Foo Fighters And “Godlike Genius” Dave Grohl To Rock Live On Letterman April 12

Less than two months after being named a “godlike genius” during an awards show in London, Dave Grohl will bring his rock band Foo Fighters to the famous Ed Sullivan Theater on Tuesday, April 12 for a free Live on Letterman webcast. The full-length, 90-minute concert kicks off at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific) on CBS.com, and it will feature songs from the band’s brand-new album Wasting Light — as well as material from throughout their 17-year career. Afterwards, the concert will be available to watch on-demand through CBS.com and Vevo.

Grohl initially came to fame more than two decades ago as drummer for Nirvana, the Seattle grunge-rock band whose music defined a generation and is today considered among the most iconic in rock and roll. But since then, Grohl has become even better known to rock fans as front man, guitarist, and chief songwriter for a band he can truly call his own, Foo Fighters.

Grohl formed the group in 1994, the name based on a WWII term pilots used for UFOs. It was initially a one-man project: all the songs for the band’s debut album, Foo Fighters, were entirely written and recorded by Grohl.

But not wanting a purely solo project, Grohl soon recruited bandmembers (including bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith of Sunny Day Real Estate, along with fellow Nirvana touring bandmate Pat Smear) to join him in time for the album’s release in mid-1995.

Foo Fighters have since turned into one of the premiere alternative rock bands working today. Three of the band’s albums have won a GRAMMY for Best Rock Album (There Is Nothing Left To Lose, One By One, and Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace); the Foo Fighters have won additional GRAMMY, Brit, and MTV awards for songs such as “All My Life,” “The Pretender,” and “Big Me.”

Video for “All My Life”:

The band is even this year the subject of a documentary, Back and Forth, by filmmaker James Moll (The Last Days). They appeared at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival for the film’s premiere, and wound up playing a knockout two-hour ‘secret’ showcase as a treat for fans.

Back and Forth trailer:

Back and Forth (which was released theatrically this week in select venues, accompanied by a special 3-D performance of the Foo Fighters live) follows the band’s 17-year career and focuses on the recording process for their new album Wasting Light.

The group’s seventh studio album, Wasting Light is a back-to-basics analog recording that was recorded computer-free in Grohl’s garage. It was produced by Butch Vig (who also produced Nirvana’s Nevermind), and features guest spots from Bob Mould and fellow Nirvana alum Krist Novoselic. Mendel and Smear are both in this incarnation of Foo Fighters, along with Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett.

Foo Fighters released a full-album preview of Wasting Light online last week; the album then get an official release on Tuesday, April 12, the same day as the Live on Letterman webcast.

Video for new single “Rope”:

Watch the Foo Fighters live concert webcast on April 12 at 9pm ET (6pm PT) on CBS.com

Read more about the Foo Fighters on Last.fm

Listen to a preview of Wasting Light

Read more about the Foo Fighters film Back and Forth