Grohl described the 11-year-old as "the most badass drummer in the world" and now they finally played together in concert.
Less than a year after crushing Dave Grohl in an epic drum battle, Nandi Bushell was invited on stage by her former drum-off opponent at a Foo Fighters concert to play drums on “Everlong,” otherwise known as one of the best Foo Fighters songs of all time.
As a drum was being brought onto the stage, Grohl spoke to the audience and recalled his epic drum-off against Bushell that entertained us all during the pandemic (we have the definitive timeline here) and reminded many of us that some people are simply prodigies. Grohl admitted he did not take the challenge seriously at first, which was clearly his loss, considering who came out the victor. But his friends told him that his 11-year-old challenger was the “real deal” and so he agreed to take her on. Unfortunately for the legendary musician, Bushell proceeded to “whoop my fucking ass in front of the entire planet.”
Grohl then revealed that he had finally come “face-to-face with my arch-nemesis” and then invited “the most badass drummer in the world” to come up and play with the Foo Fighters. Bushell walked onto the stage to roaring applause from the crowd, who even started chanting her name when she appeared. Grohl said that getting to play with Bushell topped any previous concert collaborations, including jamming with former members of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. That’s a whole lot of praise, but totally valid! The Foo Fighters have made a habit of bringing out big guests at their post-pandemic concerts, including Dave Chappelle doing a one-of-a-kind rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.
Bushell more than lived up to the hype, delivering an incredible performance that reminded everyone why she has become such a celebrated musician at such a young age. She fit right in with the band and played like a seasoned professional — no surprise there!
It’s been quite the year for Bushell. After becoming the internet’s favorite music prodigy, the 11-year-old was chosen as Cartoon Network’s first-ever musician-in-residence. Even though it’s still not one-hundred percent clear what that role actually entails, there’s no doubt that Bushell will do a phenomenal job, as she seems to be unbelievably talented at pretty much everything she does. We hope to see her in concert again soon.
