Craving Dopamine

I was working from home the day before I was to attend the first of two Metallica M72 World Tour concerts in Philadelphia. I was trying to focus on getting through the workday so I could get ready to split in the morning. I got the alert that I won two Snake Pit passes through the Metclub contest and my mind went blank.

The best email I ever received in my life

“HOLY CRAP! I finally won one of these contests!”

“HOLY CRAP! I’m going to be in the Snake Pit tomorrow for the show!”

“HOLY CRAP! I need to pick somebody to come with me! What am I going to do?”

The M72 World Tour stage is shaped like a donut in the middle of a football stadium. The Snake Pit is the donut hole. If you are in the Snake Pit, you are immersed in the performance all night. I spent two nights in the Snake Pit in Madrid in 2024 and was blown away by the experience. I could not believe that I would be there again the next night. But I had to pick only one of my friends.

As I explained to them, they were all my favorite. But in 2017, Pooch scored us Snake Pit passes for Metallica in Montreal, and I have always felt like I was beholden to him since. I called him and offered him the pass, which he quickly accepted so that problem was solved.

With that dilemma solved, I was able to focus on the weekend ahead. I’ve been following the Metallica M72 World Tour since 2023, and these would be my first shows of 2025. I was excited to get back on the road.

May 23, 2025

I had a grandiose plan to ride my motorcycle to Philadelphia so I could enjoy a scenic ride back on Memorial Day along the Delaware River. Those hopes were dashed when I woke up to rain and cold that showed little sign of letting up. I also had a work emergency which ate into my day so there was no time to load the bike. I was bummed but was not going to let it ruin my weekend. I traded the excitement of my Harley for the comfort of my relatively uninteresting car.

I could have written a blog about how awful the traffic was from the moment I left my house in Hudson County, NJ until I got to Lincoln Financial Field, but you would not want to read it. By the time I got there, I felt like I ran a marathon. But we all managed to check into our hotels and since I had the car, I told the group I would be the designated driver. I grabbed Joe, Pooch, and Lefty and we made it to the show.

The Friday Night Crew before we split up

It was a bummer to have to split off from the rest of the crew. Lefty and Joe went into ham-and-egger general admission to meet up with Ed and Rita. Bobby was already somewhere along the rail; he lined up early to secure his spot. Pooch and I grabbed our Snake Pit wristbands from the box office and quickly made our way inside. We missed the first opening act, Ice Nine Kills. No big deal, they are not my favorite act on this tour.

I paused for a moment on my way into the Snake Pit. It is a bit of an overwhelming experience to begin with. But I especially enjoy walking past the losers on the other side of the general admission barrier knowing that I will have a much better view than they will. I sensed their jealousy. Granted, I would have been one of those losers had I not won the contest, but they didn’t know that.

I quickly found Chris and his stepson inside the Snake Pit. Chris cashed up and bought his way in. They picked a spot along the inside wall near where one of the four drum kits would pop up during the Metallica set.

Without much delay, Limp Bizkit hit the stage. This was my first time seeing them since July 8, 2023 when they opened for Metallica at Giants Stadium. This lineup was mostly original with a grey-bearded Fred Durst, accompanied by Wes Borland, Sam Rivers, DJ Lethal, and John Otto. We were standing right in front of Borland’s guitar rig.

Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit is one of those bands that the cool kids did not want to admit they liked in the early 2000’s. But I never cared, I thought their tunes were catchy and I was excited to see them again. Durst sounded great and they played through their classics with intensity.

Fred Durst

Not too long into the show, it unexpectedly started to pour. The road crew attempted to put a canopy over DJ Lethal and his equipment but appeared to fail and gave up. His stuff got soaked and apparently ruined. He unplugged everything, gave it to the fans, and eventually jumped into the Snake Pit to mosh with us. I got to high-five him.

When Limp Bizkit finished, things got real in my mind. It was my first time seeing Metallica in nearly nine months and not only was my wait about to end, but I was going to be surrounded by them all night.

This is when my Snake Pit strategy came into play. I was in the pit twice in Madrid in 2024 so I have a good feel for how things work inside and how to maximize the experience.

Metallica plays 15 songs per night, and there are 4 drumkits, one for each quadrant of the stage. The band roams the whole stage throughout the show, but most of the action takes place near the drums. They play four songs in the first quadrant, four in the second, three in the third, and four in the fourth. In a regular general admission concert setup, there is a crush of people in front of the stage. But since there is no front of this stage inside the circle, there is no singular crowded spot so you can move around. Therefore, I wanted to plant myself in front of all four drumkits before they popped up before people crowded them.

