No Mercy from the Ghost Within

A diary of my trip to Foxborough to see Metallica on the M72 World Tour in August 2024.

My final stop on the Metallica M72 World Tour was in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It was an easy decision to pick Foxborough as a destination because it was easily drivable from home in New Jersey. Anytime Metallica plays a drivable concert for me, I buy tickets and go.

I put together a group of friends to spend the weekend in Boston and go to both shows. There was no rain in the forecast for Thursday or Monday so instead of driving, I readied my motorcycle and plotted a scenic route to Boston. I could not ask more for a long early-August weekend: spending time with friends, taking a motorcycle trip, and going to see the greatest band of all time twice.

August 1, 2024

I promised myself the last time I drove to Boston (to see Metallica in 2022, of course) that I was never again going to just take the most efficient route through Connecticut. The main roads are typically choked with traffic and uninteresting. Instead, I plotted a scenic route through southern Vermont. Vermont is not on the way to Boston from my home in New Jersey, but this ride was about the journey.

I woke up early, mounted my luggage on the bike, and hit the road towards the Bear Mountain Bridge. The Bear Mountain Bridge is an out-of-the-way Hudson River crossing that is not part of any major Interstate Highway. It leads to highway 9D in Putnam County, New York. Once I crossed the bridge, the scenery for most of the ride was beautiful.

I took 9D to Cold Spring, New York and headed east through some state highways and backroads until I hit US-7 in Connecticut. I took that north through Massachusetts and into Vermont. I left Massachusetts so I could come back to Massachusetts! This is what you do when you take the scenic route on the bike.

It was about when I reached Bennington, Vermont that I stopped to check the time to Boston. I had to be cleaned up and ready to meet my friend Erin for dinner at 7 PM. I hooked a right and headed east through the mountains to Brattleboro. I went south to Route 2 and took that east to Boston. Traffic picked up the closer I got to the city, but my main mission was accomplished. I took the most scenic and least hectic route I could find between my home and Boston.

Trace of my ride from New Jersey to Boston through the mountains of west MA and south VT
Wearing over 300 miles of road grit on my face

I cut my timing for dinner very close. I jumped off the bike, checked in to the hotel, showered up, hopped in an Uber, ran up a flight of stairs, and breathlessly greeted Erin. I did my best to hold up my end of the conversation after 325 miles and eight and a half hours on the motorcycle.

It was a work night for Erin so after dinner I found my good friends Gail and Joe who were in town for the weekend. Joe was coming to both Metallica shows and Gail was along for the sightseeing. We had a few drinks, and I had to call it a night.

August 2, 2024

Friday was the first big day of the weekend; we were going to get to see Metallica at night! My plan was to refrain from drinking so I could focus on the show at the stadium. Pooch arrived in town shortly after noon, and we met him at the Dorchester Brewing Company for lunch. Pooch is a great guy to travel with if you are into drinking craft beer and eating barbecue. They had both at Dorchester.

I went with him to another brewery on his list (he has a brewery list everywhere he goes), Castle Island Brewing for the rest of the afternoon. We drove past the highway and saw first-hand how bad the Boston traffic was headed out of town. As a group, we decided to take the train to Foxborough to save ourselves from the trouble of sitting in traffic.

We went back to the hotel and got the group together to head out to the train station. Ed rolled in just as we were leaving (he lost about two hours to the aforementioned traffic between New Jersey and Boston) and he hurried along with us to the train.

The trip from Boston to Foxborough sucks. The stadium is nowhere near the city and the roads are unable to handle event-day traffic flow. I highly recommend taking the train if you ever have the misfortune of having to make the same trip. It was relatively painless.

The train dropped us off at the parking lot and we grabbed something to eat outside the stadium. We headed in to catch the end of Mammoth WVH’s set.

Headed into Gillette Stadium
Wolfgang Van Halen from behind

We settled in near the center of the stage on the opposite side of the entrance. We were able to get close and had a good view of half of the stage from where we were standing. We were excited for the second act to come on. Pantera hit the stage and tore through a blistering set.

Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde, the 5th Greatest Guitar Player of All Time
Charlie Benante on drums
All the money Pantera made on this tour, Phil still can’t afford socks and shoes

Pantera will obviously never be the same without the deceased Abbott brothers. But there could not be a better replacement for Vinnie Paul than Charlie Benante. And if you must replace Dimebag Darrell with someone, it might as well be the 5th greatest guitar player of all time, Zakk Wylde.

The crowd was hot for this show. It looked like a lot of us had seen the original Pantera lineup 25 years ago. There was a lot of singing and head-banging. I thought they picked up some younger fans while they were at it.

Throughout the tour, the wait between the end of the Pantera set and the beginning of the Metallica set feels like it lasts a day. I don’t even know what to do with myself while I’m waiting.

Killing time between sets with a selfie

By the time AC/DC played, I was fired up and ready to rage! In just a few minutes, Metallica hit the stage. Lars Ulrich counted in “Creeping Death”, and it was on. I knew they were going to start with “Creeping Death”, and I was still amazed. The wave of energy that sweeps a football stadium when Metallica begins their set is indescribable. People are yelling, singing, head banging, moshing, even crying tears of joy. It is an experience unlike anything else.

The third song in the set was “Leper Messiah” and this was only the second time I’ve ever seen this classic played live. Metallica always finds a way to make each show memorable like this.

The rest of the set was standard M72 World Tour stuff. A combination of songs that spanned the band’s entire career, from the “Kill ‘Em All” to “72 Seasons” albums. Nobody in heavy metal has a catalog like theirs, and each song they chose to play filled the entire football stadium. The production, the sound, and the band battered our senses for two hours.

James, Kirk, and Lars
Kirk and Robert
Kirk and Lars looking heroic

They capped the setlist with a ferocious rendition of “Master of Puppets” and we were spent. We made a quick trip to the train because if we missed it, we were going to have to sleep in the parking lot. The train was slow to leave, because a passenger had a medical emergency and had to be removed. But once it got going, we made a straight shot back to the city and to our hotel.

August 3, 2024

Before Pooch visits a new locale, he does PhD-level research on the local bars and restaurants. He can find the best craft beer and barbecue before he even arrives. So, we left Saturday planning to him.

We started off at the Tip Tap Room for brunch. From there we walked around Downtown Boston for the afternoon, making several stops along the way. We hit the Distraction + Democracy Beer Garden at Boston’s Old City Hall, the Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom, and a handful of other breweries. Did I mention Pooch likes his breweries?

Bill Walton statue
One of the many breweries on Pooch’s spreadsheet

Saturday was a standout day on my Metallica M72 World Tour journey. On some of my trips, Saturday was full of sightseeing and moving around from place to place. This time, I got to spend a relaxing day with like-minded friends, enjoying our trip to a city we would not have gone to had it not been for Metallica.

The plan for the evening was to find a sports bar that was showing WWE SummerSlam. Pooch and I are huge WWE fans and did not want to miss the biggest show of the summer. Pooch contacted Banners at TD Garden and was told they were going to show it on the big screen, so we went there for dinner. We arrived and comedy ensued.

We checked in at the hostess stand, and asked to be seated with a view of the screen that would air SummerSlam. The hostess had no idea what we were talking about. Pooch told her that he had emailed a gentleman who told him they would show SummerSlam and that was why we were there.

Pooch told her that the email came from a gentleman named Sam. The guy standing next to the hostess said, “I’m Sam!”. Then he denied sending that email and said maybe we talked to a different Sam.

This led to somewhat of a tense argument, and even Joe who is not a WWE fan complained loud enough that they decided to seat us and put SummerSlam on the big screen after all.

Pooch and I were happy we got to watch the show. It was the best WWE show since WrestleMania 40 earlier in the year. Even Ed got into it, he liked the pants that Seth Rollins wore. We stayed through the end when Roman Reigns made his surprise return to WWE at the conclusion of the main event. It was cool that I found a way to combine WWE with one of my Metallica trips.

We had some post-show drinks and then headed back to the hotel. It was a long day, and we had to get up for the big day on Sunday. One more Metallica show to go.

August 4, 2024

We had one more round of sightseeing before it was time to head to the concert. We started with a historical ferry tour of Boston Harbor. The tour guide was knowledgeable and kept us engaged with the tour. One bit of Boston history that I learned from him was that Boston was mostly filled in over time and that it was not entirely natural land.

Boston Harbor from our tour boat
The Man’s boat
The best dressed crew on the tour boat

Next up was a trip to the New England Aquarium which was a block away from the ferry. We were greeted near the entrance by a somewhat randy pair of penguins.

Get a room!

Next, we wandered over to the tropical fish tank. Much to my surprise, Pooch was a tropical fish expert. He used to own a tank and had a wealth of knowledge about tropical fish and was able to point out several species without having to check the guide.

Pooch can name every one of these fish!

We toured the whole aquarium, including the four-story ocean tank, and the sea lion show.

Trained sea lions

After the aquarium, we stopped for a barbecue lunch (refer to my earlier comments about Pooch and barbecue) and went back to the hotel to get ready to head out to Metallica.

That afternoon, we made a bad tactical mistake. We decided to drive to Foxborough rather than take the train, assuming that there would be no rush hour traffic to get there on a Sunday. Erin was going to join us for the Sunday concert, so we grabbed her and headed to the stadium.

The forecast was awful for Sunday night, and it proved to be correct. We arrived at the stadium parking lot, and it was raining heavily. We walked towards the stadium through the Patriots Way pavilion and upon arrival, a sign said the stadium was closed and we should seek shelter. This was problematic as we wanted to get there and find a good spot on the floor.

We ducked into a nearby bar and ordered some food and waited out the rain. It started to drag on and I started to get nervous there would be a weather delay or a cancellation of the whole show. I kept an eye on the Gillette Stadium X account, and after a significant wait, it posted an update that they were reopening the stadium. We hurried inside and found a spot near where we were on Friday. We were a bit further back, having lost some positions due to the stadium entry discombobulation.

I watched the Metallica X account feed, too. They announced that there would not be enough time for Ice Nine Kills to perform (no big deal) but Five Finger Death Punch would be able to play an abbreviated set. This would push the end of the show back until after 11 PM, likely costing the promoters and the band a nice chunk of change in overtime wages for the facility staff. At about 7:45 PM, Ivan Moody ran on stage and FFDP kicked off their set.

Better late than never, the show got started with Five Finger Death Punch

At this point in the tour, I felt like I had seen FFDP one too many times. I guess I could start to appreciate their live act, but I was never a fan to begin with and I did not see myself changing my opinion of the band after seeing them live.

As promised, FFDP kept their set short and for my final time in 2024, the wait for Metallica began.

Killing more time with a group pic
Highly sophisticated method of keeping that microphone dry

This would be my fifteenth show on the M72 World Tour and the anticipation for their set remained constant. It is always the longest hour of my life. I get anxious, nervous, excited, and when the lights go out, I get overjoyed.

Metallica hit the stage and Lars pounded on the drums. James Hetfield shredded the opening riff and shouted “Whiplash!” into the microphone and Gillette Stadium went ballistic. The rain delay was a thing of the past and the show was on.

We were a little further away than I’d like, but we could still see the whole thing pretty well

“Whiplash” quickly transitioned into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and our excitement continued to skyrocket. We knew this song was coming and were ready to sing along and bang our heads to it. The band transitioned into the title track from their sophomore album “Ride the Lightning”, which just happens to be Ed’s favorite Metallica song. It was a delightful start to the show for everybody.

The rest of the career-spanning set was pure bliss. The crowd was electric, and the band fed off it. The song selection filled in the gaps from what they played on Friday night. We were treated to an epic performance of “Inamorata” before the ending sequence of songs that culminated with “Enter Sandman”. Before they played it, James made a joke about their beach balls not being deflated, a reference to one of the many New England Patriots cheating scandals that occurred in Gillette Stadium.

As excited as I was for the show, it was a huge bummer for me when it ended, knowing it would be the end of my M72 World Tour run. I had a great run, but I didn’t know if or when Metallica would hit the road again and what the tour would look like when they did.

I visited two European cities that I probably would not have seen otherwise and had many adventures with friends and family in the North American cities. I got to see the best band in the world perform 11 times. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to do all of that.

I had plenty of time to reflect on it all as we attempted to drive home. The traffic situation leaving Gillette Stadium is an unmitigated disaster. We were already running late because of the rain and then sat in the lot forever waiting for it to even move. Unfortunately for Erin, she had to work the next morning, so it really threw her schedule off. If I ever visit Gillette Stadium again, I will take the train no matter what.

August 5, 2024

My last planned day off work for the M72 World Tour. I woke up, loaded up the bike, and split. I wanted to once again avoid the traffic on the Interstates and take a unique route, so I headed west on route 2 and took that to US 202 which goes all the way back to New Jersey.

Those who know me would tell you that thinking isn’t something I’m known for. But being on the bike is an isolating experience that traps you in your own thoughts. It gives me the opportunity to recognize the few thoughts I do have.

As I meandered southwest through Massachusetts and Connecticut, I thought about my entire tour itinerary and how much of a dream come true it was. Two European trips, four motorcycle trips, five cities visited, eleven Metallica concerts, and most importantly time spent with family and friends. I really couldn’t have asked for anything more.

The members of the band started to turn 60 on this tour. They are playing the fewest number of concerts per year than they ever have in their past. They shortened the set from 16 songs to 15 songs. Time is catching up to them. They are not going to tour forever and opportunities like this are running out. Knowing this, the best thing I could do to honor the experience was to live in the moment and enjoy the final ride of the tour.

I stopped for gas late in the afternoon. My phone had been ringing but I didn’t see it. My boss was trying to call me. The stock market went haywire that day. The trading system I’m responsible for had a technical issue causing it to fail and we missed an opportunity to trade in advantageous conditions. It was a big snap back to reality for me and it was time to get back to work.

