We all knew Josh Freese was the man. But man, he really IS the man. I first became aware of Josh when he performed with Paul Westerberg on SNL in 1993. I turned to my friend Biggie and said, “Who is that kid?” Somehow, even in the pre-internet era Biggie knew, “That’s Josh Freese, he is only 21. He is a drum prodigy. Both his parents are musicians at Disneyworld, and he has been a professional drummer since he was twelve.” I responded, “Twelve years old?.... Huh.”

Or, put another way, Josh was the Lebron James of drumming. Already well-known as a teenager. A five-star prospect and #1 draft pick expected to do great things. And just like Lebron, Josh has managed to exceed his lofty expectations. I’ll spare you his entire resume but know that he has played on over 400 records and once in the same year was the touring drummer for both the reformed Replacements and Sting. So, wrap your brain around that fact.

Fast-forward to Sunday, May 28th, 2023 and I’m preparing to watch Josh take the stage with The Foo Fighters at the Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio. This was just the third Foos show since the tragic death of their ultra-talented drummer Taylor Hawkins while on tour a year earlier. Many wondered if the band could continue after suffering such a cruel and unexpected blow. I know I did. 

Well, not only has the band survived, they are back with a vengeance. Frontman Dave Grohl acknowledged early in the set that things will never be the same without Taylor. He added, “I have known Josh since I was 20 and he was 17, and without him, we would not be playing tonight.” 

Clearly, Grohl and company knew there was no way to replace the charisma & chemistry of Hawkins so they retooled and doubled down on the music. And I’m here to tell you, it was the greatest drum performance I have seen live or on YouTube. They kept the big screen cameras on Josh most of the show and Dave spent much of the set standing just a few feet in front of the drum-kit with a big grin on his face. This was no accident. This was a coming-out party for the greatest drummer on the planet. 

You heard me. Yup, as good as Keith Moon at Isle of Wright or John Bonham at Knebworth or whatever the drums you think are the best. I’m telling you hand-to-God, Josh Freese was that good on this night. So put Josh on the Mount Rushmore of rock drummers with those two. You can pick the fourth spot. Personally, after considering his resume and what I witnessed at Sonic Temple, I think he might be the best rock n roll drummer of all time. I can sense the outrage as I typed that last statement but then again, Bob Cousy was once considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Things change. Time marches on. Get used to it.

Intermission: Random Sonic Temple Notes 

Despite being occasionally tempted by a certain act (Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Guns n Roses) through the years I have mostly avoided Sonic Temple, formerly Rock on the Range, because; 1) Rock festivals are a pain in the ass, and 2) I didn’t want to sit through 10 Limp Bizkit-wannabes to get the act I actually wanted to see.

I attended two years ago solely to see The Hives. As expected, everything was running hours behind, there was no communication with the fans and basically the promoters took the money and ran on the final day letting the fans fend for themselves. Shit show. 

However, I am happy to report that the 2023 edition of Sonic Temple was extremely well run. Maybe festivals are evolving or maybe they just got lucky, but the two nights I was there were spot on. Plenty of space, shade, concessions and restrooms for everyone. The stages were far enough apart to eliminate stage bleed and plenty of room for concert goers. 

It’s easy to bitch about what goes wrong, so I want to give credit for what went right at Sonic Temple and many things did. Congratulations to organizers and workers on an excellent plan and execution of that plan.

YOU WANTED THE BEST! YOU GOT KISS!

Before seeing The Foo Fighters Sunday, my son & I attended KISS, who were Saturday’s headliners. It was my fifteenth KISS show and his third. We were excited. The crowd was much smaller than the Foos, but still plenty impressive from our upper deck vantage point. 

Being a KISS fan is like being a pro-wrestling fan. If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t. And you aren’t wrong, but I feel sorry for folks who are missing out on so much fun. 

Sure, KISS is the reason I started playing guitar in 2nd grade. Me and one million other kids my age. I have unconditional love for KISS even if I cannot explain these feelings in a rational way. But there are lots of people like me. This is not exactly breaking news.

The breaking news is this: These four guys can really play. And songs like “God of Thunder,” “War Machine,” “I Love It Loud” and “Black Diamond” will stand the hard-rock test of time for all eternity. And the show and overall production put all the other bands to shame. KISS may not love you, but they do love doing a great show for you.

The band were in a great mood. Paul broke character and reminisced about KISS opening for a band at The Agora (The Newport) in 1974 and how many times the band had played Columbus through the years, sometimes as conquering heroes and sometimes in an empty Ohio Center “offering to buy two pizzas for the audience.”

KISS will be playing their last shows at MSG in NYC in December. Certainly, finally seeing the finish line has given the band fresh perspective and motivation. And the KISS Army too, I suppose.  I should note I had already bought Tickets for KISS in Indianapolis before being gifted these Sonic Temple passes. 

But back to the show….Owen and I had so much fun. All things considered, for over forty years of glory and missteps, what band has given their fans more fun than KISS? I literally cannot imagine a world without “Detroit Rock City,” “Ugh All Night,” “Shock Me” and “Shandi” all living hand in hand. A world without Space Ace, The Catman, Vinnie Vincent and even Mark St. John isn’t a world I want to live in. That’s a world without heroes. 

Colin Gawel plays solo and in the band Watershed. He founded Pencilstorm and wrote this at Colin’s Coffee. As he is writing this, he is listening to KISS Animalize.