So often we hear about how something or somebody rocks. It has become so overused that it really has lost its meaning. Do we really think that those socks rock, or that Justin Bieber rocks?

I will tell you this. I take responsibility for becoming a drone, allowing words such as “love” and “hate” become so common that they hold no meaning anymore. I will also tell you that I will no longer suffer; for I have been reminded just what it is to rock. In turn I have also found inspiration, all thanks to Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters.

“So, how many of you are seeing us for the first time?” Grohl asked the eclectic crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills. “12 years of rocking and now you come?”

And so it began.

Only minutes into the show Grohl had the Palace singing along with the chorus to “My Hero.” Throughout the show, the Foo Fighters kept a dialogue with the fans. At one point, Grohl told the crowd about how they did a show in Kansas City in protest of the Westboro Baptist Church just a few days earlier. He ended the story quipping that he thought that by the time they had reached the end of the show, the protestors may have actually liked his music.

At first, I thought that they were slowing down and talking to the crowd to grab a break. Nearly three hours later, I knew the real reason: the crowd needed a break. They played nearly all their hits along with many from their new album “Wasting Light.” The band also managed to slip in a cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown,” which, although familiar with Tom Petty, I had no idea how edgy and hard that song could be.

One of the best moments was the solo-acoustic version of “Best of You” Grohl sang perched atop a tower about two hours into the show. It was just amazing to see a man completely enthralled in his work. I found myself wondering several times whom they were playing for; the crowd or themselves. People have their opinions about the Foo Fighters and they are welcome to them but those in attendance that night know the true meaning of rock.

Joseph can be reached at josephpa@umflint.edu.