AC/DC and Foo Fighters turned MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, into a temple of rock 'n' roll on Friday night, delivering a co-headlining performance that fans will be talking about for years. The pairing of the Australian hard-rock institution and Dave Grohl's arena-conquering band gave the crowd a rare double bill spanning generations of guitar-driven music.
The show unfolded under the threat of a nor'easter rolling into the region, but the weather did not stop the concert from becoming what reviewers described as one of those magical nights. The two bands share a deep mutual respect and a similar devotion to the live stage, making the bill feel less like a marketing exercise and more like a summit of rock royalty.
Foo Fighters opened the evening with a set that drew on their three-decade catalog, moving from early anthems to later material with the same intensity the band has brought to stadiums since the late 1990s. Grohl, a former Nirvana drummer who has spent years trading stories about his love of classic rock, has long cited AC/DC as a foundational influence, and the pairing gave that admiration a physical stage.
AC/DC followed with a headlining set built around the riffs that made them one of the best-selling rock acts in history. The band's current lineup, anchored by guitarist Angus Young and vocalist Brian Johnson, has continued to tour major stadiums, and the MetLife crowd responded to the familiar catalog with the kind of roar that only a few acts can still summon.
The concert was part of a broader trend of legacy rock bands and modern arena headliners joining forces on stadium bills, a strategy that draws both longtime fans and younger listeners who grew up hearing these songs through streaming playlists and film soundtracks. For MetLife Stadium, which hosts NFL games and major touring acts throughout the year, the night added another entry to its list of large-scale music events.
Setlists from the evening circulated quickly among fans online, with both bands leaning on the songs that have defined their live shows for decades. The combination of Foo Fighters' emotional, sweat-soaked performances and AC/DC's unapologetic volume created a contrast that worked in the stadium's favor, giving the audience two distinct but complementary versions of rock spectacle.
Reviews of the show emphasized the rarity of seeing two acts of this stature share a bill, particularly as both continue to tour well into their respective fourth and fifth decades of activity. The night also served as a reminder that rock 'n' roll remains a viable stadium draw in an era when pop, hip-hop, and country often dominate the largest touring revenues.
For the fans who filled the New Jersey stadium, the nor'easter threat became part of the story rather than a disruption, adding a sense of occasion to a concert already framed as a must-see event. The show closed with the kind of communal release that defines the best stadium rock, leaving the crowd with a memory that will outlast the weather reports.