Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2023.

SAN FRANCISCO — Outside Lands is always a little unpredictable, both onstage and as it comes to mother nature. Karl the Fog had a ticket for the festival’s second day on Saturday, leaving a layer of mist overhead and even a few scattered raindrops to end the night. Maybe just as unpredictable was the headlining set from rock heroes Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and company pulled out all the stops during the band’s two-hour set, which started 20 minutes earlier than the listed time.

“This is going to be a long night, we’ve got a long of songs for you,” Grohl warned. “We’re going to play all night, or at least as long as they’ll let us.”

It was a furious start, with a trio of hard and fast rockers in “All My Life,” “The Pretender” and “No Son Of Mine,” from 2021’s Medicine at Midnight.

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2023.

Grohl, as the ringleader, adeptly flipped the pace up and down, taking songs down to their quietest before revving them back up with the full band. A snippet of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” was met with a big cheer.

“We’ve got a lot of fucking songs and 28 years to fit into two hours,” Grohl said.

The production was fairly simple, with only some large projection screens. The performance was fueled by Foo Fighters’ energy. Songs like “Learn to Fly” got a huge reaction from the crowd, with many singing right back to the band. Grohl kept a consistent dialogue with the crowd. The people immediately in front of him were noticeably loud and singing even when the band went quiet. It was the VIP section for which Grohl gave some extra grief and attention.

“I’ve got my eyes on this side. Pat [Smear], I think you gotta work that side a little harder,” he said.

While Outside Lands attendees skew young, the median age of Saturday night’s crowd went up a little. When Grohl asked how many were seeing the band for the very first time, he was met with a roar of approval.

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2023. Courtesy Alive Coverage.

“Where have you all been? Oh my God,” he joked.

The band’s hit “Times Like These” found new life, and a new meaning, during the pandemic. Grohl acknowledged that by opening the song with a stripped down version, featuring just his voice and guitar. It was poignant and strong, an attention-grabbing moment before the rest of the band jumped in.

In a set filled with memorable moments, its most memorable came during the extended introductions. Each member got to play a quick passage of a cover song when he was introduced. Guitarist Chris Shiflett kicked it off with a blazing, shredding guitar solo.

“He’s way overqualified for this job,” Grohl said.

The members each rolled through a song, from Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” (with Grohl on vocals) to The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Grohl then introduced new drummer Josh Freese.

“He’s the reason we’re even able to be here,” he said.

Freese is a respected studio drummer and his performance was inspired, providing a driving force and no quit. Freese stepped in following the untimely death of Taylor Hawkins. There may have been no better choice for the role. Freese kept the big beats and pulsing rhythms going throughout the night. Grohl gave a nod to Freese’s work with Devo and Nine Inch Nails, as well as his vast catalog of studio work.

“If you think you don’t know this guy, you definitely do,” Grohl said. “He’s only played on about 10,000 records in the past 30 years.”

That’s where things took a turn.

The Foo Fighters have been closing out this introductory part of the show by bringing a fan up on stage to sing Michael Bublé’s “Haven’t Met You Yet,” and it looked like they’d be doing that once again. There was someone in the crowd holding up an “I (heart) Bublé” sign.

“You better know this words to this,” Grohl warned as the lucky fan made his way on stage.

Once that “fan” belted out a few notes, it became clear it was Michael Bublé himself. The crooner delivered the song while Grohl danced while sipping a bottle of wine. The funniest part of all of this, besides the extreme commitment to the bit, is that it wasn’t immediately obvious that it was Bublé on stage. For many, there was a moment spent asking, “Wait…is that? It sounds like…? Could it be…?” Well, yes it was.

“He just flew in from Argentina to do this song!” said Grohl, referring to Bublé as “The Boobs.” “There’s no such thing as taking a joke too far.”

There were more surprises to come.

Foo Fighters then launched into a rousing rendition of “My Hero,” going out to the aforementioned “Boobs.”

After “This Is a Call” and “The Sky Is a Neighborhood,” Grohl had another trick up his sleeve, bringing up his daughter, Violet, to perform with the band. The younger Grohl sang on “Show Me How,” chipped in on “Shame Shame” and “The Teacher.” Two of the three songs are from the band’s newest album, But Here We Are. In all, Foo Fighters limited the new stuff to just three tunes overall.

Closing out the memorable night, Grohl dedicated “Aurora” to Hawkins, and played the night out with a pair of the group’s biggest hits in “Best of You” and “Everlong.”