Epilogue

For the first time in two years, I wasn’t holding tickets for a Metallica concert, nor did I have any travel plans. I had toyed with the idea of going to one of the remaining cities after Foxborough but when it was done, I felt like I had done enough for one two-year tour cycle.

The band headed west and then south to Mexico City to round out the remaining stops on the tour. I procrastinated writing my final blog entry. Things had returned to normal.

I assumed that Metallica would announce 2025 and potentially 2026 tour dates at some point in the fall. I was hoping somewhat for somewhere in South America because I have never been there. I was on a business trip to Fort Lauderdale and woke up to a barrage of text messages and social media updates from Metallica. They were going to tour the US again in 2025.

I quickly surveyed the cities and settled on Philadelphia and Denver as the two stops that would best suit me. I attempted to buy a Lux Æterna platform in Denver and Snake Pit passes for Philadelphia and got skunked on both. But I did manage to get good tickets for each. So, with much excitement, I can declare that I am not done with the M72 World Tour! Stay tuned for two more updates in 2025.

My M72 Would Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
87/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
97/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
Upcoming125/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
135/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
146/27/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO
156/29/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/Event
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World Tour
357/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour
367/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour
378/2/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World Tour
388/4/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
Creeping Death6
Fuel6
Harvester Of Sorrow6
Lux Æterna6
Nothing Else Matters6
Orion6
Sad But True6
Seek and Destroy6
72 Seasons5
Enter Sandman5
For Whom The Bell Tolls5
If Darkness Had A Son5
King Nothing5
Master of Puppets5
Moth Into Flame5
One5
Ride The Lightning5
Shadows Follow5
The Call of Ktulu5
The Day That Never Comes5
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)5
Wherever I May Roam5
Battery4
Fade To Black4
The Unforgiven4
Too Far Gone?4
Whiplash4
Blackened3
Hardwired3
Holier Than Thou3
Whiskey In The Jar3
You Must Burn!3
Cyanide2
Inamorata2
Leper Messiah2
Screaming Suicide2
The Memory Remains2
Until It Sleeps2
Dirty Window1
Fight Fire With Fire1
I Disappear1
No Leaf Clover1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Unique:43
Total:170

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters31
Enter Sandman30
One30
Sad But True30
Master of Puppets29
Seek and Destroy27
For Whom The Bell Tolls24
Creeping Death22
Fade To Black19
Fuel18
Wherever I May Roam16
Battery14
Blackened14
Moth Into Flame14
Ride The Lightning13
The Unforgiven13
Harvester Of Sorrow12
The Day That Never Comes12
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)12
Whiplash12
Hardwired10
The Memory Remains10
Holier Than Thou9
Cyanide8
King Nothing8
The Call of Ktulu8
Fight Fire With Fire7
Now That We’re Dead7
Orion7
Whiskey In The Jar7
Atlas, Rise!6
Lux Æterna6
No Leaf Clover6
The Four Horsemen6
72 Seasons5
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
If Darkness Had A Son5
Of Wolf and Man5
Shadows Follow5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
Too Far Gone?4
Until It Sleeps4
I Disappear3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Inamorata2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Leper Messiah2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
Screaming Suicide2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:109
Total:654

Welcome, Won’t You Come Inside

A diary of my trip to Spain to see Metallica on the M72 World Tour in July, 2024.

It was a long wait, but it was finally time to get back on the road to see the Metallica M72 World Tour in a new city. This time, it was Madrid. I had never been to Spain before, and there was no better excuse to go than to see two Metallica shows.

Things have been hectic for me since the Phoenix stop on the M72 Tour in 2023. I found out prior to the trip that I had busted up my rotator cuff in my dominant arm and that it would not heal without elective surgery. I was told the recovery would be difficult and that I would have no or limited use of my arm for a while.

I had to put off the operation until after the Phoenix trip, but it needed to be soon thereafter so I would be ready to rock for the Madrid trip in 2024. I had them cut me up in October and started physical therapy a few weeks later. That plan worked out very nicely. I was semi-functional a few months later, and I graduated from therapy a week before the Madrid trip.

While I was dealing with the injury, I got started on a construction project at my house because I like making things complicated and difficult for myself. My entire backyard needed to be replaced and I wanted to get it done for 2024. Everything went relatively smoothly with the project, but dealing with the contractor and making design decisions was very time intensive.

Between the shoulder rehab, the backyard project, and holding down a full-time job, I had a lot on my mind. Therefore, I did not do as much planning for the Madrid trip as I had done for Paris, Montreal, and Phoenix last year. But my number one travel companion on the tour, Susan, took care of the basic outline of the trip for us. We were going to forego the motorcycle rental this time, and instead spend a few days getting crazy in Ibiza after the Metallica shows were done in Madrid. I was happy with that plan and showed up in Madrid fired up and ready to watch The Greatest Band of All Time from the Snake Pit!

Metallica wrapped up the North American leg of the 2023 tour in Detroit in November and did a one-off show in Saudi Arabia in December. They resumed the 2024 tour in May in Munich for two nights. They played 16 songs each night as they had done on all the other dates in 2023. At the next show in Milan, they only played 15 songs. Each night after that, they stuck to the new 15 song format. The reasons are not publicly known why the shows got shorter, but I guess shrinkflation in this economy is to blame.

I was a bit bummed that I would get to see two fewer songs than I had expected in Madrid, and I had done no research or real planning for the trip. But Susan and I got on the redeye from Newark on July 10, and we landed in Madrid the next day on time.

July 11, 2024

Things were off to a good start; the first leg of travel got us to Madrid without issue. But the red-eye and the jetlag hit me hard, and I started the trip exhausted.

We hopped a cab from the airport, and I noticed right away that the terrain indicated we were going to be in a warmer climate. There was also a lot of graffiti on the highway. I noticed the same thing when we got to Paris, I guess it is a European thing.

We made it to Hotel Francisco I and Susan had to stop to do some work. She was under an unfortunately timed work deadline for most of the vacation, so she had to do a few hours of work every day. I went for a walk nearby to keep busy until she was done.

I was not sure what I was looking at, but realized right away that I was in an historic section of town. It was a neighborhood that was clearly much older than anywhere I have been in America. My phone told me that I was in a town square called Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor

I was hungry so I sat down and ordered my favorite Spanish delicacy, Jamón Ibérico.

Jamón Ibérico

Susan told me she was ready to go so we met up and walked around the area together. We were in an interesting neighborhood that was a seemingly endless maze of old buildings with cool shops and restaurants. We would enjoy walking around town for the rest of our stay.

I disagree

We headed out to our first planned destination, Museo Nacional del Prado. Prado is an historic art museum in Madrid known for its European art. It features 48 pieces by Diego Velázquez.

I got yelled at for trying to take pictures (there did not appear to be a sign saying it was not allowed). I thought that the collections were interesting, especially given how old some of them were. The overwhelming majority of them were inspired by religion.

We went to dinner at Vi Cool and finished the night with drinks at a bar in the basement of Caluana. The food was underwhelming at the restaurant, and the neighborhood seemed to close early. That was fine with me, I was wiped out by then and wanted to get to bed to get into the time zone.

July 12, 2024

Today was going to be a big day! Susan had to work in the morning, so I walked to the Metallica pop-up store. I only bought four T-shirts this time. I returned to the hotel, and we walked to Plaza Mayor for lunch. We ordered paella for the first time on the trip.

We walked to Real Jardín Botánico (a botanical garden) and went inside for a visit. I think we were there a little late in the season because not much was in bloom. I was jealous of their vegetable garden; they are better at growing tomatoes than I am. They had some good-looking grape vines and fig trees, too.

Grapevines
I think this guy was a king or something

Everything we did that day was nice, but it was time for the big event. We hopped on the Metro, asked for directions, and headed towards Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano for the first of two Metallica concerts of the weekend!

The first order of business was for me to figure out how to pick up our Snake Pit passes. The instructions I got in Spanish were not very helpful even after I translated them to English. But after walking back and forth and asking for help outside the stadium, I found the window that had our magic wristbands, and we went inside.

The soccer stadium in Madrid that would be Metallica’s home for the weekend
The setup was huge, but we were going to be in the middle of the stage!

We descended the stairs from the first level and headed to the Snake Pit entrance. I dreamed about that moment ever since I bought the tickets in November 2022. We flashed our wristbands, and they waved us in.

I didn’t know what to do with myself once I got inside. This was going to be much different than jockeying for position at a regular general admission concert. Instead of just trying to get as close to the stage as possible, we were going to be literally surrounded by Metallica inside a donut-shaped stage. I noticed that one of the lower portions of the stage to my left was not terribly crowded and we walked up to it.

Our initial spot in the Snake Pit

The Architects had just started playing when we walked in. They are a boring and uninspiring band and trudged their way through a desultory set. At least we were able to conserve energy for Metallica.

The wait in between sets seemed to last a lifetime. But when “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)” blasted throughout the stadium, I was fired up! Metallica hit the stage and Lars Ulrich counted off the first song. Before he was even done, I recognized it and shouted, “Creeping Death!”. It was on!

Lars was playing drums to our right. Before I knew it, James Hetfield was singing and playing guitar right in front of us! I was so close that I could look right up his nostrils!

We were that close to James!

Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett crossed in front of us with regularity. We were literally surrounded by Metallica. The third song of the night was the deep cut “Cyanide” that I had not seen live in years. I could barely keep up with everything happening around me. After “King Nothing” finished they switched to the second drum kit, this time to our left.

This was the point in the show that required some decision making based on our prior M72 World Tour experience. There were always four drum kits used throughout the show, each one placed about 90 degrees apart from the other and popped up in a counterclockwise direction. The band tended to stick to the drumkit, and we wanted to be as close to them as possible.

I was a bit reticent as to what to do. Should we stick to our spot close to the stage and wait for them to wander close to us? Or should we follow the drums? Susan told me that I needed to man-up and take the risk of losing our spot so we could follow the drums. I needed that bit of encouragement.

While “Shadows Follow” was playing, we walked through the crowd and found a spot near where we thought the drum kit would pop up. The crowd let us through because they were looking in the other direction towards James and Lars.

This turned out to be a fortuitous decision. We were standing right by the inside of the wall where the third drum kit popped out. The band ripped into the instrumental “Orion”, and we were right there to watch all four of them jam! We were so close that Lars’ drums overpowered the sound from the main PA system.

I don’t recall ever being this close to the whole band

The rest of the show was pure pleasure. We made the move to the fourth drum kit with four songs to go. The band blasted through “Battery”, “Fuel”, “Seek and Destroy”, and “Master of Puppets” to finish the night off. I was amazed and spent. This was one of the best Metallica experiences of my life.

Susan was right, we needed to get close to Lars!
Lars playing through beach balls

July 13, 2024

I felt like I was still on a high from the amazing Metallica show from the previous night. The weather was beautiful, so I wanted to get out and play tourist for the day. Susan found a highly rated brunch spot called EatMyTrip so we stopped there for something to eat.

We went for a somewhat aimless walk to see what we could find. We wandered into the Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande. As the name would imply, it was a big old church. It was almost a combination of an art museum and a church with hallways lined with old paintings.

Long, painting-lined hallway at the church
One of the many ornate paintings in the church

We concluded that we had seen enough ancient religious art for the trip, so we moved on. Susan read about the Museo de San Isidro, so we made that our next stop. It was a cool museum, and we learned a lot about the history of Madrid.

Apparently, Madrid is an archeologically significant city and fossils found there told the story of the evolution of many species, including humans. The museum had a timeline of Madrid’s history from the neanderthals to the beginnings of society, to the current day.

There were no “good old days” in Madrid. Throughout its history, there were bloody religious conflicts, invasions by rival empires, and civil wars. I was amazed that the city was still standing after reading all about it.

We then walked to the nearby Mercado del la Cebada; a two-floor space filled with an eclectic mix of shops. The produce looked so good that I bought myself an heirloom tomato to eat later. We sampled some tapas there, too.

They cut your ham in front of you

After all of that exploring, it was time to find a rooftop bar for a few afternoon cocktails. Instagram randomly suggested that I visit El Cielo de Chicote at the top of Hotel Montera Madrid, so off we went.

That’s apple foam on top

The bar had a good vibe, great views, and even better drinks. We weren’t in many tall buildings in Madrid, it was neat to see what the city looks like from on high. We stayed for a few drinks before heading back to the hotel to get gussied up for the evening.

View of the city from the rooftop

Susan wanted to see a traditional flamenco show while we were in Spain, so she got us tickets for the Saturday show at Teatro Flamenco Madrid. We arrived at the theater just as the show was about to start.

The performers were three dancers (two female, one male), a guitar player, and two male singers. The show was a unique combination of song, percussion, and dance. The three dancers worked in tandem, and each took a solo. They were all very athletic and very expressive. The singers kept the beat by clapping and stomping their feet. The guitar player was no James Hetfield, but he did a serviceable job.

This was quite the departure from Metallica the previous night, but I thought it was a great cultural experience. It felt like there was a lot of history behind the style of flamenco, and there was a lot of effort put into the show itself.

We capped off the day with dinner at ZARA and a few drinks at a nearby bar. It felt like we checked a lot of the tourist boxes off, and I slept like a rock when we called it a night.

July 14, 2024

Since I was not going to rent a Harley for this stop on the M72 World Tour, I decided we should do a bike tour of Madrid because that’s like the next best thing. Susan is an avid bicyclist, so she was a willing participant.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and the tour moved very quickly. I would be hard pressed to remember every detail of what he told us. He explained a lot about the history of the area that we had walked through during our stay.

We rode through En Retiro Park and my biggest takeaway was the statue of the archangel that was exactly 666 meters above sea level. What a perfect landmark to see during the day before we were going to see Metallica.

A statue of Satan exactly 666 meters above sea level

He took us through town, and we made a stop at the Royal Palace of Madrid where we stopped for a few pictures and a quick history lesson of the opulence of the Spanish Monarchy.