My original instinct told me we were in the wrong spot and standing in front of the third drumkit. Pooch was happy where we were and didn’t want to move. I told him I was going to the other side of the stage and that I’d find him. But when I got to the other side, I asked security, and they told me that side was the third drumkit. I immediately made it back to Pooch and Chris and told them that this must be the right spot for the first drumkit. Since my sources were not 100% reliable, I was very nervous for the rest of the break in between sets. I really did not want to screw this up.

The lights went off and AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll)” blasted over the insane PA system Metallica uses for their stadium tour. It was time! AC/DC transitioned into “Eecstacy of Gold”, the traditional opening song for Metallica concerts. Much to my relief, a trap door opened in front of us and I caught sight of Jimmy Clark, Lars Ulrich’s drum tech being lifted on to the stage along with the drums. We got it right. We were about eight feet away from drums!

In a flash, Metallica took the stage and Lars counted in “Creeping Death”. The rest of the band huddled close to him and tore into the song. The crowd was screaming and jumping up and down. We were so close to the drums, we could hear them over the PA. It was bedlam.

We were just a few feet from the band when the show started
You can’t get closer to Metallica than the Snake Pit

Metallica was fired up as they ripped through the first song. They quickly transitioned into the slower but just as heavy “Harvester of Sorrow” and followed that with the deeper cut “Holier Than Thou”. They were moving at a blistering pace and had the entire stadium hanging on every note. With a quick pause to introduce “King Nothing”, I knew it was time to find the next spot.

Chris from his spot in the Snake Pit with James in the background

Chris elected to stay put, but Pooch and I pushed towards the second quadrant and found it with relative ease. “King Nothing” ended and the second drumkit popped up right in front of us and the band followed for two newer songs, “72 Seasons” and “If Darkness Had a Son”. The latter was made to be played live with James Hetfield prompting the crowd to chant “temptation!” repeatedly.

James sat on a chair for the intro to the “Death Magnetic” epic “The Day That Never Comes”. Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo huddled close throughout the long instrumental parts of the song, and the band was in a zone.

James playing the intro to “The Day That Never Comes”

By my count, it was time to think about the next move. Before the band could start “Cyanide”, Pooch and I had rushed towards the third drumkit. We had to sacrifice being close to Lars on this song, but it would pay off when the next song hit. Once again, we were mere feet away from the band and just in time for “Orion”, the greatest heavy metal instrumental song ever written.

The band stayed closest to each other during this song. Being within feet of Metallica playing one of their greatest songs is like having had the opportunity to watch Leonardo da Vinci paint.

Our view of the third drumkit while the band played “Orion”
Watching Metallica play “Orion” from this close is a near-religious experience

Next up were two more “Black Album” concert standards, “Nothing Else Matters” and “Sad But True”. About the time I wanted to depart for the fourth drumkit, James was standing right in the spot. I started to panic, there was no way we could make it to the front if everybody was looking right at him. Eventually I said we should go and figure it out on the way. Then I looked up and saw Robert being pushed through the Snake Pit on a mobile platform, and he was coming right at us! I looked up at Robert as he looked down at me, I couldn’t believe my luck. Pooch instinctively ducked behind the platform as it moved because it parted the crowd and gave us a path right to where we wanted to be for the fourth drumkit. We made our own luck this time.

With four songs to go, I was happy with how we progressed. We nailed the spot for all four drumkits and had the best Snake Pit experience out of anybody there! At the end of “Fight Fire With Fire” Kirk threw one of his picks and it hit me in the right ear. It stuck to my jacket and the guy behind me handed it to me. I would have kept it if I was him.

Our spot for the final four songs of the show
Metallica rounding out their set right in front of us

The set rounded out with pyrotechnics during “Fuel”, a beach ball drop during “Seek and Destroy”, and a frenzied rendition of “Master of Puppets”. Metallica owned Lincoln Financial Field that night.

May 24, 2025

One of the many cool things about the two-night schedule for the M72 World Tour is that it leaves a gap on Saturday. It is even cooler if you are visiting a city that you wouldn’t normally be in and you have your friends with you.

Unfortunately, Ed and Bobby couldn’t stick around on Saturday, but Joe, Lefty, and Pooch were ready to go. I was especially happy to have Pooch there, he is known for his PhD-level research of things to do when travelling, with a focus on breweries and restaurants.

