BattleRock Festival Shuts Down Headlining Foo Fighters Concert Because Of Curfew

The Foo Fighters, led by frontman Dave Grohl, were listed as the headliners on the last day of the BattleRock festival in Napa Valley, California, but were shut down during their set.

FOO FIGHTERS GET CUT OFF AT BATTLEROCK FESTIVAL IN NAPA

The rock band got didn’t even make it to their new single “The Sky is a Neighborhood” before the promoters shut down the speakers and video screens. The band had been allotted a two-hour time slot but hit the festival’s strict 10 p.m. curfew midway through their 1997 hit “Everlong.” Grohl and his bandmates continued to play to cheers from the sold-out crowd.

The three-day festival was packed with talent, and many wondered how the bands could keep up in the race against the clock. More than 80 artists performed, and had time for after-parties, like the Foo Fighters’ private concert at the 150-capacity Blue Note Napa on Friday. The festival also offered gourmet foods, on-site spas, and VIP perks.

“We’ve got too many f–king songs,” Grohl said. The band went on stage shortly after 8 p.m. for their first major rock show in two years, and only had two hours to cover all their old hits and new songs. They made it through nearly all their hits, including “Learn to Fly,” “My Hero,” and “Best of You,” and fit in some covers, like Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.”

In addition, Grohl stuck in some random jamming, long monologues, and even a sing-along happy birthday to his wife Jordyn Blum. “How many people have never seen the Foo Fighters before?” he asked and got the crowd going. “That’s cool. It’s been 22 years. Couldn’t get a sitter?”

Apparently cutting off the headliner band isn’t new for BattleRock. In 2014, The Cure got unplugged at the curfew. The festival is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, and had to be strict with their 10 p.m. end time after Napa residents complained about the noise.

BattleRock will return next year for Memorial Day Weekend on May 25-28, 2018.