The royal palace

He took us through Plaza Mayor and told us that it was a black market used by merchants to dodge taxes until the king found out what was going on. They also used it for public executions which the locals found entertaining. Things were certainly different in those days.

The bike trip wrapped up and we needed something to eat so we wen to the Mercado de San Miguel. This place was very cool, it had an array of tapas selections. We sampled a bite at several tapas stands and that was good enough for lunch.

I’ll take one of everything, please
I’ll take one of each of these, too.

We went back to the hotel to relax a bit before it was time to head back to the stadium for our second Metallica concert from Snake Pit. We knew the metro lines to take this time so getting there was a breeze.

The walk into the Snake Pit was another surreal experience. I still could not believe I got so lucky when buying tickets. We started off in the same spot we were in at the previous show. Five Finger Death Punch took the stage. They are the most okay opening band Metallica used on the tour. They certainly were livelier than The Architects.

Ivan Moody from Five Finger Death Punch

The crowd looked like it was a bit thinner than it was on Friday. I attributed that to the fact that Spain was scheduled to play England in the Euro Cup finals at the same time Metallica would take the stage. I guess Metallica’s management did not take that possibility into consideration when they planned the tour in 2022.

As usual, I was impatient for Metallica to come on and I could not stand still. AC/DC hit the speakers after what seemed like forever, and I was ready to go again. The band took the stage and Lars pounded on the drums for the unmistakable intro to “Whiplash”. The crowd went berserk, and James had all of us in the palm of his hand when he started singing. The band segued quickly into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and kept the fierce energy in the stadium at fever pitch.

We decided to use the same strategy from Friday night. One song before the third drumkit was going to emerge, we found a spot near where it was going to pop up. Just like on Friday, we got right underneath the band for their instrumental number. This time it was “The Call of Ktulu”.  We stayed until halfway through “Inamorata” and got as close to the fourth drumkit as we could get.

Right behind The Greatest Drummer of All Time
The best way to experience Metallica is from very close!

The finish was very strong with a deep cut of “Fight Fire With Fire” and dazzling pyrotechnics during “Moth Into Flame”.

The crowd randomly started cheering during “One”. I looked at my phone to see that Spain had just scored the go-ahead goal against England in stoppage time. They were going to win the Euro Cup.

Finally, the beach balls dropped from the lighting towers and the Metallica finished the night off with “Enter Sandman”.

It was tough for me to accept that it was over. I had these Snake Pit tickets for a year and a half. They were going to be my only shows on the M72 World Tour from within the stage, so I was looking forward to Madrid the most out of any cities I visited.

But we still had plenty of vacation ahead of us. We took the cramped Metro back to our hotel so we could get up early and catch our flight to Ibiza.

July 15, 2024

We had an early flight to Ibiza. We got to the hotel lobby and asked for a cab before the sun came up. People were still celebrating the Spanish Euro Cup win in the streets. I slept through the entire flight.

We checked into our hotel and Susan overheard an American couple say that they were there to see David Guetta perform that day. She looked it up and saw that he was playing at a club called Ushuaïa, and Afrojack was one of the opening acts. I figured that since I had brought her to seven Metallica concerts in the last year, the least I could do was let her pick our next line of entertainment. Suddenly, we had a plan for the evening.

Our hotel was right on the beach, and it had a pool with a nice view. After all the rushing around in Madrid, this was a nice change of pace.

The pool at our hotel

After a relaxing poolside afternoon, we got dressed for the evening and went to Ushuaïa. The openers went on at five, so we arrived early to check out the club. It was a spread-out outdoor venue with a pool in the middle. We walked around a bit, bought some insanely expensive drinks, and found a spot in front of the guardrail in time to get a good view of Afrojack.

Afrojack

The crowd started to get thicker by the stage, so we dipped out towards the back to get some space. David Guetta hit the stage, so we decided to walk back to our original spot. It was much harder to get there this time now that the crowd was at capacity, so we had to utilize our Metallica Snake Pit skills to force our way to a good spot.

The venue is very close to the airport at Ibiza and planes buzzed the stage all night. The crowd would cheer for each one as if they were part of the show.

I’ll hand it to these DJ’s. They put on an elaborate show. Dance music is not my cup of tea, but they incorporated plenty of pyrotechnics, on-stage dancers, and even an aerialist suspended by helium balloons into the show.

David Guetta is somewhere behind all those flames
An aerialist suspended by helium balloons

This show was a big departure from Metallica the previous evening, but we still had a lot of fun. We had a few drinks and grabbed some fast food in the area and called it a night.

July 16, 2024

Once again, we were in search of relaxation in Ibiza, so we headed south to Experimental Beach. It was a restaurant on the beach outside of town. We grabbed a few day beds and ordered some cocktails. The view was nice, but the beach was full of rocks so getting in and out of the water was an ordeal.

Susan translated that sign for me: “Don’t fall ass-first down the cliff”

We stayed for lunch and through the afternoon before returning to the hotel to change for the evening. This time we went north for dinner at The Standard Ibiza. I spent a lot of time at The Standard High Line in Manhattan, so it was cool to visit one in another country.

The Standard is in a lively section of town near a port. There were a lot of restaurants, bars, and shops nearby. We walked through it before and after dinner.

The view from the top of The Standard Hotel

We had a big day planned for the next day so we decided against an all-night clubbing trip so we could get up and go hard the next morning.

July 17, 2024

We wanted to get on the water while we were in town, so we decided to rent jet skis and go on an hour-long tour. The rental company was a short walk from our hotel, and they took us out right away.

The first two times I rented a jet ski, I struggled to control them. I assumed either I was unlucky with faulty equipment, or that I had picked up some habits from the motorcycle that made it difficult for me to operate a jet ski.

Our guide was in a boat ahead of us. He instructed us to sail in a straight line and to follow him. He took off full throttle and we followed behind him. Much to my delight, I was able to control the jet ski this time and had no issues following him. I guess it wasn’t my fault the first two times.

The ride was wild, our guide never slowed down the whole time, and the waves were very choppy. I used my newly found confidence to keep pace. It was a fast and rough ride, and I really enjoyed it. If I wasn’t going to rent a Harley on this Metallica trip, a jet ski would have to do.

We walked along the beach and found a restaurant that had day beds for rent. We passed the time there on the beach, ordering cocktails, swimming in the sea, and keeping a close eye on the bag that our passports were in.

Cheers!

After a beautiful day on the Mediterranean Sea, we headed to dinner in the same neighborhood as The Standard. While we waited for our table, we bought tickets for Hï Ibiza. According to multiple sources, Hï Ibiza is the best club in the world.

Best dressed guy at the Best Club in the World

Hï opened at 11:30 and we arrived around that time to familiarize ourselves with the venue. There was one main room, and a few others with different DJ’s playing. We hung out in the smaller rooms at first, and then went into the main room to watch Fisher play at about 2 AM. The crowd at Hï packed the main room like a can of sardines. We barely made it inside, but we were fine standing towards the back.

Partying like we did in Ibiza was a very cool experience. Susan and I enjoy the nightlife near home in New York City and the Jersey Shore. The scene in Ibiza is next level. These people party all day and all night all over the city.

We had to call it at 4 AM and couldn’t stay until they closed at 6 AM, we had a flight to catch back to Madrid the next day.

July 18, 2024

On the flight back, Susan was seated next to some dude wearing a Red Sox jersey and a Yankees hat without a hint of irony. That was going to be my last impression of the Ibiza crowd.

We returned to Madrid completely exhausted. Susan had her mother fly in and the two of them were going to stay in Spain while I returned to New Jersey the next day.

We went to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. This museum was much more modern than the rest we had seen in Madrid. Instead of ancient religious art, this museum had works by Picasso and Dali. My favorite was the Dali’s Face of the Great Masturbator.

Dali’s “Great Masturbator”. That’s what I call art.

When we were done at the Museum, we checked with a local tourism guide and realized that we had done eight of the top ten things to do in Madrid. All three of us were exhausted from our various travels so we settled in for one final meal in Madrid before turning in for the evening.

July 19, 2024

I headed back to the airport by myself for my flight back to New Jersey. I had plans for dinner at the Jersey Shore with friends that evening. When I was waiting on the passport control line, I saw an alert on my phone that all United flights globally were grounded. There was a problem with Windows computers all over the world because of an issue with Crowdstrike software. It caused my flight to have a four-hour delay taking off. I was going to miss dinner at the Jersey Shore!

I was completely spent at the end of this trip. Madrid was not a city I likely would have visited if it was not for Metallica. But I immersed myself in its culture, history, nightlife, and cuisine. I felt like I used every day to its fullest. Not only did I have one of the best Metallica experiences of my life from the Snake Pit (twice!) but Spain far exceeded my expectations. I am going to need to return in the not-too-distant future.

In the meantime, I had one more city to visit on the M72 World Tour. In two weeks, I was going to make the trip to Boston to see them in Foxborough, MA.

My M72 World Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
87/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
97/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
Upcoming108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/Event
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World Tour
357/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour
367/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
Creeping Death5
Fuel5
Harvester Of Sorrow5
Lux Æterna5
Nothing Else Matters5
Orion5
Sad But True5
Seek and Destroy5
72 Seasons4
Battery4
Enter Sandman4
Fade To Black4
For Whom The Bell Tolls4
If Darkness Had A Son4
King Nothing4
Master of Puppets4
Moth Into Flame4
One4
Ride The Lightning4
Shadows Follow4
The Call of Ktulu4
The Day That Never Comes4
Too Far Gone?4
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)4
Wherever I May Roam4
Holier Than Thou3
The Unforgiven3
Whiplash3
Whiskey In The Jar3
You Must Burn!3
Blackened2
Cyanide2
Hardwired2
The Memory Remains2
Dirty Window1
Fight Fire With Fire1
I Disappear1
Inamorata1
Leper Messiah1
No Leaf Clover1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Until It Sleeps1
Unique:43
Total:140

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters30
Enter Sandman29
One29
Sad But True29
Master of Puppets28
Seek and Destroy26
For Whom The Bell Tolls23
Creeping Death21
Fade To Black19
Fuel17
Wherever I May Roam15
Battery14
Blackened13
Moth Into Flame13
Ride The Lightning12
The Unforgiven12
Harvester Of Sorrow11
The Day That Never Comes11
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)11
Whiplash11
The Memory Remains10
Hardwired9
Holier Than Thou9
Cyanide8
Fight Fire With Fire7
King Nothing7
Now That We’re Dead7
The Call of Ktulu7
Whiskey In The Jar7
Atlas, Rise!6
No Leaf Clover6
Orion6
The Four Horsemen6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
Lux Æterna5
Of Wolf and Man5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
72 Seasons4
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
If Darkness Had A Son4
Last Caress4
Shadows Follow4
Too Far Gone?4
I Disappear3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
Until It Sleeps3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Inamorata1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Leper Messiah1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:109
Total:624

The Backstory About the Backyard

Before I explain where I’m headed with the backyard project, I’ll tell the story of what I originally wanted, and how I got where I am today.

My concept for the house renovation was to develop a space that was able to host small gatherings and large-scale parties, both indoors and outdoors. I wanted an open floor plan for the first floor of the house with plenty of standing and seating room, built-in audio and visual equipment, and a highly functional kitchen.

I wanted essentially the same thing for the backyard. It needed to be spacious, have cooking facilities, plenty of room to recreate and entertain, and audio and visual capabilities. I also wanted a space for a vegetable and herb garden.

By the end of 2019, I accomplished the indoor goals despite Niki Sinclair’s incompetence. The kitchen she built looks like a drunken 7th grader tried to assemble IKEA furniture using a machete and a cigarette lighter without reading the instructions. But the appliances are all high-end and there is enough space to work with, so it functions well enough. Since I fired her and moved in, I’ve spent my time furnishing the space to make it more inviting to guests. I’ve been able to host plenty of gatherings.

But the backyard was a depressing mess when I moved in. The mason left a mess behind after the foundation construction was completed. It was littered with piles of dirt and rock. Weeds and trees were growing uncontrollably. There was an oak tree two doors down with branches so low that I could reach up and touch them while standing in the yard. Those branches blocked out most of the sunlight.

That all wouldn’t have been so bad had my original plan worked out. The construction was supposed to take a year, during which time I would float both the mortgage on my Hoboken condo that I was living in, and the mortgage I used to buy the house and fund the construction. I would then move into the house and sell the Hoboken condo. I estimated that the profits from my condo would leave me with a large enough nut to start the backyard project right away.

Well, that didn’t happen. I floated both mortgages for four years, not one. I had to do so much additional borrowing that when I finally sold the condo, I didn’t turn a profit. After all that, I was broke and couldn’t afford to move forward with the yard renovation.

All I could do was stare at the yard and say, “this sucks”.  I focused on getting myself settled in the house and refinancing the construction loan into a traditional mortgage.

The “Temporary” Solution

Headed into 2020, a series of unplanned events helped me piece together a slightly functioning yard. First off, the pandemic kept me at home with not much to do. I started to wander outside and think that it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to weed the yard and clean up the construction debris. I got started on that with a pair of gloves, some basic gardening tools, and a box of contractor bags.

Once I got through all the layers of debris, I looked at the trees on my property and thought they wouldn’t be so daunting to remove. So, I bought my first chainsaw and got to work!

I sort of read the safety instructions and watched a quick video on YouTube and started to cut down the trees. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and I was able to cut up all the branches and stuff them into contractor bags.

Me and my chainsaw
I wonder how this thing works.

That left me with the stumps. For whatever reason, I recalled a story a friend told me in college about his father teaching him how to take tree stumps out by digging around the tree and cutting the roots out until the stump can be removed.

Bye bye trees

Having nothing to lose, I gave it a shot. I dug a hole around both tree stumps and cut the roots one at a time until I was able to shove the stumps out of the ground. That left me with two rather sizeable holes where the stumps were.

