2 Much Live Music: Foo Fighters, 112 Highlight Quiet January 2026

Foo Fighters have been one of my favorite bands since "Learn to Fly" first wormed its way into my brain in the late '90s. But there was a stretch in late 2024 when I genuinely wondered if the band might go dark for a while — maybe permanently.

Between the gut-punch of Taylor Hawkins' death in 2022 and the very public turbulence in Dave Grohl's personal life, the Foos seemed to be white-knuckling their way through the bleakest chapter in the band's three-decade run.

Then again, Foo Fighters were literally forged in fire. The band began as a phoenix project Dave threw himself into after Kurt Cobain's suicide torched Nirvana to the ground. If any band knows how to claw back from the abyss, it's this one.

And claw back they did. Piece by piece, the signs of life started flickering. First came that emotional Nirvana reunion at FireAid in January 2025, with a rotating cast of vocalists — including Violet Grohl — stepping into impossible shoes. Then Dave popped up with the LA Philharmonic at Coachella that April. The Foos snuck in a pop-up gig in San Luis Obispo, then dropped the hammer: a pair of 2026 global mega-tours, including a North American stadium run with Queens of the Stone Age.

Which made Foo Fighters' mid-January show at Kia Forum feel less like just another tour stop and more like a full-blown resurrection party, one that doubled as Dave Grohl's 57th birthday bash — even if Pat Smear had to sit this one out nursing an injury.

Read more about the show here.

I'm a certified sucker for a throwback show, and 112 absolutely fit the bill. Songs like "Peaches and Cream" and "Dance With Me" were in constant rotation during my high school years — songs that soundtracked dances and late-night drives. When the chance came to revisit that nostalgic goldmine in the flesh, I couldn't say no.

A lot has changed for 112 since they first hit the scene over 30 years ago. Bad Boy Records — the label that launched them into the stratosphere in the '90s — isn't exactly the empire it once was, to put it diplomatically. The group itself has trimmed down, too. What started as a four-man operation now runs on the strength of two original members: Michael “Mike” Keith and Marvin “Slim” Scandrick.

Even so, the hits still absolutely slap, and the energy in the room at YouTube Theater was sky-high. The venue was wall-to-wall with jubilant millennials, most of whom clearly raided their clubbing wardrobes for the occasion and came ready to feel something.

An opening set from Total only amplified the time-machine effect, setting the stage perfectly before 112 rolled out their catalog of silky, swoon-worthy R&B and reminded everyone why they were soundtrack royalty in the first place.

Taylor Hawkins became The Charcoal Club's first posthumous inductee in 2024, but not without a minor scare along the way.

I was lucky enough to capture some killer moments of Taylor behind the kit — and out front on the thrust stage, doing his thing as an occasional leading man — during Foo Fighters' set at Intersect Festival in Las Vegas back in December 2019.

But those shots nearly vanished into the digital void in spring 2024. While editing photos for a gig, yours truly fumbled an old hard drive that held six years' worth of content, including all those Hawkins gems. One clumsy move, and the drive was toast.

Cue the panic sprint to a data recovery shop in West LA the very next day. The good news? They managed to salvage pretty much everything. The bad news? It cost me a small fortune and took over two weeks of nail-biting suspense.

The second I got those files back, I knew what had to be done. Hawk needed to be immortalized in charcoal — not just to preserve the moment, but to pay proper tribute to one of the most ferocious, soulful drummers to ever grace a stage.

Check out my Etsy shop for the full lineup of merch featuring the late legend, including the framed original.

For all the latest updates, follow The Charcoal Club on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads and Facebook.

(Also, if you’re interested in commissioning me for a custom piece, please reach out! A direct reply to this email will do.)

Kofi Baker, Malcolm Bruce and Rob Johnson carry forward the indelible legacy of the pioneering British blues rock outfit first built by Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce in the 1960s.

If you prefer femme-forward disco, be sure to join Say She She as they get many a foot dancing inside the newly renovated Belasco Theater in downtown LA.

Hefty helpings of “American Pie” are sure to be served in Beverly Hills.

MonoNeon brings his one-of-a-kind brand of psychedelic bass playing back to Blue Note, where he previously jammed alongside Marcus King and Chris Dave.

Emo rap is alive and well, thanks to Atmosphere. The Minneapolis-based duo of rapper Slug and DJ Ant will likely have plenty to say about recent events in its hometown.

A Zoot Suit Riot? On Friday the 13th? In Downtown LA?? Don’t mind if I do…

If you thought 112 was a ‘90s throwback, just wait ‘til you see what Ashanti, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule, Fabolous, Lil Kim, Mya and En Vogue bring to the stage for DJ Cassidy’s Valentine’s Day lineup show…

…and if that’s not enough hip hop and R&B for you, head right back to Inglewood the next day to make money moves with Cardi B.

Warren Haynes is sure to bring his own bluesy spin to two nights at Blue Note. If you like soulful guitar jams in an intimate setting, be sure to check out these shows.

Experience two sides of American roots music in one night as these legendary artists bring their intimate tandem tour to The Wiltern.

Tempe is the place to be in February, thanks to 80+ degree temperatures, baseball spring training and, of course, live music. This year’s Innings Festival lineup is a doozy, with Mumford & Sons, Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, Sublime, Goo Goo Dolls, Cage The Elephant and Public Enemy among the top draws.

If country/Americana is more your vibe, check out Extra Innings the following weekend, featuring Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Shaboozey.

If rock and/or country in Arizona isn’t in the cards, consider spending the third Friday in February with Sudan Archives. Her powerful voice and exceptional skills on violin are sure to blow you away.

It’s not every day that Damon Albarn plays anything smaller than a packed arena, though three nights at the 5,000-capacity Palladium should suffice.

He and his cartoon group will be celebrating their upcoming album, House of Kong, along with an accompanying installation in DTLA that runs February 26 - March 19.

As of now, these are the only U.S. dates on Gorillaz’s calendar, though American fans would do well to stay tuned for further updates.

This one-man, wide-brim-hatted electronic band from Germany has become a fixture at Burning Man, and a favorite for anyone who enjoys deeply emotional EDM.

If country/Americana is more your speed, spend the penultimate night of the month with Brandi Carlile at the Forum. The gifted singer-songwriter has a knack for blockbuster surprises, with the great Joni Mitchell among her closest musical confidants.