Dave Grohl has been seen as the drummer for Nirvana, guitarist and lead singer for Foo Fighters and now the creator of an HBO documentary that pays homage to music and its rich history in various places throughout the United States.

So far Grohl and the Foo Fighters have traveled to Chicago where they interviewed the likes of blues great Buddy Guy and other local unsung heroes. In later episodes of the eight part documentary Grohl and company will make pit stops in Arlington, Nashville, Austin, Joshua Tree, New Orleans, Seattle and the big apple of New York City.

In addition to many star-studded guest appearances, the documentary also puts a strong emphasis on exposing, through various interviews, the unsung heroes in the recording industry, musicians that paved the paths many stars would later stroll down and sound engineers that, though they may be in debt have gutted out records that made artists millions. In addition, Grohl writes a song based on the content of the interviews he conducts in each city which the Foo Fighters record and perform at the end of each episode. The eight songs that will have been written and performed by the end of the series will comprise Foo Fighter’s next studio album, Sonic Highways.

It’s fascinating to see footage of the band as they sweat to record in a studio. The show is a must watch for music lovers whether they’re fans of Foo Fighters or not. Digging up lost gems in the music industry that need to be recovered and paying respect that is long overdue to musical barrier breakers,  the documentary is engrossing from start to finish.

4.5/5 Stars.