Maybe I should start a stump removal service

I still had the mounds of dirt closer to the house that the mason left behind. I had a shovel and a bucket, so I filled the bucket with dirt from the mounds, walked it over to one of the holes and emptied it. I repeated that process until the holes were roughly filled in. I had used enough of the dirt from the mounds that I had effectively leveled the yard. Well, not leveled very nicely, but it was much better than it was. I used a metal rake to smooth it all out as best as I could.

Around that same time, my neighbor (the one who owns the house between mine and the one with the unruly trees) decided that she did not like those huge branches in her yard, either. She was having a hard time growing grass and flowers because of the lack of sunlight. She hired a tree removal company to remove the three lowest branches and I agreed to split the cost with her. That made a huge difference in my yard, it was a lot brighter and more open.

The branch removal in progress

I didn’t start out with a plan but suddenly I had a clean-ish space with no trees, weeds, debris. It had sunlight for a good part of the day. I called my plumber and asked him to install a hose bib in the yard. To my recollection, he had agreed to do that as part of the original construction but for some reason it went unfinished until I asked for it.

I never wanted to grow a lawn. I’m ideologically opposed to the time and expense and waste of resources it takes to maintain a well-manicured lawn. But, for lack of a better idea, and more importantly a lack of funds, I decided I would try to grow grass as a temporary measure so I could get some kind of use from the space.

I bought several bags of lawn soil, grass seed, and a spreader. I spread it all out on the lawn and watered it. Over the course of the next month, I didn’t get much growth. A friend suggested that the problem was I was trying to plant grass too late into the spring and that I should try again in the fall. Someone else told me that I needed to water it every day. So, I didn’t accomplish much at first.

Let’s see what we can do with this stuff
Lawn soil spread out and seeded

On a whim, I also decided to put together a crude vegetable garden. I took a pitchfork to a small patch of dirt to loosen it up, and added some garden soil, cow manure, fertilizer, and lime and turned it all over. I bought two tomato plants and two basil plants and planted them in the ground.

Now let’s do some gardening with this stuff
Some basil and tomato plants I bought at Home Depot
And we have a garden! Sort of.

The garden didn’t work out all that great. I brought cages that were too small for the tomato vines, and they overgrew them and crawled along the lawn. They were too close to the basil plants and blocked all their sunlight. I got a decent number of tomatoes, but squirrels took bites out of each one and I hardly had any usable yield.

Things got a little messy because I used the wrong-sized cages
The squirrels treated the tomatoes like it was their salad bar

Some good friends of mine built a planter and gave it to me as a housewarming gift. They started it off with some herbs and they grew in very nicely, so I had that going for me.

By September, I had some patchy grass. I bought more lawn soil and planted more grass in the areas with no growth. This time I watered every day, and I had a lot more success. I got enough growth that I rolled into spring 2021 with a fully grown lawn.

The view of the lawn from my bedroom, now with grass!

In 2021, I expanded the garden to have enough space for four tomato vines. I put black plastic down in front of it so I could have space for some potted herbs.

Garden 2.0, but still not great

The last project I took on was to put pavers down so I would have a level space for my grill. A friend of mine who has skills (I don’t) agreed to come over and help. I bought some pavers, leveling sand, paver base, edging, and a tamper and we got to work. By the end of the day, I had space for my grill.

Materials and tools for the grill patio
Construction of the grill patio

The next two years, I tried my hand at gardening. I started my seeds indoors and every spring thought I’d be in good shape, but never got a good tomato yield. I am, however, very good at growing basil in pots for some reason.

All that time I never did all that much with the yard otherwise. I bought some cheap furniture and had some friends over once or twice, but the condition of the space was not up to the standard I wanted. At least I could grill all I wanted. I was also able to try and fail at gardening. It kept me busy. But I wanted to get back to the original plan to develop the space properly. I got started on that project in the summer of 2023 and it is now underway in April, 2024. I will pick up that story in my next post so watch this space!

WrestleMania XL Postscript

Triple H
Triple H during the first WrestleMania under his creative control

After an epic build up and a near-perfect execution over the weekend, WrestleMania XL is still generating significant buzz. That is not just because so many things went right. It is also because Triple H made an emphatic statement by declaring that we are in a new era of professional wrestling, and over the course of the weekend, he showed us what that era is going to look like.

WrestleMania XL was the first WrestleMania that was not under the creative direction of Vince McMahon, the hard-charging visionary that brought professional wrestling to the masses yet was allergic to the actual term “professional wrestling”. Despite the ugly ending to his career, there is no denying that Vince had an amazing run for most of his career. But the last five to ten years of his creative ideas were bizarre and off-putting to most long-time wrestling fans.

WrestleMania XL was an indicator that the Triple H era is a welcome change. There was a long-term storyline lead-in to most of the matches. The weekend itself told a continuous story with the main event on Saturday leading to the main event stipulation on Sunday. There were unexpected moments that fit in perfectly. It took us on an emotional roller coaster and reminded us why we were fans to begin with. It left us wanting more and ready to tune in to Raw and Smackdown week after week.

A lot of stars came out of the weekend looking better than before. A handful, not so much. Here are your losers and winners.

Losers

  • Becky Lynch: Her act is getting stale, and she is no longer the darling of the women’s division.
  • Austin Theory: He seems like the one star who is in decline without Vince McMahon calling the shots.
  • #DIY: These guys need to go back to the drawing board, their gimmick sucks.
  • The New Day: They just can’t keep on going without Big E, they badly need a breakup.
  • Karrion Kross: He looks lost in a WWE ring, there was no need to bring him back.
  • AJ Styles: Remember when AJ was cool? How does he get that back?
  • Seth Rollins: He went 0 for 2 on the weekend and lost a championship in the process. I guess someone has the be the doormat at WrestleMania, this year was Seth’s turn.

Winners

  • Rhea Ripley: She is carrying the whole women’s division right now.
  • Jey Uso: Most times, splitting from your tag team and faction sends you on a one-way trip down the card, but Jey has managed to elevate himself as a solo performer.
  • Sami Zayn: If you haven’t noticed, Sami now has three great WrestleMania matches in a row, and he walked out of this one with a championship belt.
  • Gunther: He just finished up the greatest Intercontinental Championship run we have ever seen, there is only upside for the big man going forward.
  • The Rock: Despite his age and prolonged absence from the ring, he has never looked better. And he did it all as a heel, too.
  • Damian Priest: A feel-good WrestleMania for the former Mr. Money In the Bank. He would gladly trade that title for the championship he walked away with.
  • Drew McIntyre: Well, at least he can say he had a brief WrestleMania moment and won a championship while he was at it. His quick loss to Damian Priest is going to lead to some great storyline material.
  • LA Knight: It wasn’t a very hot storyline between Knight and AJ Styles, but he got a big win and looks good right now.
  • Logan Paul: His Prime Hydration company pulled over a billion dollars in sales last year, and this guy wrestles on a future hall-of-famer level.
  • Randy Orton: How great is it to see Randy back in a WrestleMania ring after suffering a career-threatening back injury?
  • The Undertaker: A chokeslam on the Rock for old-time’s sake!
  • Roman Reigns: His championship run was nothing short of epic. WrestleMania XL was the culmination of his pivot to the Tribal Chief character which completely changed the trajectory of his career.
  • Cody Rhodes: Cody is probably the most inspirational babyface champion the WWE has seen since Hulk Hogan.

WrestleMania XL Analysis and Predictions

The Rock summarized it best when he said that professional wrestling is cool right now. How cool is it that he can even call it professional wrestling and not sports entertainment? A fantastic confluence of events led to both things.

The first was Vince McMahon being forced from the WWE for a second and final time, and it is no longer under his outdated creative control. The second is the plethora of top-level talent on the roster, both full-timers and returning superstars. The third is the #CodyCryBaby movement which altered the original plan for the Sunday main event and forced The Rock to work as a heel. Heel Rock is the best kind of Rock, and professional wrestling has not been this hot since the Attitude Era!

I was a fan of what was believed to be the original plan to have Cody Rhodes challenge Seth Rollins on WrestleMania Saturday, and for the long-rumored Rock vs. Roman Reigns match to take place on WrestleMania Sunday. The Reigns vs. Rock match needs to happen, and this year seemed like the perfect time to do it. Rhodes vs. Rollins would have been a great throwback-type main event between two of the best talents in the world in the prime of their careers. Not to mention that we got Rhodes vs. Reigns last year and I’m never a fan of consecutive WrestleMania main events.

Then the #CodyCryBaby movement took over and Triple H apparently pivoted as a result. The new plan features Rhodes, Reigns, and Rollins competing both nights, The Rock relegated to a tag match, and Drew McIntyre getting a World Heavyweight Championship title shot.

But the most important pivot of them all is that The Rock masterfully pulled off a heel turn. After all the years away from the ring and at age 51, he is still adding to his legacy as one of the greatest of all time and is doing some of the best work of his career.

A peek further down the card on both nights reveals a lot of other intriguing match ups. It is not just the main event talents that are firing on all cylinders right now, the mid-card stars are putting in some of their best work at the right time as well.

I am still a firm believer that WrestleMania should be a three-to-four-hour event featuring the best of the best. But the two-night event is here to stay, so I am looking forward to making a weekend out of it. I have high hopes for what is to come. Here is my breakdown of the card.

WrestleMania Saturday

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch in a Singles match for the Women’s World Championship

Rhea Ripley is arguably the best superstar to compete in the Women’s Division since the WWE decided to prioritize it in 2015. She has a great look and can work a convincing match without blowing any spots. She also has the distinction of being the leader of a popular mixed-gender faction, The Judgement Day. Traditionally, they have been fronted by men.

Becky Lynch has more charisma that in-ring talent. Often, that is good enough to make you an elite performer in the WWE. Just ask the Ultimate Warrior.

These two are veteran main event-level performers. If there is one women’s match on WrestleMania weekend that has a chance of being good, this one is it.

Prediction: Winner, and still champion, Rhea Ripley

Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn in a Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Gunther will forever be remembered as one of the most important Intercontinental champions of all time. He has already surpassed the length of Honky Tonk Man’s record title reign. His matches are brutal and convincing.

Sami Zayn is in his third straight big WrestleMania spot. This might be a bit of a step down from last year’s WrestleMania Saturday main event, but he is still being given a chance to stand out amongst the crowd. His vignettes with Chad Gable leading up to the match were equal parts hilarious, dramatic, and inspirational.

The only reason it would make sense for the underdog Zayn to unseat the champion would be to move Gunther up to the main event picture. Other than that possibility, this one is straight forward to predict.

Prediction: Winner, and still champion, Gunther

The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) in a Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

This is one of those “let’s get everyone on the WrestleMania card and try to re-create an old-school tag team ladder match” type of matches that looks like it is going to be a mess.

Tomasso and Ciampa are terrible and need to be sent back to NXT. The New Day gimmick was overplayed even before Big E suffered a career-ending neck injury, and they should just break up. Theory and Waller were just thrown together and have no chemistry. Dunne and Bate have not done much to distinguish themselves at all.

The only two challengers to Bálor and Priest who deserve this spot and can be expected to perform well are The Miz and T-Truth, but they are going to get lost in this twelve-man mess. The Judgement Day deserved better.

Prediction: Winners and still champions, The Judgement Day

Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Good guy versus bad guy? Brother versus brother? A singles match with no stipulations or title on the line? A grudge match based on a years-long storyline culminating at WrestleMania? Yes please! This one has the bad guy winning written all over it.

Prediction: Winner, Jimmy Uso

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)

What did Bianca Belair do to deserve this? She is the only other healthy woman on the roster on the level of Rhea Ripley. Damage CTRL has always been horrible, and they got even worse when Bayley was jettisoned. This is going to be a throw-away match that nobody will remember.

Prediction: Winners, Belair, Cargill, and Naomi

Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio has emerged as one of the best heels in the WWE and is usually someone that you must watch. But this match does not seem to have much heat behind it. Maybe it is because Rey Mysterio is over the hill and the father versus son angle has been played out ad nauseum. Escobar and Lee are not going to enhance that storyline very much.

Prediction: Winners, Escobar and Mysterio

The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins

Stipulation: If Rhodes and Rollins win, all members of The Bloodline will be barred from ringside during the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match on Night 2.

If Rock and Reigns win, the championship match on Night 2 will be held under Bloodline Rules.

Take three of the best active professional wrestlers today and one of the best to ever do it and throw in a crazy stipulation that will directly affect the WrestleMania Sunday main event. That gives you all the ingredients you need for an instant-classic WrestleMania match. If the chips had to fall this way to fit the WrestleMania trajectory for Rhodes, we ended up with a great outcome.

Look for everyone involved in this match to shine. The Rock is going to look to prove to the world that he can still bring it. This is arguably the most important match of Rollins’ long career. Rhodes and Reigns are going to have to set up their WrestleMania event the very next day. Professional wrestling does not get much better than this.

Prediction: Winners, The Bloodline

WrestleMania Sunday

Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Drew McIntyre backed his way into this spot when CM Punk was injured and the #CodyCryBaby movement ripped up the script. That is not to say that he does not deserve to be here. McIntyre was the WWE pandemic-era champion who was forced to perform almost exclusively on a television set with no live audience members. He carried the title well when we had nothing to do but stay home and watch TV. If Punk is not available to challenge Rollins, McIntyre is the best available option to step up.

This is the best championship run of Seth Rollins’ career. He is the second “face” of the WWE behind Roman Reigns. He is the champion we get when Reigns is on one of his regular breaks from WWE television. His Randy Savage-inspired style, his maniacal personality, and his top-notch work rate make him a compelling watch.

