27 Years Ago Today Foo Fighters Played Their First Tampa Show
“I was waiting for something,” Dave Grohl sings about 45 seconds after the hard-driving intro of “Enough Space.” It was an appropriate greeting to the raucous crowd at the Masquerade theatre. Twenty-seven years ago today, Foo Fighters played their first show in Tampa.
April 12, 1996
It was a celebratory Friday evening in YBor City. The Masquerade (which closed in 2006) had a capacity of approximately 1,100 people. Although Foo Fighters would not start recording their second album, The Colour and Shape until the end of 1996, they started previewing some of the songs live. The set opener, “Enough Space” was one of them. In the band’s documentary, Back and Forth, Grohl explained that this song was written with European crowds in mind. His challenge was writing a song with a rocking beat intro to get the crowd jumping up and down. Once the band noticed it worked, it remained their opener for the next two tours.
The rest of this evening in Tampa consisted of songs off their self-titled debut record. “Gas Chamber” by Angry Samoans was played. As was a cover rendition of “Down In the Park” by Gary Numan.
In total, Foo Fighters rocked 18 songs during their first show in Tampa. They closed with “Exhausted,” which is what they must have been. They had been touring since January, and would continue through July of 1996. After Tampa, they hit Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, FL before making their way west through the south.
Stop 16 on a 32 stop North American Spring Tour
This first Foo Fighters Tampa stop was a special concert. Foo Fighters were a relatively new band at the time. Dave Grohl had just officially announced the group after Kurt Cobain’s death, and the end of Nirvana. Their 1996 spring tour route formally introduced them to this region.
In total, Foo Fighters have only played Tampa proper three times. They would return nine years later to play the St. Pete Times Forum in 2005. Most recently, they played the Mid Florida CreditUnion Amphitheatre in 2018, in support of their ninth studio record, Concrete and Gold.
Twenty-seven years ago tonight, when Foo Fighters played their first show in Tampa, the band clearly set a high bar.
Here is the Foo Fighters Masquerade setlist
Enough Space
Alone + Easy Target
Good Grief
This Is a Call
Winnebago
Wattershed
For All the Cows
Butterflies
Big Me
My Poor Brain
Gas Chamber
Up in Arms
Weenie Beenie
Podunk
How I Miss You
I’ll Stick Around
Down in the Park
Exhausted
