SAN DIEGO — Ilan Rubin’s musical star is about to rise even higher.

As a member of Nine Inch Nails, in 2020 the San Diego-born drummer became the youngest musician to ever be inducted into the Roll & Roll Hall of Fame. As an 11-year-old member of San Diego’s F.o.N., he was the youngest musician to perform at the 1999 Woodstock festival. Now, just 23 days after his 37th birthday, Rubin has become the new drummer in Foo Fighters, one of the biggest rock bands in the world.

Wednesday’s announcement that Rubin has become the newest member of the Foos, as the band is fondly also known by fans, comes just barely two months after Foo Fighters fired drummer Josh Freese, who joined the group in 2023 following the death of the band’s original drummer, Taylor Hawkins, in 2022.

Rubin is best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, which he joined in 2009. His other credits include Angels & Airwaves, the band he co-led with Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge, and the band Paramore. He has also collaborated with former Oingo Boingo singer-turned-film composer Danny Elfman.

Rubin’s move to Foo Fighters won’t leave Nine Inch Nails without a drummer. Freese, who Rubin replaced in Nine Inch Nails, is now replacing Rubin in the band. The switch comes only a week before Nine Inch Nails is scheduled to kick off the North American leg of its “Peel It Back” at the Oakland Arena on Aug. 6. Rubin was still on board for Nine Inch Nails’ June tour of Europe.

Rubin, who is a quick study, will have ample time to learn Foo Fighters’ songbook. The band will perform its first show in a year Oct. 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia, then move on to concerts in Singapore and Japan. Foo Fighters’ only scheduled North American tour date this year is Nov. 14 in Mexico City.

In Rubin, Foo Fighters is not only gaining a standout drummer but a talented pianist, guitarist, bassist, songwriter and producer who has made several one-man band albums under the name the New Regime.

“Playing at Woodstock is something I never think about,” Rubin told the Union-Tribune in a 2021 interview. “But being 32 and being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is something I’m genuinely proud of. And it’s something I will continue to be proud of for the rest of my life.”

©2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.