Rollins is working with a legitimate knee injury. He is also going to wrestle two nights in a row so I would expect that the injury works its way into the storyline during both matches. CM Punk, who is on commentary for this match, and seemingly is in a feud with both  Rollins and McIntyre will certainly factor into the outcome of the match.

Prediction: Winner and new champion, Drew McIntyre

Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley in a singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship

This match is a great example of why I think WrestleMania is too long.

Prediction: Winner and new champion, Bayley

LA Knight vs. AJ Styles

Remember when AJ Styles was champion? Remember when LA Knight was hot? This match seems like it has been lost in the shuffle. Maybe, despite a weak lead-in, these two veterans will leave it all in the ring and give us something to remember.

Prediction: Winner, LA Knight

Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens in a triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship

This should be a good one. Orton and Owens have both worked WrestleMania main events. Logan Paul continues to surprise wrestling observers with his amazing in-ring skill set despite his lack of experience. This match falls short of being over-booked and should be exciting from bell to bell.

Prediction: Winner and still champion, Logan Paul

The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford) (with B-Fab) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar) (with Scarlett and Paul Ellering) in a six-man tag team Philadelphia Street Fight

I do not know what happened to Bobby Lashley, but he has taken a pretty steep tumble down the card. The union of Dawkins, Ford, and Lashley has helped none of them. Kross should not even be on the WWE roster. Akam and Rezar have potential but have not done much since their recent return to the WWE to warrant a WrestleMania match. Do they really need two managers in their corner? This is going to be a mess.

Prediction: Winners, The Pride

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes in a TBD match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Congratulations, Cody Cry Babies! You got the same main event you got last year. Is Rhodes going to “finish his story” this time? Is he finally going to win the championship his legendary father failed to grasp? Or are we going to get a repeat of last year when Reigns found a way to win?

I have a feeling that after these two compete against each other in a tag match on WrestleMania Saturday, this match is going to be somewhat of a letdown. It feels like a creative trap that will be hard to escape from. How many ways can they figure out how to work WrestleMania main events against each other?

Regardless of what stipulation is used for this match, The Bloodline will certainly play a role in the outcome of this match, much like they did last year. I have a feeling that the Cody Cry Babies are going to end up crying some more after this match is over.

Prediction: Winner and still champion, Roman Reigns

Whether I Like It or Not, Phase II Is Underway

There is nothing the Internet hates more than an abandoned blog. But that is exactly what I did in 2018. I stopped writing about my house project just when we were getting ready for the kitchen and bathroom installations. That would have been the last major hurdle to clear to finish the house. It was also the part I was most excited about.

The project had already been delayed by that point by almost two years. There were various reasons why that happened, but I trusted my contractor and things were progressing well that year. But I had decided to hire a friend who was in the kitchen and bathroom design and build business to handle that part of my project. She was supposed to get started on her end of things once the walls were complete.

When it was time for her to get started, the project completely went off the rails. I descended into a personal hell for the next year. It was so chaotic, and I was such a mess that I never was able to write about what was going on.

Fast-forward to November of 2019, and I was able to get the work permit closed out and I moved into the house. I meant to pick up the blog but for various reasons I did not. Two reasons were the global pandemic that set in a few months after I moved, and a job change I made in June of 2020 which took away a lot of my focus. But the biggest reason I stopped writing was because I was so upset and angry about what happened.

That was a shame, I really enjoyed writing about the project. Not just because of the feedback I got from others, but because I wanted to journal the process for myself. Several times since I moved in, I wanted to restart the blog, but I never had a good starting point. I wanted to pick up the story from 2019 before I got into any of the positive things that happened to the project since then. But I just put it off, primarily because my memory had started to fade, and I would have to do my own research about myself from text messages, e-mails, and pictures to even remember what happened!

I’ve made a promise to myself to go back one day and fill in those gaps. Not just for myself, but I would like a permanent record on the Internet about what my kitchen and bathroom design and build contractor, Niki Sinclair (formerly Nichola Sinclair of Inigo Designs) did to me. For the rest of her life, I will pay for the blog to stay on line so anybody who searches for her will have a very good accounting of what they’d be getting into if they attempted to do business with her in any way.

But all that is for another day. I found my re-starting point for the story, and it is not about Niki Sinclair.

It is now 2024 and I just got my work permits to replace my backyard. I intend to build a beautiful space to entertain, recreate, cook, and grow vegetables in. This time around I found a reputable contractor and I have reason to believe that things will go smoothly, and the finished product will be awesome.

The "temporary" back yard
This is my “temporary” backyard that is going to be replaced.

Despite my optimism about the contractor, I am having a hard time getting excited about this project. In fact, I’m dreading it. All these years later, I’m still feeling the effects of the initial build and I can’t help but feel nervous about this next phase. But, at the very least, I want to get back to writing and this feels like a much better place to restart by journaling the project as it happens. So, if you are still around and want to read more, I am happy to have you with me again. In the coming weeks, I’ll document the story of the yard since I moved in, my goals for what I want it to be when it is finished, and progress on the design and build.

2024 Royal Rumble Analysis and Predictions

The fans thought WrestleMania 39 had the perfect setup. A year prior at WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes returned to the WWE after a six-year absence, during which he competed in wrestling’s minor leagues. Gone were any of the lame gimmicks he was saddled with as a young wrestler and was finally a made man. He had one of the best years a superstar could have in the WWE and even a gruesome torn pectoral muscle injury did not stop his momentum. He won the Royal Rumble earned the WrestleMania main event spot for the WWE Championship against Roman Reigns.

There was no way he could lose, right? It was the perfect way to end Reigns’ dominant championship run. By giving the win and the title to Rhodes, it would fulfill his lifelong dream to win the title that eluded his father, WWE Hall of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

That was not what happened. Roman Reigns retained his title even after a year-long build that led us to believe Cody was going to win.

There is a lot more that goes into deciding who gets to hold the WWE championship beyond a creative decision. The business impact of who is the champion is the major driver of the decision. Marketing, merchandising, television ratings, social media impressions, tickets sales, appeasement of the Saudi Royal Family, and the TKO stock price are all factors that supersede fans chants of “YOU DESERVE IT!”.

But a letdown like that is a creative opportunity. Coming out of WrestleMania 39, we thought that maybe Cody needed another year to really heat up and finally take Roman down on his next shot. Who else could possibly be the person to fill that spot?

Then, the returns happened. First, Randy Orton came back from a year-and-a-half injury-induced hiatus. On the same night, Hell froze over and CM Punk returned to the WWE to a hero’s welcome in his home city of Chicago. To top that all off, The Rock returned to Raw and referenced a challenge to Reigns. Suddenly, Rhodes found himself in a very crowded field of top-level talent fighting for that WrestleMania main event spot.

At no time in recent memory has the WWE been this stacked with talent. In addition to the aforementioned performers, there are several others that are plausible opponents for Reigns on WrestleMania Sunday. What about Kevin Owens who main evented two straight WrestleMania Saturdays? How about WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins? He is certainly deserving of a WrestleMania main event spot. Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre, and AJ Styles are all former champions who could make a case as a formidable opponent for Reigns. LA Knight is a red-hot fan favorite who could surprise us all.

There are also a whole host of part-time performers who have main-event potential. How about Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Logan Paul, or even Bad Bunny?

This is not to mention that maybe the plan is for Reigns to drop the title at the Rumble so he can face off against the Rock with no title on the line!

The possibilities are endless. Typically, the Royal Rumble is a creative trap for the WWE that makes the finish somewhat predictable. But this year, there are going to be multiple stories to tell throughout the night. I can not remember a time that I knew less about WrestleMania season headed into the Royal Rumble than this year. I am psyched and I cannot wait to see it unfold! Until then, here are my predictions.

Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight in a Fatal four-way match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

There is a big question hanging over this match. We know Reigns is going to compete in the main event on WrestleMania Sunday, but will he be defending the championship? Or will he face off against The Rock in a dream match with no title on the line?

It is a compelling theory, but the sticking point with me is that out of the other three in the match, I do not see someone hot enough to both end Reigns championship streak and carry the title to WrestleMania. All three of them look good right now, but just not good enough to be in that spot. I believe that Reigns will retain the title.

Prediction: Winner and still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns

Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens in a singles match or the WWE United States Championship

Logan Paul’s nascent career continues to impress. He has had fewer than ten matches, yet he looks like a ten-year veteran. He is taking on the always dependable and versatile Kevin Owens in what should be a very entertaining match.

Prediction: Winner and still WWE United States Champion, Logan Paul

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The WWE Women’s division continues to disappoint despite the focus that has been placed on it. With Charlotte Flair on the shelf, the only talents right worth watching are Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. The rest are incapable of getting through a match without a botched spot. Expect this match to be a complete disappointment.

Prediction: Winner, Bianca Belair

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

This is going to be very unpredictable. As of the writing of this post, only about half of the participants have even been announced. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk would seem to be the favorites. But there will almost certainly be surprise participants that will have a chance of winning. I could very easily see The Rock, Brock Lesnar, or John Cena swoop in to take it. I’ll break out the announced competitors and possible surprise entrants as follows:

No Chance in Hell: Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Kofi Kingston, Santos Escobar, R-Truth, Carlito, Austin Theory

Possible Surprise Winner: Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Damian Priest, Jimmy Uso

Odds-on Favorites: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk

Possible Surprise Entrants: Jey Uso, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, The Rock

Prediction: Winner, CM Punk

Static and Disarray

A diary of my experience during Metallica’s M72 World Tour stop at State Farm Stadium in Arizona over Labor Day weekend in 2023

August 30, 2023

Our flight was preparing to depart Newark Liberty Airport at about 7 AM and although I knew the answer I had to ask, “Who’s idea was it to fly this early?” Susan’s quick response was “It was your idea.” She was right. It was a busy summer with all the Metallica related travel, and we only had so many off days to spare, so I wanted to maximize our time in Arizona by leaving early in the day. Luckily for us, the flight was abnormally on time, and we landed at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix without issue.

We grabbed our rental car and headed due north to our first destination in Sedona. The first thing you notice about Arizona is the natural beauty of the landscape. The scenery changes every few miles as you drive through the desert, revealing sprawling mountains and varying vegetation. None of it was as stunning as when we approached the red rock buttes of Sedona.  We pulled into town and stopped for brunch at Creekside.

Gotta go with the burrito when in Arizona

After checking into the hotel, we headed to Red Rock Western Jeep tours for a tour than I had booked in Newark Airport that morning before we left. I did not want to lock into a tour before we knew our flight would be on time, so I did not research it much. I settled on “Earth Wisdom Tour”. I would soon regret that decision.

The tour had some cool scenery which is what I wanted out of it. But the driver was some hippie from Hawaii who relocated to Sedona who believed in all the local folklore nonsense. Instead of talking about the natural land formations, he wouldn’t shut up about vortex energy, quantum entanglements, inflows, outflows, drum clearings, meditation, and a bunch of Sedona claptrap. The mountain views were nice, but next time I’m doing a regular Pink Jeep tour.

Our “Earth Wisdom Jeep”
Everything the guy said was nonsense, but the view could not be beat

Sedona looked like a daytime only town. We were barely able to find a restaurant open after dusk but were able to get someone to seat us for dinner. We called it a night after dinner, primarily because there was no place left open when we were done.

August 31, 2023

I was excited to get out of bed today. We went to breakfast at the Coffee Pot, famous for having 101 omelets on the menu. They had a cool outdoor patio, and it was hard to nail down exactly what to order.

How are you supposed to choose?
That’s some omelet

We finished up breakfast and headed straight for EagleRider Sedona to pick up our Harley rental. The plan was to pick up a bike for 24 hours and ride it to The Grand Canyon and back. The weather forecast was a bit sketchy but I figured it was a desert so there was no way it would rain so it made sense just to go. Susan followed me in the car on the way to Flagstaff. She parked at Target and hopped on the bike for the trek to the Grand Canyon.

It looked like there were only two routes to get there, US 180 to AZ 64, or US 89 to AZ 64. I wanted to see them both so plotted a round trip course that started with the US 180 route and would take us back on US 89.

As we expected the scenery was stunning for the entire trip. What we didn’t expect was that yet again, the desert scenery changed so much every few miles. There was always something different to look at. The route was devoid of civilization except for an odd gas station until we got closer to Grand Canyon National Park.

I stopped to pay the fee at the main gate and followed the signs to the nearest parking lot along the south rim of the canyon. This was Susan’s first trip to the canyon, and my second. But I think we were equally stunned by the view as we approached it. None of my pictures can do it justice and it is hard to put into words how vast and majestic it looks.

Look at me, I’m at the Grand Canyon!
Beautiful views from this spot
Definitely the best dressed people at the Grand Canyon that day

We got back on the bike and rode around the park to see some of the other vantage points on the south rim. We walked down part of the trail to the bottom of the canyon to take some pictures.

I don’t like these rules
I don’t like this rule, either
Wow, don’t be like that guy!

I stopped to look at the weather forecast and the radar map on my phone and things were starting to look a bit icky. I thought it was not supposed to rain in the desert! Undetered, we headed east along AZ 64. We stopped at a few more points of interest along the south rim to keep taking pictures. It seemed like the canyon would stretch east forever.

This rental is not as cool as my bike back home, but it made for a good ride to the canyon
Sucks to be them

As we made our way towards US 89, we could start to see columns of rain off in the distance, along with ominous lightning strikes. I thought that if we could make it to US 89 and head south that maybe we could dodge the storm. That plan failed when rain drops started falling on us.

I ride through rain all the time on the east coast. But the rain in Arizona has a much different characteristic. The locals call those storms monsoons, a term that is not as menacing as it sounds. Visibility was low and the rain made us feel cold, but it was inconsistent and not very heavy. Susan ducked behind me and used me as a windshield, and I used the taillights on the car ahead of me as a guide.

