Dave Grohl, Musician and Storyteller
Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl can light-up a stadium. Trust me, I’ve seen it. There’s no question the former Nirvana basher has a way with eating drum sets alive and screaming Foos’ hits before tens of thousands of fans for hours (when the band tours, they sometimes play for 3). Grohl also has a way with words.
I met the band in 2015 when they came to Grohl’s birth city, Warren, OH, to celebrate Record Store Day. They played a private show at The Record Connection, a small record store in nearby Niles, five minutes from my house. I did not meet them there, though. I met them at David Grohl Alley in downtown Warren, an alleyway behind small shops lining the plaza. The alley features artwork of Grohl done on the building’s rear, alley-facing brick facades.
Band members filed out of a black, window-tinted party bus sipping Coronas. They walked around the alley and mingled with fans. My then-gf took a picture with legendary punk guitarist, Pat Smear. After the photo, Smear said, “Sorry, I almost burned your arm with my cigarette.”
I took an awkward pic with Foos’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins. He was wearing a drenched cutoff T and still breathing heavy after playing the gig at The Record Connection. Dave Grohl, however, did not join the band on their rambling escapade through Warren. He was supposedly visiting another landmark. While I have yet to meet the man, I consider him a massive inspiration in my own musical endeavors.
“I have a common theme in everything I do: storytelling.”
In March 2020, I came across Dave Grohl’s Instagram account, @davestruestories.
Pandemic boredom prompted Grohl to write and post delightful true stories of his career as a touring musician. Now, the multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter plans to release an archival memoir of such stories in October, 2020, titled “The Storyteller.”
“I have a common theme in everything I do: storytelling. Whether it’s through music, documentary films, or writing, I have always felt compelled to share moments from my life. This passion fuels me creatively and as a human being,” Grohl expressed in a press release.
He also mentioned his decision to share personal stories on Instagram. Grohl shared, “I realized that the joy I felt when sharing a story was similar to the satisfaction of performing a song for an audience, so I continued writing. The response from readers was as fulfilling as receiving applause in an arena. That’s when I realized it was time to document all the incredible, challenging, funny, and emotional experiences of my life in words.”
The memoir idea never ventured far from his thoughts. Fans and rock lovers have been busting his chops about it for years. I’d go on record saying the dude has been busy, well, writing and performing music (not to mention directing documentary films). During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dave Grohl shared, “A few years back, I met a book agent at a barbecue who suggested I consider writing a book. He mentioned it would be a breeze – I’d just do a few hours of interviews, and someone else would write it in my voice, resulting in something fantastic. But I thought to myself, ‘No way.’ I come from a family of writers, and while I may be the odd one out, I’m not that terrible, for crying out loud.” God.”
