NYC severe storms cut short Foo Fighters concert at Citi Field after 13 songs

QUEENS - The Foo Fighters were not the only ones rocking and rolling in NYC on Wednesday night.

Foo Fighters at Citi Field

Thunderstorms and lightning were too, forcing the band to cut their outdoor concert short at Citi Field after performing only 13 songs – they usually play at least 21 during a set.

As the severe weather approached the stadium, lead singer Dave Grohl told the crowd that a storm was coming in with "some lightning and (expletive) like that." 

Weather radar NYC

Radar loop of New York City as thunderstorms pushed through on the evening of July 17, 2024. (FOX Weather)

"We're going to play as much as we can until someone says it's not safe for you," he added before breaking out into their hit song "Everlong."

However, Grohl could only get 30 seconds into the song before the band abruptly got called offstage.

"Listen, this (expletive) sucks," he said. "Believe me. If I could do something about it, I would … everybody, go get safe."

ROSKILDE, DENMARK - JULY 5: Dave Grohl performs with Foo Fighters at Roskilde Festival 2024 on July 5, 2024 in Roskilde, Denmark. (Photo by Rune Hellestad - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

The interruption came as the National Weather Service issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Disappointed fans filed out of their seats and off the field, angry because the show was advertised as "rain or shine."

After the show, some took to social media to express their frustrations, while others praised Grohl and the band.

"They handled the situation so cool and so professionally," said Spring-Nuts, a dedicated group of fans of Bruce Springsteen. "As disappointing as it was to have a shortened show, nothing but admiration for Dave and the band, and they put on one of the best rock and roll shows I have ever seen."

In a statement, the band said they were disappointed that they couldn’t play their full set due to the severe weather.

"The safety of our fans, the crew and everyone working in the stadium comes first," the band said. "So when it was determined that there was no safe way to continue the show in this dangerous weather, we had no choice but to call it a night."

The Foo Fighters have a make-up show scheduled for Friday.

FOX Weather's Chris Oberholtz helped contribute to this report.