We stopped at a gas station to take a break from the rain and to wait for it to end. It did not seem like it was going to stop any time soon, but we figured we made it that far and were close enough to the car in Flagstaff to make a break for it. We got back on the bike and just like that, it stopped raining. Had I kept going we would have been fine. We made it back to the car in Flagstaff, Susan got in and followed me back to Sedona.

It was a whirlwind trip on the rental bike and one of the most unique I have been on. I had never been on a motorcycle in the desert before. Arizona does not have nearly as many roads to bike on than we do on the east coast, but they are amazing to ride on.

We had one more night in Sedona, so we showered up and hailed an Uber to downtown. There seems to be a major Uber shortage in Sedona. That, coupled with our observation that everything closes at dark made me wonder if something was keeping visitors from coming to town. Either way, the car finally came and we made it to dinner at Elote Café.

The southwestern cuisine was a must on this trip

September 1, 2023

I woke up excited for the day, we were going to see Metallica at night! We started with another breakfast at the Coffee Pot because their menu was large enough to warrant a second trip. Susan wanted to rent a bicycle and go for a scenic ride in Sedona, so I dropped her off at the shop. I went back to the hotel to work on my blog for an earlier Metallica trip while she went for her ride.

I checked out of the hotel and went to get her when she was done, and we headed straight south to our hotel for the rest of the trip in Scottsdale. We spent most of the afternoon poolside at our hotel. I wanted to conserve energy for the concert. We got dressed up really fancy and drove to State Farm Stadium in Glendale for the show.

Ready to rock!

We walked into the stadium and surveyed their dinner options. The best thing I could find was a “sausage” that was more like a hot dog. That was somewhat of a letdown for a new stadium that had just hosted a Super Bowl earlier in the year.

But I inhaled whatever it was, and we made our way down to the floor to find a good vantage point for the show. We walked down as Pantera was playing and that immediately set my mood. We found a spot outside the donut-shaped stage and about twenty feet from the barrier.

In a scene almost right out of a classic Beavis and Butthead episode, some shirtless chubby dude was moshing with himself to the music right in front of us. Then he raised his arms, bent over, and puked whatever he had eaten or drank for the last three days. Another sign this was going to be a great night!

The lights dimmed and AC/DC’s “Long Way to the Top” played. This was about to be my seventh Metallica show for the year and I was just as excited for this one as I was for the first six. The people in our surrounding area were feeding off the energy, too. It was about to get good. Metallica took the stage and tore into “Creeping Death”!

It was such a hot start to the show that it felt like the crowd was almost overwhelmed with emotion. A father was standing in front of us with his adult son who broke into tears of joy as they hugged. We collectively sang every word of the song.

Awesome view of the band from here
Robert Trujillo killing it on bass

The setlist progressed through a familiar mix of new and old songs. For the “deep cut” song they tend to play in the third slot, they returned to “Holier Than Thou” like they did in Paris and in East Rutherford. James, Robert, and Kirk roamed the stage and played to every inch of the stadium. Lars filled the room with his drumbeats. I turned around and saw Robert’s wife Chloe, sitting in the nearest VIP section behind us.

Chloe Trujillo on the left
Lars Ulrich, the greatest drummer of all time
My favorite part of the show is when Lars is playing in front of us and the band stands near him

As Metallica worked their way through the performance, I could tell that Susan was really getting into the concert, more so than at the last four we had been to together. Initially she had some hesitation about seeing Metallica six times in a year (having had seen them a total of zero times in prior years) but the greatest band in the world had won her over. She was calling out songs and correctly predicting when and where Lars’ drumkit was going to move.

Things were going great but towards the show I started to notice something unusual. They played the intro tape to “The Day That Never Comes” but then played “Hardwired” to follow it. I thought I had maybe misplaced the song, or they changed things up. But it was a sign that something was wrong.

The next song was “Fuel” and it sounded like James’ microphone was cutting out because he was missing parts of the song. I looked over to his part of the stage and saw that he was not singing parts of the song. And when he did sing, his voice was strained. I started to worry that it was giving out.

They cued “Seek & Destroy” and the beachballs fell from the lighting towers. James again had a hard time finishing the song. And when it was over, the houselights came on and the band started throwing picks to the crowd and taking bows. The show was over, by our count they only played 14 songs out of the usual 16. There was no “Enter Sandman”.

We were worried about what happened to James as we left. It seemed like it could have been laryngitis or some sort of vocal issue that can understandably happen to the lead singer of a band. But they were supposed to put on another show in two days and if he could not get through this one, what would come of the Sunday show?

We made it to our rental car in the parking lot and sat there for an hour and a half before we were able to exit. What started off awesome with puking fans and Pantera ended up with a shortened Metallica show and insane traffic. It certainly was not the biggest problem I have ever had, but it was a bummer.

September 2, 2023

As part of the Metallica takeover of the Phoenix area for the weekend, Robert Trujillo and Blackened American Whiskey master distiller Rob Dietrich were advertised for a bottle signing at Paradise Liquor in Phoenix. I had met Robert Trujillo at a similar signing in New Jersey in 2022 so it was not my top priority to do it again. But much to my surprise, Susan wanted to go. I told her from my experience that if we wanted to ensure ourselves an opportunity to get inside, we would have to get there at least three hours early. She still wanted to go. Metallica really did manage to convert her.

We grabbed a quick breakfast near our hotel and drove to the liquor store. We arrived about three and a half hours before the event was supposed to begin, and there were maybe 50 people ahead of us on the line, so I figured we were in good shape to get our bottles signed. We lucked out and managed to stand behind a gate that shaded us from the mid-day Arizona sun while we waited. We made some friends on the line while were passing the time.

A shirtless and shoeless man walked across the three-lane street while cars slammed on their breaks to not hit him. He appeared to behave like a fictitious zombie, and I was immediately worried for Robert Trujillo’s safety and well-being. Maybe next time Metallica’s management can put him in a liquor store in a better neighborhood.

The event started on time, and we got to move inside the store. We each bought a bottle of M72 limited edition Blackened American Whiskey and got on the next line to meet the guests of honor. One by one were told to hand our phones over to someone who would take our pictures while we stood on the “X”.

I briefly told Robert Trujillo that I met him in New Jersey last year. He said he remembered that appearance and wore a t-shirt for a local EMT that someone gave him at that signing on stage this year at one of the MetLife Stadium shows. That was about all the time I got with the two Robert’s. I turned around for my picture and waited on the side for Susan to get her bottle signed and her picture.

Left to right: The second greatest bass player of all time, me, and the greatest master distiller of all time.
Susan got to meet her favorite bass player, too!

They sent us out the back door and I got to say “I told you so” to Susan. The line to get in was now huge and there was no way all those people were going to get in.

These ham-and-eggers should have gotten out of bed earlier, there was no way they were gonna get to meet Robert Trujillo

I have family in Arizona and part of the agenda of the weekend was to visit them. I drove to visit my cousin Josh and his family a few towns over. We finished up there and drove back to the hotel. I parked the car and saw a notification on my phone. I read the e-mail and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Dammit!

I got my reason why the show was cut short on Friday. James Hetfield had the COVID-19. Not only was Friday’s show cut short, but Sunday’s show was postponed to the following Saturday, after we were planning to fly home on Tuesday. We were going to miss the second show.

I immediately felt bad for Susan, I know she was really getting into the tour, and we had flown all the way across the country to see them twice. I was bummed as well, but I guess I could not say I was Metallica-deprived for the year; I had seen them seven times. On the bright side, we would not have to suffer through Five Finger Death Punch.

We got ready for the evening and my cousin Brandon, and his wife Victoria came to get us. We went out for dinner and drinks in Phoenix and in Scottsdale. Phoenix was a bit livelier than I had expected, and Scottsdale looks like it is always fun on a Saturday night.

September 3, 2023

Whelp, we had a lot more time on our hands on Sunday than we had originally planned. There would be no need to get to the stadium early to fight for a spot near the stage, nor would we get stuck in traffic getting out of there after the show.

We grabbed breakfast and drove to Taliesin West. Taliesin West was a winter camp designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to create a community and a workspace for himself and other architects. We did the self-guided tour through the buildings and grounds.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s office
The campus had a really cool design

One of the more interesting things I saw was a sketch Lloyd made of the Guggenheim in New York. I visited the Guggenheim in 1998 for their Art of the Motorcycle exhibition and it inspired me to go out and get my motorcycle license and first bike.

Sketch of the Guggenheim

From there we headed into Old Town Scottsdale for lunch and to wander the town. The Old Town area is mostly a tourist trap. We checked out a lot of the stores but did not find much in the way of things to buy other than some souvenirs for friends and family. It was probably the least interesting part of Scottsdale we saw that weekend.

We went back to the hotel and sat by the pool. I guess that was the next best thing to going to the Stadium early. Anyway, we wrapped that up and headed back into town for dinner at Citizen Public House. The food there was better than the garbage at the stadium on Friday, another silver lining.

After dinner, we walked to the Cake Nightclub for some drinks. I was stopped at the door and the bouncer made me turn around and lift the back of my shirt up, he wanted to be sure I was not trying to bring a concealed pistol into the club. Wild west, indeed.

We hung out there for a while and decided to see hop to the other bars in the area. By the time we went outside, the area had exploded with people moving from club to club. It was quite a scene. I guess it was more crowded than a regular Sunday because it was a holiday weekend. Some of the bars opened to the outside, others had long lines to get in. It looked like a fun neighborhood to party in.

If you gave me the choice between Metallica and clubbing, I would pick Metallica 10 times out of 10. But I did not have a choice, so we made the most of the night. It was a fun time and at the very least I knew the lay of the land for any return trips.

September 4, 2023

What to do on the last full day in the Phoenix suburbs? How about off-roading? We got up and drove north to Arizona Outdoor Fun Adventures & Tours. We made an online reservation prior to departure for two ATVs on a guided tour. When we signed in, the staff strongly recommended that we switch to a two-person UTV instead due to the relative difficulty of the trail and our inexperience. We agreed that if they were going to suggest we make a change so emphatically that did not cost us any extra money that we should probably take their advice.

We boarded the UTV and I took the wheel. Our tour guide made it easy for me to understand how to operate it and how to follow along. He took off and we fell in line behind him and some of the other vehicles.

The trail was wild up and down the mountain range. It was rocky and vertical and most of it was on the side of a very steep cliff. One wrong move and we were going straight down!

Gussied up for the UTV off roading tour, we were smiling but you can’t tell
Our ride for the day

We stopped along the way to check out the scenery and listen to our tour guide explain the desert vegetation. He was a self-described desert geek and was very enthusiastic about the topic. He was way better than the Sedona “positive energy” mumbo jumbo-spewing tour guide from the previous week.

Cacti, lots of cacti
A little dusty but looking good
Beautiful views from up here

After several stops and starts, the tour headed us back to the parking lot. It was an exhilarating finish to the tour and we both really enjoyed it. It was my first time driving a UTV and it was a lot of fun to operate. Covered in dust, we got in the car and headed for lunch.

Our final tourist stop was at the Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale. The Arizona Boardwalk is a complex that has attractions like the ones you would find on a Jersey Shore boardwalk. It is just nowhere near an ocean.

Arizona Boardwalk? Where is the ocean?

We were there to visit the OdySea Aquarium. It is a smaller-sized aquarium than some of the others I have been to, but it had all the standard stuff. Lots of tanks and fish.

Reptiles
Here fishy, fishy, fishy

Our final meal in Arizona was at Oregano’s in Scottsdale. Oregano’s is a laughable attempt at an Italian restaurant, but it was good for what we needed. I had invited out all my Arizona cousins, their significant others, their kids, and my aunt out to dinner. It was good to be able to get everyone in the same place at the same time while I was there.

Always good to see the Arizona family

That was a wrap for the Arizona leg of my M72 World Tour itinerary. We had an uneventful flight home the next morning and settled back into our normal post-Labor Day Weekend activities.

Wrap

Arizona worked out well as a destination. I had been there before, but never on a proper vacation. Much like Paris, I got to combine a motorcycle trip with a host of touristy activities. The natural beauty of Arizona was what stood out to me most.

Of course, it was not a perfect trip. It rained on my motorcycle ride. Metallica cut one show short and postponed the other one to a date that I could not attend because of COVID. When you plan a vacation, everything is going to be perfect in your mind, but you must roll with what happens if things do not go to plan.

I had a fantastic time with my Metallica itinerary in 2023. I got to visit Paris, Montreal, and Arizona and see them in all three cities. I also got to see them in my home stadium with a large group of friends in East Rutherford. Paris and Arizona were fantastic destinations, and even though Montreal was not what it was cracked up to be, I still got to make it into a cool motorcycle trip.

I am grateful to Metallica for inspiring me to travel. I probably would not have gone to any of these cities in 2023 had it not been for them. I am looking forward to going back on the road next year for the 2024 leg of the tour in Madrid and Foxborough. Who knows, maybe I will add one or two more cities to the list.

