NEWS
Kurstin x Grohl: The Hanukkah Sessions 2021: Night One
Courtesy PhotoFoo Fighters leader Dave Grohl and producer Greg Kurstin rebooted their “Hanukkah Sessions” project on Sunday night (Nov. 28) — the first night of the Festival of Lights — with a bone-crunching, black metal take on Lisa Loeb‘s gentle 1994 ballad “Stay (I Missed You).” After running through eight covers of songs by Jewish artists last year, including tracks by the Beastie Boys, Drake, Mountain, Peaches, Bob Dylan, Elastica, The Knack and the Velvet Underground, the demonic duo roared back with a fresh take on Loeb’s signature song for the first entry in this year’s edition.
“Welcome back to the menorah, y’all. Let’s kick it this year’s Hanukkah sessions with one of Dallas, Texas’s favorite Jewish daughters,” Grohl wrote alongside the pair’s low budget video for the song. “So put on your coffee shop spectacles and your Betsey Johnson dress and HAVA listen to this…”
The clip opens with Grohl rocking a vintage mid-1990s flowered dress and chunky glasses as he croons the song’s gentle opening riffs. It’s just a Rickroll-style head fake, though, as the camera zooms in Dave’s agitated, shaking face bellowing the chorus in his best black metal scream for a completely unexpected, delightful tonal shift. Your Hanukkah never rocked so hard.
Loeb appreciated the effort, tweeting out that Grohl and Kurstin did a “great job,” and also shouting out the singer’s smart sartorial choice of a vintage Betsey Johnson dress.
Sade will not be attending their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this week.
The English group, made up of Sade Adu, Paul Denman, Stuart Matthewman, and Andrew Hale, are among this year's inductees into the prestigious institution. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this Saturday.
However, a representative for Sade confirmed on Tuesday through the band's official website that none of the members would be attending the event.
"We're sorry that we won't be able to join everyone in person to celebrate alongside the other artists. However, our absence does not lessen how deeply this recognition means to us," they stated. "Being welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a wonderful honour and a meaningful opportunity to express our gratitude, not just to everyone who voted for us, but to every person who has made our music part of their lives."
The representative also acknowledged their manager Roger Davies for his support and paid tribute to the late engineer and co-producer Mike Pela, who passed away in 2022.
"We owe so much to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey," they continued, before signing the message: "Sade, Stuart, Andrew, and Paul. Mike Pela, the fifth member of Sade... This recognition belongs to you just as much as it does to us, Mike. You will always be our soul mate."
Sade will be joining Oasis among the artists missing this year's ceremony. Liam Gallagher previously addressed his absence in a message on X, saying the journey was "too far" for him to make just "for the night".
The other musicians being recognised at this weekend's ceremony include Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, the late Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.
