Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters shared a bill with duet partners Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, and R&B star Aloe Blacc at a private party Thursday night at the Belly Up.
It's unlikely the Foos, who are due to play the Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista on Sept. 24 -- will be recording an episode of the HBO series "Sonic Highways" in San Diego County, though most of the band attended a Casbah show Wednesday night by bassist Nate Mendel's side-project, Lieutenant.
The rumors started swirling Thursday about a private party with a too-good-to-be-true lineup at the Belly Up. Security was on site by 6 p.m. at the still-darkened site, with a tour bus parked in the side lot and tables and heaters set up in the alley. A security guard told SoundDiego the act playing later was probably a cover band -- that's the entertainment typically booked for a private event, we were told. Soon, though, dark-tinted vehicles began to show up, dropping off unidentifiable VIPs by the back entrance -- though Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was spotted walking from inside from the band bus -- and other buses pulled up in front, filled with guests, walking in shadow of the marquee out front where all the bands acts were billed.
And who was lucky enough to be invited? At this point only the hosts, the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment talent agency, and the folks at the Belly Up know for sure who those approximately 300-600 people were. All we can say is that no amount of arm-twisting by many San Diego music scene insiders was able to get them in the door, though we did learn that the sets were scheduled to be short, in the 20-minute to half-hour range.
Gaga's Little Monsters in San Diego have gotten a taste in recent years, with shows at the Viejas Arena -- though not with Bennett -- and Blacc headlined the Rock & Roll Marathon concert in June at Petco Park.
Check back in to SoundDiego on Friday for more details on the show, and, hopefully, some pics.
