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Dave Grohl Dominates Track Star With Deep-Cut Punk Knowledge: “These Are Too Easy”
Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, and Chris Shiflett put their record-nerd instincts on display in a new Track Star episode, with Grohl calling the song guesses “too easy” while diving into punk history.
Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, and Chris Shiflett just turned a simple headphone guessing game into a full-on rock trivia flex.
In a new episode of Track Star, the Foo Fighters trio are fed songs one by one and asked to name them as fast as possible. The format is straightforward, but the fun is watching how quickly each of them locks in. Mendel is sharp from the jump, nailing The Clash’s London Calling from the opening seconds and picking out Buzzcocks’ Ever Fallen In Love without hesitation.
Shiflett brings the biggest reactions. When Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love hits, he rips off his headphones and blurts out, “are you joking?” He also clocks NOFX’s Linoleum almost immediately, though Sonic Youth’s Teen Age Riot gives him more trouble.
Grohl, unsurprisingly, moves like someone who has spent a lifetime in and around punk records. He identifies Minor Threat’s Straight Edge in seconds, then shrugs it off with: “These are too easy.” He adds that with a band like that, “all you need to hear is the guitars and the tone,” before briefly getting into Minor Threat’s role in the D.C. scene and how that world helped lay the foundation for Dischord Records.
That same energy carries through the rest of the episode, where Grohl also takes detours to talk about Melvins, Void, and even Harry Belafonte. It’s less about winning a game than hearing three lifer musicians reveal what’s wired into their ears.
The timing also lands as Foo Fighters continue their latest album cycle. The band recently released Your Favorite Toy, and they’re now gearing up for a heavy touring run: European stadium dates, including two nights at Liverpool’s Anfield at the end of June, plus major North American shows and an Australia/New Zealand leg scheduled for late 2026 into early 2027.
For fans, this Track Star appearance is a reminder of why Grohl still connects across generations: he isn’t just a frontman with arena mileage, he’s still the kid who can hear two guitar chords and immediately trace the lineage.