My M72 World Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
Upcoming87/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
97/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/Event
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
Creeping Death4
Fade To Black4
Fuel4
Harvester Of Sorrow4
Lux Æterna4
Nothing Else Matters4
Orion4
Sad But True4
Seek and Destroy4
72 Seasons3
Battery3
Enter Sandman3
For Whom The Bell Tolls3
Holier Than Thou3
If Darkness Had A Son3
King Nothing3
Master of Puppets3
Moth Into Flame3
One3
Ride The Lightning3
Shadows Follow3
The Call of Ktulu3
The Day That Never Comes3
Too Far Gone?3
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)3
Wherever I May Roam3
Whiskey In The Jar3
You Must Burn!3
Blackened2
Hardwired2
The Unforgiven2
Whiplash2
Cyanide1
Dirty Window1
I Disappear1
Leper Messiah1
No Leaf Clover1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
The Memory Remains1
Until It Sleeps1
Unique:41
Total:110

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters29
Enter Sandman28
One28
Sad But True28
Master of Puppets27
Seek and Destroy25
For Whom The Bell Tolls22
Creeping Death20
Fade To Black19
Fuel16
Wherever I May Roam14
Battery13
Blackened13
Moth Into Flame12
Ride The Lightning11
The Unforgiven11
Harvester Of Sorrow10
The Day That Never Comes10
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)10
Whiplash10
Hardwired9
Holier Than Thou9
The Memory Remains9
Cyanide7
Now That We’re Dead7
Whiskey In The Jar7
Atlas, Rise!6
Fight Fire With Fire6
King Nothing6
No Leaf Clover6
The Call of Ktulu6
The Four Horsemen6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
Of Wolf and Man5
Orion5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
Lux Æterna4
72 Seasons3
I Disappear3
If Darkness Had A Son3
Shadows Follow3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Too Far Gone?3
Turn The Page3
Until It Sleeps3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Leper Messiah1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:108
Total:594

Permanently Midnight

A diary of my experience during Metallica’s M72 World Tour stop at Stade Olympique in Montreal in August 2023

When I was in high school, I had a 12 speed Schwinn. I loved that bike, I rode it all around Bergen County, New Jersey. It felt great to get out of the house and go as far away as I could. It didn’t matter if I had somewhere to go, or I just wanted to enjoy a long ride. I rode it every day it was not raining.

One night, I was waiting at a red light on the corner of Union and Jackson in Rutherford. A grey-bearded biker on a Harley stopped next to me. He looked at me and nodded, and when the light changed, he took off. It was fast and loud.

If you ever watched the show, picture the reaction Beavis and Butthead had whenever they saw Todd. That was what the moment was like for me. I slowly peddled away on my Schwinn and decided that someday I needed an upgrade to what that guy was riding.

Around that same time, I saw my first Metallica concert.

Wednesday

It was time to head to Montreal for my next Metallica M72 World Tour weekend. I flew to the first one in Paris, and the second one in East Rutherford was a simple six-mile drive from home. But for Montreal, I was going to use my favorite form of transportation, my 2006 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy FLSTFI.

My favorite mode of transportation

My objective for the day was to take the scenic route through the Catskills and Adirondacks and finish the day near the Canadian border. I managed to stay up until 2 AM on Tuesday so I could finish my blog about the New Jersey Metallica weekend, so I slept in and did not pack until the morning.

The forecast between Wednesday and my projected return date of the following Monday was somewhat chilly and rainy so I had to pack both my jacket and rain gear, in addition to everything else I needed so I was at luggage capacity when I finished packing.

Since I was running late, I had to truncate my plans somewhat. I got on the bike, headed for the New Jersey Turnpike, pointed north, and hammered the throttle. I slogged through the Bergen County traffic on Route 17, survived the suicide merge onto I-87, and got on the New York State Thruway. I exited at Saratoga Springs, which was further north than I wanted to go on the Interstate.

Not wanting to travel on the Interstate is a concept that is hard to explain to people who do not ride motorcycles. Car drivers tend to only drive when they have a destination in mind and take the most efficient route between two points. But when you are on a motorcycle, the experience is completely different. You are connected to the road and its surroundings. You can feel everything, see everything, and smell everything. It is an exhilarating feeling that does not compare to being inside of a climate-controlled car.

I stopped for lunch in downtown Saratoga Springs at a Mexican restaurant called Cantina and got on route 9D. I’ve been on 9D several times and it felt like home. I headed north through the tourist trap area of Lake George. 9D hugs the lake through Bolton and Bolton landing. The tourist traffic dissipated further north and I was able to enjoy the scenic views of the lake to my right.

Historical marker along Lake George
Parked along Lake George

Route 9D eventually multiplexed with Route 22, and I took 22 the rest of the way north. I’ve been on the southern end of 22 dozens of times, but I have never taken it this far north. Route 22 is labeled as part of the Lakes to Locks scenic route along Lake Champlain, and it did not disappoint. It passed through several small hamlets and towns, and I even saw what appeared to be Amish in horse-drawn carriages.

At around 7 PM, I stopped at a gas station to look for a hotel. The furthest north that there were any hotels near me was in Plattsburgh, New York. I booked the cheapest room I could find and settled for the night. I finished the day at 325 miles on the trip meter, about 180 of which were off major highways. It was not the epic trip I had envisioned, but I had no complaints. It was a beautiful day, and I was just getting started.

Thursday

I woke up and charted a course out of America and into Canada. I knew time was of the essence, the forecast was horrible starting at around lunchtime.

I headed north on US-9 towards Champlain. I spend a lot of time on US-9 in New Jersey, and it is quite a contrast in northern New York. It was much more serene and scenic in those parts. I hooked a right and headed east towards Rouses Point and took the Vermont Bridge over Lake Champlain into the Green Mountain State, and then north on 225 to the border.

I stopped at customs on the Canadian side and was greeted by the border guard with a firm scowl. He took my passport and gave me the standard interrogation, asking me where I’m from, why I came, when I’m leaving, and what I do for a living. He asked why I came from New Jersey and crossed the border in Vermont. Another person who does not understand why I would take local roads on a motorcycle instead of the Interstate. Seemingly reluctantly, he said I could go ahead and enter Canada, his frown never wavering.

The road on the Canadian side is also numbered 225. The southern border region of Quebec is full of farmland and was very pleasant to pass through.

I knew I was running out of time before the weather forced me to head for the hotel, so I charted course along the Richelieu River for a while before heading west over the river and towards the St. Lawrence River, and then headed south towards Montreal.  The totality of the ride was an interesting mix of farmland, strip malls, and industrial parks. I made the most of what time I had. I finished the day with 110 miles, a relatively low total by my standards.

I got to the hotel and checked in before the skies opened. It did not rain as early as I thought, but when it did, it was ugly, so I did the right thing by getting off the road. With some time to kill, I headed to the Metallica pop up store.

Another Metallica pop up store

Susan was supposed to fly up and join me for dinner. The weather system was bad in New Jersey, too and her flight was cancelled so our dinner plans were cancelled. I met up with Steve, a Metallica fan I met at my last Metallica concert in Montreal in 2017. We grabbed dinner at 3 Brasseurs McGill.

Canada’s Greatest Metallica Fan along with myself

He had a handful of Metallica fans with him, and their lifetime Metallica history puts mine to shame. One of them is going to every North American show on the tour this year and next.

They took me to a vantage point on the St. Lawrence River near the Jacques Cartier Bridge for a Metallica tribute fireworks show. I had no idea the city had planned a tribute to Metallica, this must be the best thing that’s happened to Montreal in years.

United Airlines finally found a way to get Susan to Montreal and she got in after midnight. Friday was going to be a big day!

Friday

Prior to our arrival in Montreal, Susan requested we visit Mont Tremblant because she had never been there before. Neither had I, and I had never been on any of the roads between there and Montreal. I jump at any opportunity to ride a new scenic route.

I plotted an indirect route to Mont Tremblant, and we took off from the hotel. It was an interesting ride, there was more suburban sprawl than I had expected, but the further out we got, the more pleasant the mountainside roads were. We got rained on a bit, so Susan ducked down low and used me as a windshield. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch called “Restaurant”. Seemed good enough for me.

The approach to Mont Tremblant was very enjoyable and we pulled into town. We stopped to walk around a bit, but I was pressed for time. We had to head back so I could make it to the stadium in time for Metallica.

The ride back to Montreal was much more utilitarian, most of it was on the freeway. We got slammed with traffic the closer we got to Montreal, and it took a lot longer than I expected to get back. I ducked into the hotel, changed my clothes, and took the metro straight to Stade Olympique.

The stadium was ready for Metallica

I walked into the general admission section just as Pantera was finishing their set and the excitement in the room was explosive. I circled the stage looking for a good spot as close as I could get and settled on an area in front of a microphone stand, assuming James Hetfield would spend some time in that area. I talked to some of the fans nearby, they drove over 13 hours from the east coast of Canada to get there.

It was finally time for the show to start, and the opening video came on the big screens accompanied by AC/DC. Metallica took the stage and tore right into “Creeping Death”. A mosh pit opened to my right, and I jumped into it to advance my position closer to the stage. Someone fainted behind me after just a few songs, and as they were sending her over the railing for assistance from security, I used that opportunity to advance again, this time to right behind the person on the rail.

The third song of the night was “Leper Messiah” and in my 30 years of seeing Metallica, it was the first time I’ve seen it played live. It always amazes me how they find a way to make almost every show unique and memorable.

The crowd in my immediate proximity was livelier than at the shows the prior weekend in New Jersey. I got pushed around a lot and had to do my best to hold my ground. I reminded myself that the reason I work out in my spare time is to be able to partake in events like these.

The people in front of me appeared to be a married couple with their son behind them and to my left. The guy got angry every time I got shoved into him by the crowd and kept pushing off the rail and moving me back. Then the crowd would push me right back into him. It was a futile exercise on his part. People like him don’t seem to understand that you are entitled to nothing in a general admission section other than admission to the section itself. If you want personal space, either stand in the back or buy a seat.

I was not going to let him spoil my fun. Metallica played a full career-spanning set of songs, and they nailed each one. Being up close to the band when they were in front of me made things that much more exciting. James and Rob did their usual “secret handshake” during “The Day That Never Comes” just a few feet from where I was standing.

The best part was the final four songs. Luckily, they put Lars’ drum kit in front of me for the last four songs. It was utter chaos for the last quarter of the show. The other band members gravitated towards him, and I had a bird’s eye view of it all. The crowd surged forward, and I kept getting crushed. The beach balls dropped on us during “Seek and Destroy” and it all just became a blur of heavy music and crowd surges.

They wrapped up with “Master of Puppets” and I was completely drained. It was a full day of riding my motorcycle straight into an intense Metallica concert and I earned that night of sleep.

Kirk Hammett
James Hetfield
Robert Trujillo and James Hetfield perform “The Day That Never Comes”
Lars Ulrich plays while his drum tech deflects gigantic Metallica beach balls

Saturday

Susan decided to sit this round of concerts out but wanted to come on the trip anyway, so I deferred the Saturday planning to her. The weather forecast was good in Montreal for most of the day, but it called for rain everywhere else nearby, so the motorcycle was going to stay parked.

We started with brunch at the Briezh Café. I thought it was affiliated with a café of the same name that we visited on the Paris leg of our M72 World Tour run, but it was not. Either way the crepe was good.

We walked around town for a while and visited a few local shops. Montreal has several distinct neighborhoods, and they seem to change every few blocks. Unfortunately, like most major cities, Montreal has a serious homeless problem, the level of which is surprising even to me and I spend a lot of time in New York City.

Random statue in Montreal. I think it is Martin Brodeur making a kick save.

While we were walking around, I started to notice people dressed in costumes. I looked around and figured out that there was an anime convention of some sort just two blocks from our hotel. That made for some interesting people watching for the remainder of our walk.

Susan made an appointment for us at the Bota Bota Spa on the St. Lawrence River. I had never been to a spa before and right away when I got there, I knew it was not my scene. They have a set of rules when you walk in that you must sign off on, and one of which is that there are areas of the spa that you are not allowed to speak! Me, not allowed to speak?

Anyway, I made the most of the experience. There were hot tubs, cold tubs (I don’t recommend trying the cold tubs, they are too cold), saunas, and there was a pool area with a bar where you were allowed to talk. I tried to spend as much time there as I could. Overall, it wasn’t a bad experience, but I don’t see myself running out to my local spa anytime soon.

In the evening we walked to Old Montreal for dinner at Monarque. I tried the Guinea Foul for dinner since I had never heard of that before and was curious.

The Guinea Foul, whatever that is

Following that, we bar-hopped the area. It seems like Montreal has a lively nightlife, but there were lines in front of most bars and clubs that we did not want to wait in. Then everything closes at 3 AM. There was never a real opportunity to go to any of the more popular places.

Sunday

Susan had to fly back in the afternoon, so we got up and went to brunch at Brasserie 701. The moment they brought our food out, Susan got a text that her flight was cancelled. This put a cloud over the day, she spent the next several hours on the phone with the airlines (both United and Air Canada were involved) and managed to get herself wait listed for a flight to JFK, not Newark as she had intended. She also had to leave early so we took a short walk around the waterfront attractions and went back to the hotel.

Along the waterfront in Montreal

We had a good time overall, but I would not necessarily recommend Montreal as a travel destination. The local attractions were few and far between, the food was nothing special, the bars and clubs were tricky to navigate, and the city did not have much charm.

Susan split for the airport (and from what she told me everything that happened after that moment was a nightmare, but she did manage to get herself and her luggage back to JFK and then home), and I relaxed a bit before heading out to the concert.

I got to the stadium a bit earlier for this show and caught the entire Five Finger Death Punch set. They are a sub-par band. They try very hard on stage, but their songs suck, and they are boring. I was happy when that was over with.

I positioned myself in the same general area I was for Friday’s show. The traditional canned intro hit the speakers, and Metallica jumped the stage to “Whiplash”. There is no better way to start a Metallica concert than “Whiplash”.

The crowd was slightly less rambunctious than on Friday, but I was still able to move around enough to get close to the rail. There were two big guys to my left and right that kept pushing me back behind them. I guess that while I had the strength and conditioning to stand in a general admission section for Metallica all night, my stature does not allow me to win battles for personal space with men who outweigh me by 50 pounds. There is a reason there are weight classes in mixed martial arts.

About halfway through the show, the guy next to me split because his wife was getting tired, so I slid into his spot and had a great view of the show for the rest of the night.

The set was sixteen songs of awesomeness. The songs from “72 Seasons” fill a new stadium just as well as the classics from the first five albums. I really like the new arrangement for “Wherever I May Roam” to encourage the crowd to sing along. Robert Trujillo played the majority of “Orion” right in front of me.

