What happens when you pair the sizzling stage presence of Paramore with the iconic rock energy of the legendary Foo Fighters? Fans got their answer on June 18, 2023, when Paramore's Hayley Williams joined Foo Fighters on stage at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival for an unforgettable performance of “My Hero.” In this moment, representatives of successive rock generations converged, and the mutual respect these artists showed each other gave the crowd a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Here's what happened when Paramore met Foo Fighters.
The Bonnaroo 2023 Moment That Defined Rock Collaboration
The moment when Paramore met Foo Fighters happened just as Bonnaroo was coming to an end. As the headline act for the festival, Foo Fighters were the last scheduled performance, while Paramore had played just before them.
Foo Fighters played 11 songs before welcoming Williams to the stage for "My Hero." In total, Foo Fighters played a 19-song set at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee. Great Stage is situated on a 700-acre farm, which annually hosts up to 100,000 attendees at the four-day music and arts festival.
Those who witnessed the collaboration noticed that Williams relished the moment as she shared lead vocals with Foo Fighters' lead singer Dave Grohl and, eventually, the crowd. "The opportunity to play ["My Hero"] with the Foos themselves was clearly something she enjoyed," Adrian Garro wrote in Rock Cellar Magazine. "Williams bursts onto the stage and bounds around with her electric stage presence, she and Grohl exchanging a hug and several smiles along the way."
In 2023, with the good feelings inspired by the Hayley Williams and Foo Fighters duet, Bonnaroo reportedly had an economic impact of $339.8 million, generating more than $5 million in tax revenue.
A Full Circle Performance: The History Behind "My Hero"
The 2023 collaboration emerged from a long-standing connection between Paramore and Foo Fighters' song "My Hero," which is part of why this moment resonated with fans and the industry.
Paramore covered "My Hero" for the 2006 Superman Returns soundtrack. The movie starred Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman, as well as Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, and Frank Langella. Paramore's cover is part of the Sound of Superman tie-in.
That wasn't the end of it. The 2006 version was later included on the Rhapsody edition of Paramore's album Riot! and featured on The B-Sides bootleg in 2008. Williams and her bandmates have also performed the track several times during live shows.
More recently, in 2023, the band released a new version of "My Hero" that included "My Hero (Acoustic)" and "My Hero (Electronic Mix)."
The connection goes beyond this one song, which Foo Fighters initially released in 1998 on their album The Colour and the Shape. Paramore has routinely recognized Foo Fighters' influence on the success of their career, so the 2023 Foo Fighters and Paramore live duet marked a full circle moment.
Dave Grohl described "My Hero" as a tribute to "ordinary heros" and explained he wrote it while watching 1980s movies. It peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart and at No. 21 in the United Kingdom.
The Electric Performance Details
The 2023 Paramore and Foo Fighters collaboration was electric from the moment Hayley Williams set foot on the Bonnaroo stage.
As the performance evolved, the audience was given an amazing set of surprises, beginning with Williams delivering high-energy vocals, headbanging with Grohl, and bounding across the stage with the energy of a five-year-old.
At points, Williams appeared visibly overcome, finding it hard to believe that she was sharing the stage with Grohl and the other members of Foo Fighters. In a standout moment, Williams launched into a memorable harmony line and then invited fans to sing along.
The performance ended with a sincere and emotional embrace between Grohl and Williams, with the Paramore singer looking both baffled and grateful for the opportunity.
The real winners were the fans, who were treated to a wildly unexpected festival moment in what was already shaping up to be an epic Foo Fighters performance.
The Broader Context: Both Bands in 2023
The magical moment when Paramore met Foo Fighters on the Bonnaroo stage happened as both bands experienced epic crossroad moments in 2023.
Foo Fighters' Journey
Foo Fighters was on its first major tour since drummer Taylor Hawkins died from an overdose in March 2022 at the age of 50. The tour began just after the band released But Here We Are on June 2, 2023, their 11th studio album and first since Hawkins' death. Grohl played drums on the album, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard charts.
Foo Fighters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. The band had earned seven Platinum records and sold over 43 million albums and nearly 5.9 million concert tickets as of 2022.
Paramore's Success
Paramore also came to Bonnaroo after an album release. Their sixth studio album, This Is Why, was released on February 10, 2023, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 album-equivalent units sold in its first week, including 47,000 pure album sales.
This Is Why received critical acclaim with a Metacritic score of 85/100. It also achieved industry recognition, winning Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.
A Moment That Transcended Generations of Rock
When Paramore met Foo Fighters at Bonnaroo 2023, fans saw what the future might look like as two generations of rock shared the stage in Tennessee.
The emotional collaboration demonstrated how much respect the bands have for each other and how each has influenced the other.
More importantly, the electric on-stage moment reinforced the power of live music and the unique use of festivals, such as Bonnaroo, as platforms for spontaneous collaborations.
Don't just take our word for it. Luckily enough, you can watch the moment Paramore met Foo Fighters for yourself and appreciate the collaborative spirit of rock.
