The high-energy cover band has personal ties to rock legends
Chevy Metal — the long-running cover band co-founded by the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins — has announced four new headlining tour dates across the United States, along with ticketing details for select previously revealed shows. The band’s summer itinerary begins Saturday, July 12th in Menlo Park, California, at The Guild Theatre, followed by stops in Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere before wrapping up on Friday, September 5th at The Copa at The Bootlegger in Las Vegas.
Chevy Metal will be leaving an especially big mark on Southern California in August, starting on Friday, August 8th at The Venice West in Venice Beach, then Saturday, August 9th at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. They’ll close out that month with their annual charity gig on Saturday, August 31st at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, supporting the Eastwood Ranch Foundation, an animal welfare and rescue organization. The foundation is currently running its Double the Love – Double the Impact campaign: From May through September, every dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000, thanks to a generous donor — including proceeds from this show!
Chevy Metal got their start around 2002, when Taylor Hawkins began playing small gigs with bassist Wiley Hodgden — his longtime drum tech from the Foo Fighters. Over the years, the lineup evolved, especially on guitar, and so did the scale of their shows. What began as a low-key side project grew into a full-throttle rock outfit, playing everything from intimate venues to major corporate events.
These days, guitar duties are handled by Brent Woods, who learned his craft from the legendary Randy Rhoads. And since Hawkins’ death in 2022, the man keeping the beat for Chevy Metal is none other than his 17-year-old son, Shane Hawkins.
To make things truly official in more ways than one, Chevy Metal has released their first promo photo featuring all three band members. The shoot took place a few weeks ago at their rehearsal studio in the San Fernando Valley, captured by photographer @jeffcogginsphoto.
“It’s been so awesome playing with Wiley and Brent in Chevy Metal and keeping my dad’s legacy alive,” Shane Hawkins says. “It’s also super cool to cover songs from these legendary bands whose songs we perform. I can’t wait for our first tour — I’m really excited to bring my own vibe to the music.”
“The shows will be loud,” states co-founder Hodgden. “It’s old-school rock and roll: lots of drum solos. There will be cussing — sorry, we try not to, but it happens.”
Chevy Metal’s specialty as a ’70s dirt-rock cover band is turning deep album cuts into their own. “We don’t just play covers like the original,” adds Woods. “We make them our own, as if we wrote them. We fuck them up a bit, speed the tempos, add jams, etc. We just have fun with it.”
Fans can expect a high-energy night of music sourced from such legends as Black Sabbath, Van Halen, The Police, Queen, Thin Lizzy and The Rolling Stones, just to name a few.
Past surprise guests have included rock royalty such as Mick Jagger, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, Roger Taylor, Chad Smith, Flea, Robby Krieger, Sebastian Bach, Nikki Sixx, and additional members of the Foo Fighters.
Chevy Metal 2025 Summer Tour Dates:
July 12 – Menlo Park, CA @ The Guild Theatre
July 19 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
July 20 – Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
July 23 – Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
July 24 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
July 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
July 26 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis
Aug 8 – Venice Beach, CA @ The Venice West
Aug 9 – Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar
Aug 31 – Agoura Hills, CA @ The Canyon
Sept 5 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Copa at The Bootlegger