We met at The Butcher Bar on Chestnut Street or brunch. It is probably not a coincidence that Pooch picked a place with bottomless brunch drinks.

Brunch

To avoid making it a messy all-day drink fest, we planned a bit of sight-seeing and spontaneous exercise following brunch. We walked to The Philadelphia Art Museum to visit The Rocky Statue. Someone had the idea that we should run the steps. We all made it up without having a coronary. All the time I spent at my local gym was worth it.

After we triumphantly conquered the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, we took the obligatory picture in front of the Rocky statue.

Proud of our accomplishments, we walked south on the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Victory Brewing. I tend to be a Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller Lite guy, so I was a bit lost. Pooch was already well versed in their offerings, so I asked him to fill out a flight order for me. They started off OK, but the flavor fell off a cliff on the last two. They didn’t convince me to be a craft beer guy.

Dressed in my Metallica shirt, several people at the bar asked if I was at the show the previous night. I’m not sure who would walk around Philadelphia in a Metallica shirt the day after they played there and have not attended the concert, but I answered their stupid questions in the affirmative anyway. They all said something like “I thought about it but didn’t go”. Talk about people who make really, really, really bad life decisions in this town.

But every time one of them asked me about the show, I could not help but picture Metallica right in front of me. It was my 39th Metallica concert and I was still just as stoked as ever to have seen them and could not get over how good they were and how amazing the Snake Pit experience was. It really made me realize how appreciative I was to have had that experience. I made sure to let each one of those idiots know that they completely blew it.

We left Victory and made a few more stops. First was at a rooftop bar for some cocktails. Then we went to Barcade Philadelphia. Barcade is a small chain of bars that has rows of retro video games and pinball machines. A friend of ours, Brian, happens to be the manager there so it was cool to see him. Another lucky way Metallica brings us all together.

Barcade had the wrong band’s pinball machine. It was fun anyway.

At dinner time and Pooch directed us to Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse. Pooch is a big rodizio guy, so it was no surprise he wanted to go there. The waiters aggressively carved grilled meats on our plates, it was very intense. I flipped my stop/go card to the red side after I ate what felt like 17 pounds of beef.

Our last stop of the night day was a heavy metal bar called Doom that Pooch found. It was very spacious and was outfitted in gothic décor. There was custom stained glass and original art on the walls. There was one major flaw, however. The music they were playing was so obscure that we couldn’t identify it using Shazam. It was Metallica weekend in Philadelphia and there were only a handful of people there. Not a good showing for the only heavy metal bar in town. It looked like they had a good idea when they built it, but their execution was poor, and it did not catch on. It was worth checking out, but I would not recommend it.

Outside of Doom

May 25, 2025

I got a call from Bobby that he was in town and on the line for the Metallica pop up store. I drove over and cut in line next to him, saving myself about 45 minutes. These stores are very popular and often difficult to get in to. I grabbed three t-shirts and a license plate cover because I don’t have enough Metallica stuff already.

Me and Bobby outside of the greatest store in Philadelphia history

We finished our shopping excursion, and Pooch told us to meet him and Lefty at Yards Brewing. I was shocked that he picked another brewery! I never drink on Metallica days so I couldn’t partake in another crappy flight, but everyone else seemed to enjoy their beers.

The culinary highlight of the trip came next. We made the short walk to Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak & Pizza Co. for cheesesteaks. I’ve had a handful of Philadelphia cheesesteaks in my day, but this one was my favorite. Great bread and great cheddar cheese made the sandwich perfect.

Cheesesteaks usually do not photograph well, but this one was a 10/10

Pooch and Lefty wanted to hit a distillery, so I went back to the hotel to grab my stuff and check out before heading back to the stadium for the final time. I didn’t miss much, Pooch later told me that each successive taste of whiskey in his flight tasted more and more like turpentine. Even PhD’s have errors in their research sometimes.

We met up and took an Uber to the stadium. Pooch, Lefty, and Joe wanted to grab some beers at Victory Brewing at the Xfinity Center entertainment complex outside the stadium. I wanted to catch Suicidal Tendencies, the first opening act so I went in early.  I said hi to Sue, Ned, and Colleen who were on the rail already.

I visited Ned and Colleen near their spot on the rail

Then I found Bobby who was dutifully lined up close to the rail on the side of the stage. It was a bit of a bummer being reduced to ham-and-egger general admission status for this show, but I was stoked regardless. We had a good spot, and I was going to make the most of it.

