Foo Fighters

I’ve been to a few Foo Fighters concerts in my day. Besides showcasing the band’s signature power rock, these events tend to involve lots of swearing, spitting and testosterone. Imagine my surprise, then, with Skin and Bones: The Foos get all mellow on our behinds with an acoustic set from their ambitious recent mini-tour supporting the 2005 double album In Your Honor (of which the second “softer” disc predictably dominates the set list). Re-arranging their tunes and adding several new instruments and musicians—including former founding Foo Pat Smear on third(!) guitar—Dave Grohl and company have achieved a surprising depth, with new layers and melodies aplenty. Skin and Bones is music that’s calm enough to fall asleep to, but intricate enough to keep you awake with interest.