Grohl, Springsteen & Brown Highlight Concert For Valor

Words By: Stu Kelly

Hundreds of thousands of diverse music fans as well as Military veterans and active-duty service members gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a free Veterans Day concert dubbed “The Concert For Valor” that boasted performances from Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Metallica, The Black Keys, Rihanna, Eminem and so many others. The collective atmosphere was full of patriotism as it wasn’t uncommon for sporadic “U-S-A” chants to fill the air during transitions. The National Mall has always been a political place of gathering where citizens have made their presence spoken in ways their voice never can. The HBO sponsored event was the first of its kind, but could potentially become an annual tradition.

Dave Grohl, @springsteen and @zacbrownband honor America’s heroes at #TheConcertForValor @foofighters pic.twitter.com/iLPmZa1HAm

— HBO (@HBO) November 12, 2014

Jennifer Hudson opened up the festivities with a perfect rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that was concluded with a video message from U.S. President Barack Obama, which was met with different reactions from the large crowd. As of recent mid-term election polls, the President’s approval rating has dropped to one of the lowest ratings since he’s taken office. None-the-less, this was an evening about our past and present Military members, and to raise awareness about their adjustment back to civilian life. One of the highlights came when Dave Grohl took the stage with a solo acoustic guitar and broke into classic Foo Fighters’ numbers such as “Everlong” and “My Hero,” which quickly became a sing-along anthem. Grohl is from the greater Washington, D.C. area originally and he recently made a special stop to our nation’s capital to celebrate the traditional D.C. Go-Go music of local celebrities such as Chuck Brown and Trouble Funk, for a recent episode of the Foo Fighters’ original series Sonic Highways.

The energy shifted gears when The Black Keys took the stage and delivered their spellbinding progressive indie rock numbers, “Howlin’ For You,” “Fever” and “Lonely Boy,” like the true professionals they are.

One of the most notable collaborations came after the Zac Brown Band played a beautiful rendition of “America the Beautiful” when Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen emerged for a chilling take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” To see these three musicians rock out together on such a classic staple of protest was absolutely incredible and quite possibly the best piece of music from the entire evening, despite the song’s anti-war under-tone.

Carrie Underwood then took the stage for her recognizable hits such as “See You Again,” “Something In the Water” and “Before He Cheats.” The former American Idol winner (2005) was full of a glowing stage presence that truly connected with the crowd. Jack Black introduced Metallica and the seasoned veterans played their traditional thrash metal to a roaring sea of approving fans. The band played classic numbers such as “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” and went on to further pay tribute to the Military by leading the crowd in a “U-S-A” chant.

Springsteen returned to the stage for a stripped down acoustic set that included “Born in the USA,” and a “Dancing in the Dark” before dedicating his beloved number “The Promised Land” to service members who just returned home. Before Bryan Cranston introduced Rihanna, he encouraged companies to hire veterans. Ri-Ri took the stage for “Diamonds,” “Stay” and “Monster,” where Eminem crashed the stage and completed the duet. It almost wouldn’t be right if Eminem didn’t find a way to over use curse words in a family atmosphere and the Detroit rapper held up to his reputation, dropping 17 “F-Bombs” over the course of his time controlling the mic. The Detroit native went on to dedicate “Not Afraid” to both the troops who came home and those who did not. Slim Shady concluded his set with one of his most recognizable songs, “Lose Yourself,” which was welcomed by the masses.

Overall, this free concert was a complete success for many of those who gathered on the mall in our nation’s capitol and to the millions of others viewing at home on television or online. The message of respecting our troops and our beloved service members past and present was in full force and for that one evening, the people gathered on the mall to celebrate freedom and basic civil liberties made possible by those brave men and women.