As was the case on Friday night, the best place to be was in front of Lars for the last four songs of the night. The whole band played most of “Battery” right in front of me. I liken it to having the opportunity to see Picasso paint. I was in awe of being able to watch them from so close, it was moments like those that make it worth it to get general admission tickets and fight your way to the front.

They wrapped with “Enter Sandman”, and I was wiped out. Two awesome shows in a row and it was time for me to head back to the hotel and get on the bike to leave in the morning.

The floor at Stade Olympique
James Hetfield
Robert Trujillo
Kirk Hammett
The entire band playing right in front of me

Monday

The trip home was uneventful. I mainly took the Interstates back home because I needed to get back and resume my normal life.

Happy to be back on this side of the border

Thoughts of both concerts filled my mind the whole ride back, and that broke up the monotony of riding in a straight line.

Although I wasn’t thrilled with the city of Montreal, and the weather cut my planned motorcycle rides in about half, I still got what I wanted out of the weekend. A great two days of being on the bike and two amazing shows by the greatest band of all time. I can’t think of a reason to go back to Montreal. Unless, of course, Metallica plans to come back.

Next up is Phoenix over Labor Day Weekend. 

My M72 World Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
Upcoming58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
89/3/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
97/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
107/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
118/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
128/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/Event
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour                

SongTimes Seen
72 Seasons3
Battery3
Creeping Death3
Enter Sandman3
Fade To Black3
For Whom The Bell Tolls3
Fuel3
Harvester Of Sorrow3
If Darkness Had A Son3
Lux Æterna3
Master of Puppets3
Moth Into Flame3
Nothing Else Matters3
One3
Orion3
Ride The Lightning3
Sad But True3
Seek and Destroy3
The Call of Ktulu3
The Day That Never Comes3
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)3
Wherever I May Roam3
Whiskey In The Jar3
You Must Burn!3
Blackened2
Holier Than Thou2
King Nothing2
Shadows Follow2
The Unforgiven2
Too Far Gone?2
Whiplash2
Cyanide1
Dirty Window1
Hardwired1
I Disappear1
Leper Messiah1
No Leaf Clover1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
The Memory Remains1
Until It Sleeps1
Unique:41
Total:96

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Enter Sandman28
Nothing Else Matters28
One28
Master of Puppets27
Sad But True27
Seek and Destroy24
For Whom The Bell Tolls22
Creeping Death19
Fade To Black18
Fuel15
Wherever I May Roam14
Battery13
Blackened13
Moth Into Flame12
Ride The Lightning11
The Unforgiven11
The Day That Never Comes10
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)10
Whiplash10
Harvester Of Sorrow9
The Memory Remains9
Hardwired8
Holier Than Thou8
Cyanide7
Now That We’re Dead7
Whiskey In The Jar7
Atlas, Rise!6
Fight Fire With Fire6
No Leaf Clover6
The Call of Ktulu6
The Four Horsemen6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
King Nothing5
Of Wolf and Man5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
Orion4
72 Seasons3
I Disappear3
If Darkness Had A Son3
Lux Æterna3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
Until It Sleeps3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
Shadows Follow2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Too Far Gone?2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Leper Messiah1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Screaming Suicide1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:108
Total:580

Dragging Home This Heathen Harvest

A diary of my experience during Metallica’s M72 World Tour stop at MetLife Stadium in August 2023

MetLife Stadium feels like the epicenter of the 2023 mega tour season. It started with the “You can send your kids to see Taylor, or you can send them to college someday, but you can’t afford both” extravaganza in May. It was followed by some prick named Ed Sheeran in June who broke the MetLife attendance record with a crowd of 89,000. Beyoncé followed in July. The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen is going to round things out over Labor Day weekend.

But all these shows combined could not match the level of intensity of the two shows Metallica played on August 4th and 6th at MetLife Stadium. Therefore, this is the only non-travel blog in my Metallica M72 World Tour series because Metallica brough the show to me.

There is something exciting about Metallica coming to the area you live in. They do not just show up and play, they take over the area for four days. They promote Blackened American Whiskey happy hours and events, host a film festival of Metallica related content, promote concerts for bands that their kids are in, and open pop-up stores with all the Metallica merchandise you could want. So, of course I bought half of the inventory at the pop-up store at the American Dream Mall the day before the first show.

The best store I have ever been in
I’ll take one. Of everything.

The most important thing to me about Metallica playing at home is getting to attend with my friends. It is a great excuse to get together, and it gives us an event that we will tell stories about for decades to come. In fact, we were telling stories about getting guitar picks at a Metallica show at the old Izod Center in 2003 while we were at the show this year.

Most of us had general admission tickets, and with as many people as I had going with me, it was a logistical exercise in herding kittens to get everyone in the same place at the same time. It started off in the afternoon on Friday, a bunch of us blew off work early, piled into my car, and went to the Blackened American Whiskey and WFAN pre-party at Redd’s in Carlstadt. Others partied at a local brewery; others drank on the NJ Transit Train on the way to the stadium.

After the pre-gaming was done, we shot over to the stadium, waited for Joe to get off the train, and headed in. Bobby was not one to wait, he went straight inside and scouted out a spot as close to the railing as he could get for us. We made it inside and then I had to text half a dozen people with our approximate location. I looked up and saw a banner for Larry Grantham who had his #60 retired by the Jets so I told everyone to look for that sign and meet us between that and the stage.

Larry Grantham was as good a spot as any to meet
The crew started to file in

It turned out to be a pretty good spot, it was right at the main entrance for the band members. First up was Mammoth and we caught a good view of Wolfgang Van Halen’s mother, Valerie Bertinelli who accompanied him to the stage.

Wolfie taking the stage

Mammoth was a lot of fun to watch. Wolfie has rock and roll genes, and he puts in the effort to prove he belongs on stage.

I wonder what’s in Pantera’s cooler?
As you can see, we were very happy to be there!
Pantera’s set list

Next up was Pantera. I haven’t seen them since about 1999 before they broke up and when the Abbott brothers were still alive and well.

Pantera bassist Rex Brown

Phil Anselmo walked on stage and milled about for a bit before the show started. He took his shoes off and performed the entire set barefoot.

Nice shoes, Phil

Zakk Wylde walked right in front of us before he went on stage. Zakk is the 5th greatest guitar player of all time and one of my favorite rock stars ever. I’ve seen him with Ozzy Osbourne, his own band Black Label Society, and Generation Axe. This was my first time seeing him with Pantera. He is the only guitar player in the world that is an acceptable substitute for Dimebag Darrell.

Zakk Wylde

Pantera hit the stage and crushed their set. It will always be a strange feeling to see Pantera play without the Abbott brothers, but Charlie Benante and Zakk filled in the gaps admirably. Pantera was one of the best opening bands I’ve ever seen for Metallica.

There are fewer things more enjoyable in life than watching Zakk shred

Pantera finished up and anticipation started to build. People that I had texted earlier kept filing in. We could barely contain our excitement.

All smiles before the show
Friends and former work colleagues getting together for Metallica
The wait is killing me at this point
Cool hat!

The lights went out and “Long Way to The Top” by AC/DC hit the speakers. It was time for Metallica to start and I thought my head was going to explode. Metallica walked through the aisle toward the donut-shaped stage and Lars Ulrich, the greatest drummer in history, stopped right in front of us.

Lars Ulrich putting his in-ear monitors in

Once the traditional opening song “Ecstasy of Gold” was finished, the excitement in the stadium was at fever pitch.  The band took the stage, and bam! They started right off with my favorite live Metallica song “Creeping Death”! I, along with the frenzied MetLife Stadium crowd of over 80,000, started singing along to every word.

Fifteen songs followed through a blistering set that spanned Metallica’s entire career. There was a heavy dose of classics such as “Harvester of Sorrow”, “Holier Than Thou”, “Battery” and others that we all grew up with. They also played three songs from the new album “72 Seasons”, including the live debut of “Shadows Follow”.

James Hetfield is a superbly talented front man. He held the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire night. He compelled us to chant “Temptation” during “If Darkness Had a Son”. He acknowledged his 60th birthday just the night before the show as he prepared to play “Fade to Black”.

There is a genuine element to Metallica that helps them to connect with the audience. Kirk Hammett made a mistake during the intro to “Nothing Else Matters” but he laughed it off and started over and he nailed it. Nobody seemed to be upset about it. Robert Trujillo held down the bass line and backing vocals like the seasoned veteran that he is.

The stage setup is massive for this tour, and it is very difficult to take everything in. There was smoke, fire, lights, a snake pit, and a beach ball drop. Lars used four different rotating drumkits at different points of the stage throughout the show. We had a great vantage point when the band was right in front of us but had a hard time seeing them when they wandered elsewhere on the stage.

With “Master of Puppets”, the show came to an end. We were excited, exhausted, and left wanting more. We dove to the floor as the band showered us with guitar picks. I did not manage to grab one, but Pooch got two and gave me one of his. What a guy!

Our general admission Metallica Crew

Saturday was a day of rest for the band in between shows. I put on my finest Metallica t-shirt from the European leg of the tour and went to Manhattan with Susan to run some errands and see Bobby and his kids. Susan and I were in Eataly, and someone saw my shirt and told me he was at the show the previous night, too. We traded Metallica stories for a bit. As we walked around town, I spotted people who looked like tourists in Metallica apparel. They really did take over the whole area.

Sunday was a bit less hectic getting to the stadium. We left early to be there because I hired a friend BBQ-By-Bear to cater our tailgate. Bear is a grill master who routinely caters tailgates at MetLife Stadium events, and he was the right man for the job.

BBQ By Bear

Bear got to the stadium right when the parking lot opened and found a great spot right by the entrance to the stadium to set up. We started to filter in as food was ready on the grill. It was a perfect day for a tailgate and excitement was once again building for the show.

Don’t ask
The tailgate crew
The two best dressed of the bunch

This time we were on different agendas for when to go inside and where to stand. Ned, Sue, and their kids wanted to get inside for both opening acts, so they went back to the Larry Grantham spot early. Chris was unsatisfied with the view from that spot, so he went in by himself to get another vantage point.

A handful of us went in before Five Finger Death Punch went on to try to scout a different spot with a better view and settled on a different location where the stage was lower. I am not a FFDP fan and was not overly impressed with the show. They were slightly better than my low expectations.

I was at that Guns ‘N Roses show. And the Slayer show!
A lot of people wearing Iron Maiden tonight
I guess someone had to wear Metallica

The canned music routine to start the Metallica set was the same as on Friday. Metallica hit the stage and tore into “Whiplash”, and it was on! Bobby was especially excited, that is one of his favorite songs to see live. They went right into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and the crowd nearly lost it. This was such a hot opening that I used up nearly all the energy I had on the first two songs.

Sunday night followed the same theme of career spanning songs, and as promised was completely unique from Friday’s set. We were treated to the live debut of “Too Far Gone?” which was intermingled with classics like “Ride the Lightning”. Kirk played the solo for “Lux Æterna” right in front of us. While this is far from his best solo, it was mesmerizing to watch a guitar god like him shred right in front of us.

James Hetfield commanded the crowd again. They re-worked “Wherever I May Roam” to pause the instruments so the crowd could sing the hook repeatedly. Giant beach balls fell from the light towers as the band ripped into “Whiskey in The Jar”. I was wiped out when “One” and “Enter Sandman” finished off the set and the show was over. This time, I was able to grab a guitar pick of my own as it hit the floor!

The last ones standing in general admission at the end of the night

It was a bitter-sweet feeling when the show ended. It was just such an epic weekend that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. It was an exciting feeling to know that Metallica was in town and had taken it over. The shows were breathtaking. Most importantly, as far as I could tell, everyone in my group had an absolute blast.

My plan when the tour was announced was to go to six cities in 2023 and 2024, but the most important two for me were Paris and East Rutherford. Everything else is just going to be the cherry on top. Metallica may be done with my home state, but next up for me is a road trip to Montreal to see them do it all over again!

My M72 World Tour itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
Upcoming58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
89/3/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
97/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
107/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
118/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
128/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA

My lifetime Metallica concert history

14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
72 Seasons2
Battery2
Blackened2
Creeping Death2
Enter Sandman2
Fade To Black2
For Whom The Bell Tolls2
Fuel2
Harvester Of Sorrow2
Holier Than Thou2
If Darkness Had A Son2
King Nothing2
Lux Æterna2
Master of Puppets2
Moth Into Flame2
Nothing Else Matters2
One2
Orion2
Ride The Lightning2
Sad But True2
Seek and Destroy2
The Call Of Ktulu2
The Day That Never Comes2
The Unforgiven2
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)2
Wherever I May Roam2
Whiskey In The Jar2
You Must Burn!2
Cyanide1
I Disappear1
Screaming Suicide1
Shadows Follow1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
The Memory Remains1
Too Far Gone?1
Whiplash1
Total:64
Unique:36

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Enter Sandman27
Nothing Else Matters27
One27
Master of Puppets26
Sad But True26
Seek and Destroy23
For Whom the Bell Tolls21
Creeping Death18
Fade to Black17
Fuel14
Blackened13
Wherever I May Roam13
Battery12
Moth Into Flame11
The Unforgiven11
Ride The Lightning10
The Day That Never Comes9
The Memory Remains9
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)9
Whiplash9
Harvester of Sorrow8
Holier Than Thou8
Cyanide7
Hardwired7
Now That We’re Dead7
Atlas, Rise!6
Fight Fire With Fire6
The Four Horsemen6
Whiskey In The Jar6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
King Nothing5
No Leaf Clover5
Of Wolf and Man5
That Was Just Your Life5
The Call of Ktulu5
The End Of The Line5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
I Disappear3
Orion3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
72 Seasons2
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
If Darkness Had A Son2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Lux Æterna2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
Until It Sleeps2
You Must Burn!2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Dirty Window1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Screaming Suicide1
Shadows Follow1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Too Far Gone?1
Total548
Unique107