Foo Fighters performing Live on Letterman

From the stage setting to the black suits and thin ties; the way the band’s logo was printed on Taylor Hawkins’s bass drum; and on down to the music that played before they took the stage, the [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Foo Fighters[/lastfm]‘  Live On Letterman performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater last week was all about paying tribute to [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]the Beatles[/lastfm], the band who broke big on that same stage in 1964.

However, it wasn’t until much later in the show that I picked up on another subtle nod to the Beatles.

As the Foo Fighters were performing their song “Stacked Actors,” [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Dave Grohl [/lastfm]took off his shoes and strategically placed them on the riser near Taylor’s bass drum.

Dave Grohl (center) and shoes (right) at the Ed Sullivan Theater

The moment reminded me immediately of an image inside [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Beatles[/lastfm], Magical Mystery Tour album. Paul is in black socks, his black shoes placed next to Ringo’s bass drum.

Magical Mystery Tour album image

The next morning, I had to know if there was a story behind Grohl removing his shoes. So I reached out to a friend who used to work at RCA with the band. He forwarded my question to John Silva at their management company, who passed it along to Grohl.

Here’s the e-mail I got back!

Dude…….he’s right! It was!! remember the “Paul is dead” conspiracy? The shoes on the riser were part of it!! Apparently there’s red blood on the shoes!! Tell ‘em “good eye!” for me!!!
Ha!! I thought no one would notice!!

And yes, as Grohl mentioned, that was one of MANY “hints” at the time that [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Paul McCartney [/lastfm]was dead!

If you haven’t already done so, take the time to watch the entire Foo Fighters Live on Letterman show — it’s a truly unforgettable and intense two-hour performance. And at the end of the show, you’ll see Grohl bring the shoes into the audience and give them to a lucky young fan!

Read more about the Foo Fighters’ performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater!

Read about how Dave Grohl is a big fan of Paul McCartney

Watch the show right now on demand!