that shows the Foo Fighters’ true depth, plumbing far deeper than most of the band’s radio material.
Norah Jones wasn’t the only guest Jones on “In Your Honor.”
“I was lucky enough to be down at the studio the day John Paul Jones came down,” said Shiflett, talking about the Led Zeppelin bassist’s contribution to the song “Miracle.” “And then he went to Clive Davis’ Grammy party with us after that, and, wow, he’s the coolest guy ever.”
Neither of the Joneses are touring with the Foos, but the group has found good traveling mates in Rivers Cuomo and his band.
“It’s the best U.S. tour we’ve ever done, hands down,” said Shiflett. “The band is in a happy place. And also we’ve never played to this many people in America before.
“And Weezer covered ‘Big Me’ the other day,” he said of the early Foo Fighters hit. “I don’t know if that means we have to cover a Weezer song, but maybe we will.”
After a moment of clanky contemplation – his bandmates chiding him in the background – he decided he would cover Weezer’s “No One Else” if given the opportunity. “I like that song a lot.”
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-820-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
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WEEZER Lead singer Rivers Cuomo may be incredibly weird, and “Beverly Hills” (the lead single off Weezer’s still newish LP “Make Believe”) is a terrible song, but Weezer is still a righteous rock ‘n’ roll band. The modest, cheeky group will take on the Pepsi Center tonight with the Foo Fighters and Kaiser Chiefs.
SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM It’s OK. You don’t have to be afraid of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and its wicked stew of prog and metal. The band is harmless, unless you’re a guitar string. In that case, you don’t stand a chance. Friday at the Larimer Lounge.
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Carl Newman will slay you with his lyrics and mighty guitar, and Neko Case will take you down with her voice and ridiculous beauty. For a bunch of indie rockers, The New Pornographers, who play Monday at the Gothic, are quite dangerous.
THE DOUBLE These Brooklyn boys straddle a curious line. While their music sometimes borders on the inaccessible, most of the time it’s quite pleasant. Plus they just got off tour with Interpol, so think of all the Carlos D. stories they can tell you over a post-set Pabst. Tuesday at the Hi-Dive.
– Ricardo Baca
