Long story short:
In the movie Sound City there is a licence plate that can be seen sitting on the top left corner of the iconic board the movie is about. That licence plate says "FOO F1TR" and is from Virginia. More specifically that license plate is from my car and now it's in Dave Grohl's house. This is my attempt to let Dave know whose plate that is and that the previous owner is ecstatic to know it has such an amazing display location.
Short story long:
I became a fan of the Foo Fighters a little later in their career. It wasn't even one of their albums that got my attention either. "The One" from the Orange County soundtrack is what first got me into the band in 2002 and I've been a loyal Foo fan ever since. Loyal enough that when I turned 16 I decided my first car would have the license plate "FOO F1TR" on it. A license plate I've continued to carry 8 years later. In all the years of being a Foo Fighters fan I had never had the opportunity to see them in an arena. Fate was out to block me at every turn it seemed. Dates would be announced and inevitably they would interfere with planned vacations, proms, or graduations. With the announcement of Wasting Light and the 2011 tour I waited anxiously to see when the guys would be coming near me. Finally the date was announced! Charlotte N.C.! Only two hours away and a totally manageable day trip! Of course, tradition continued and the concert was on my then fiance's birthday.
At this point many people would say that's not a big deal just bring her along too. Don't get me wrong, she's a Foo Fighters fan, but we'd discussed this before. If I was going to see the guys she wasn't coming with me. I knew I would be on the gate, up front, and not be attentive enough to her to keep her from being crushed by the crowd. She was staying home or going with friends and getting seats. Luckily for me though she was understanding, I loved the Foo Fighters first after all.
So, Tuesday November 8th my best friend, soon to be best man in my wedding, hopped in the car and drove to Charlotte. When we got to the parking structure I decided on a whim to take m "FOO F1TR" license plate off of my car and to try and take it into the show. We got to the arena around 3pm and were only about 8 people back in line. While there we met a few great people that shared our passion for the Foo Fighters, including some fellow members of the Foo Fighters Fan Message Boards. Once the doors opened my friend and I headed straight for the front of the stage and set up shop on the right side of the catwalk divide.
When the guys finally came out we were posted up right in front of Chris Shifflet. I held the plate up a few times during the beginning of the show and got a handful of compliments from fellow Foo fans. Finally though, the moment that lead to this whole blog happened. Dave ran out on the catwalk all the way out to the other end of the arena. While out there he and Chris started a dueling guitar solo back and forth. During one of his solos Chris came to the very edge of the stage and stood on a monitor about 7 feet in front of me. He finished his solo and hoisted his guitar up on his shoulder like he was pointing a rifle at Dave. When he dropped his guitar back down I was there with my arm stretched out as far as I could and my license plate in hand. Chris caught a glimpse of it and made a face like a kid getting his dream present at Christmas. He reached out for it and stretched over the edge of the stage. A few of the crowd member hoisted me up and he took it from my hands. For the rest of the show the plate hung out on top of Chris' PA. A song or two later one of the security guys came over and asked if I needed that plate back. Technically speaking, Virginia requires you to have two, I just realized I forgot to mention it was a Virginia plate which holds significance since that's where Dave Grohl is from. Of course, I told them no I didn't need it though because if they wanted it I was going to give it to them. A song or two later Chris Shifflet's long time guitar tech Sean Cox came over and asked me again if I needed the plate back. I, of course, told him no. He gave me a handful of pics, a set list that included notes of which guitars Chris needed for which song, and a wristband that had been worn earlier in the concert. I was excited that my plate was going to bigger and better places, but to be honest I was hoping for a little more.
After the show was over I hung around, despite security's attempts to get me to leave, and was able to talk to Sean again. I asked him what the future was for my plate and if there was any chance to get to meet the guys. He told me he wasn't sure what was going to happen to the plate but that the guys had already left. He asked me for my email address and promised me he'd get in contact with me in the near future and send me something. He wrote my email address down on his hand and I walked away thinking he'd lose it and I'd never hear from him again. I should have known better. We hear stories often of how the guys in Foo Fighters do great things for their fans and I should have known that dedication expanded to the entire crew. A few weeks after the concert I got an email from Sean with a picture attached. My license plate, sitting on a soundboard, in Dave Grohl's house! Come to find out months later that it is the iconic Sound City board and there is a documentary being created about it! I visited the website for the movie and there it is! And here!
I know, I'm not in the room with these superstars. I've never met these people and it's just a flat piece of metal bent and conformed to display a message. It's my message though. I'm a Virginia based Foo Fighters fan. Having that plate hanging from the board, to me, is Dave's way of saying that he appreciates me being a fan. He just doesn't know me yet. I hope this can change that.
