Grief and Rock: How Do Fans Feel After the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts?
The Los Angeles tribute concert marks a painful end for many
For those who were lucky enough to attend the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in Los Angeles on September 27, 2022 (or watched a bootleg live stream/saw clips online), you may have noticed a difference from the Wembley concert. Notably…less production, more celebration.
Unlike its predecessor at Wembley, it was not live-streamed (however, it was being filmed presumably to show at a later date), there were no video clips from other musicians memorializing Hawkins, and in some ways, the vibe felt more like a regular rock concert — or at least, it tried to be.
The Foo Fighters’ set was intentionally more upbeat — no tearful moments of Dave Grohl struggling to get through a song. No tearful conclusion of Shane Hawkins (Taylor Hawkins’ son) performing “My Hero,” (they immediately launched into “I’ll Stick Around,” perhaps sending a not-so-subtle message about the future of the band).
Instead, the band set out to use their hometown show for a rockin’ party to fully celebrate the life of Hawkins, alongside his friends, family, and musical heroes.
Of course, the mindblowing collaborations and performances were among the best ever seen.
However, the grief aspect could not be escaped.
From emotional tributes from artists such as Joan Jett (who gave a tearful introduction) to Alannis Morrissette (who was said to have been distraught behind the scenes), and Brian May singing “Love of My Life,” dedicated to Alison Hawkins (who then tearfully appeared onstage with her and Hawkins’ children), the reality was/is that Hawkins tragically died all too young — and it’s a painful loss.
It’s also a painful loss for fans of Hawkins and the Foo Fighters.
Many fans expressed online their disappointment that the LA show was not live-streamed, like Wembley.
Having access to the Wembley live stream allowed fans to grieve alongside everyone else — band and audience — after months of silence about Hawkins’ passing.
Even more disheartening — there was no official announcement about the decision to not have it live-streamed — so fans found out the hard way, at the last minute.
The LA tribute concert marked an ending and a beginning. Similar to what happens during any memorial service, it was a final opportunity to appreciate Hawkins and an opportunity to have a sense of closure as everyone prepares to move forward.
For Grohl, it has been reported that he will take the next year off to rest and heal.
However, it’s not the end of the grieving process for fans. In the days that followed, many took to social media to express their grief, and for some, the struggle to move forward.
At Women of Rock, we feel the grief and loss too.
Watch our full discussion about it here:
#taylorhawkinstributeconcert #foofighters #grief #queensofthestoneage #themcrookedvultures #justinhawkins #alanismorissette #pink #joanjett #coattailriders #level42 #motleycrue #defleppard #thealarm #mikepeters #queen
