OK, so it rained. And pretty hard, too.

But that didn’t stop Foo Fighters from performing at a sold-out show on Friday at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Alabama. Nor did it prevent about 10,500 fans from waiting out the weather, anticipating a concert by the hard-driving rock band.

A soggy and steamy night in Pelham meant the agenda was delayed for a couple of hours, with opening act The Pretty Reckless starting at about 8:45 p.m., and Foo Fighters taking the stage around 9:45 p.m. But Foo Fighters, led by Dave Grohl, played a full show for all to remember, with more than 20 songs on the setlist.

(See photos of Foo Fighters playing at Oak Mountain in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Related: Your guide to 50+ summer concerts in Birmingham

“Thanks for sticking around, Pelham!” the band said in a tweet on Saturday. But Foo Fighters fans were unlikely to quit in the face of a little thunder and lightning, as long as the rockers were willing to follow suit.

This, after all, was a rare appearance for Foo Fighters in Alabama, and a date on their first tour since last year’s tribute concerts honoring the band’s late drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Josh Freese – a studio and touring vet who’s played with Nine Inch Nails, Guns N’ Roses and A Perfect Circle – is at the drum kit now, and Grohl has urged fans to welcome him.

Hawkins, the longtime drummer for Foo Fighters, died in March 2022 at age 50. The musician, who was overseas with the band, had an assortment of opioids in his system, according to Colombian authorities. At the time, Foo Fighters were readying for a headlining set at Lollapalooza Brazil.

Although some fans have been critical of Freese on this tour, it would likely be difficult for any drummer to follow Hawkins, who loomed large as a powerful presence in the band.

The crowd at Oak Mountain seemed to have few complaints about Foo Fighters, though, posting rapturous comments on social media after Friday’s show. As a bonus, the concert included an appearance by Grohl’s daughter, Violet Grohl, who contributed vocals to the song “Show Me How.” (At least one fan at Oak Mountain captured the moment in a YouTube video. Watch it here.)

Here’s a sampling of fan reactions to the show on Twitter:

Fans also commented on the Oak Mountain show via Facebook:

“Thank you. Last night was therapy with the best damn rock band in the world. We LOVE you Foo Fighters!” — Cyd Quick

“Such a great show! Fourth time seeing you guys since 1997 and I’ll keep coming as long as my heart is still beating and you’re still rocking!” — Steven Bennett

“Best concert ever! Thx Foo Fighters . Worth the 3 hr wait in my car due to lightning and rain.” — Sherry Tapia

“Amazing show! I’ll stick around for the Foos always!!” — Jamie Surface Symons

“Thank you for an amazing show! Was my 10th show I think, but first waiting out a nasty thunderstorm! Well Worth it! See ya next time!” — Jamie C. Bunch

“It was an amazing first Foo experience! Thank you guys for sticking around to give us exactly what we needed!!” –-Charity Dandurand

“Thanks for not cancelling!!! Fantastic show and well worth the wait, even from the nosebleeds!” — Clay Gentry