Suicidal Tendencies now features a rhythm section of Jay Weinberg on drums, and Robert Trujillo’s son, Tye Trujillo on bass. During the show, we noticed that Robert was watching the show from one of the Lux Æterna platforms on the far side of the stage. It must have been a proud moment for him as a father and a former bass player for Suicidal Tendencies. It was a fun show and Suicidal played all their hits. I could see Chris in the Snake Pit directly across from me and we had fun taking pictures of each other and sending them back and forth.

After the ST set ended, Pooch, Lefty, and Joe came in and met up with Ed. Unfortunately, too many people surrounded me and Bobby by that time, and they were not able to get very close to us. Pantera hit the stage and people started to mosh behind us. It was a lot of fun, it reminded me of seeing the original Pantera lineup in the late 1990’s. I always love watching Zakk Wylde play, he is one of my favorite musicians.

Phil from Pantera

The hour-long wait between Pantera and Metallica always feels like it is a day long. But when AC/DC hit the PA, it felt like we were hit by lightning. Metallica took the stage and started with the 1-2 punch of “Whiplash” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. They always hit the stage and sprint out of the gate. I never understood how they can get so fired up so quickly.

In my third year of following this tour, I pretty much always know what song is coming next. But the lack of suspense never dulls my excitement for the classics like “Ride the Lightning” and “The Memory Remains” which followed. Metallica played an extended outro at the end of the latter which I had never seen live. It looked like something they improvised.

We were on the side of the stage where the final two drumkits would pop up. We stood in front of Robert Trujillo’s rig and bass tech, so he spent a lot of time in front of us between songs.

Robert Trujillo’s side of the stage was right in front of us

When the drums made it to our side of the stage for the second half of the show, we had our best views of the evening. They started with “The Call of Ktulu”, an instrumental on par with “Orion”. The band stuck together like they normally do for that song and looked like they were having a blast playing it. I think that is one of the things that make these M72 concerts so great. Since Metallica is in the round, they can’t hide anything. You can sense their genuine enjoyment throughout the night.

Not quite the Snake Pit, but close enough

The final songs of the night battered our senses with fire, fireworks, beach balls, and loudness. They played through hits, finishing up with “One” and the anthemic “Enter Sandman”. I was completely drained.

We huddled up and took the subway back to the hotel. Since I couldn’t ride my motorcycle as originally planned, I just drove home after the show. It wasn’t quite the ending to the weekend I was looking for, but my spirits were high. I got everything else I wanted out of the weekend. Time spent with friends in a fun city, and 30 unique songs from The Greatest Band of All Time.

Next up for me is a trip to Houston for a one night-only stop at NRG Stadium. A friend of a friend scored us Snake Pit tickets, so it is going to be worth the quick trip.

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
108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
125/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
135/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
Upcoming146/14/2025NRG StadiumHouston, TX
156/27/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO
166/29/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/EventVantagePoint
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May RoamSeats
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring MeSeats
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage BarrageGeneral Admission
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&MSeats
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer SanitariumGeneral Admission
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003General Admission
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The WorldGeneral Admission
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The WorldGeneral Admission
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld MagneticSeats
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld MagneticGeneral Admission
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld MagneticSeats
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld MagneticGeneral Admission
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld MagneticSeats
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4General Admission
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + MoreGeneral Admission
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + MoreGeneral Admission
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwiredGeneral Admission
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwiredGeneral Admission
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwiredSnake Pit
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2Seats
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than LifeGeneral Admission
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than LifeGeneral Admission
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston CallingGeneral Admission
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)General Admission
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World TourSeats
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World TourSeats
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World TourGeneral Admission
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World TourGeneral Admission
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World TourGeneral Admission
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World TourGeneral Admission
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World TourGeneral Admission
357/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World TourSnake Pit
367/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World TourSnake Pit
378/2/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World TourGeneral Admission
388/4/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World TourGeneral Admission
395/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAM72 World TourSnake Pit
405/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAM72 World TourGeneral Admission

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 Death7
Fuel7
Harvester Of Sorrow7
Lux Æterna7
Nothing Else Matters7
Orion7
Sad But True7
Seek and Destroy7
72 Seasons6
Enter Sandman6
For Whom The Bell Tolls6
If Darkness Had A Son6
King Nothing6
Master of Puppets6
Moth Into Flame6
One6
Ride The Lightning6
The Call of Ktulu6
The Day That Never Comes6
Wherever I May Roam6
Fade To Black5
Shadows Follow5
The Unforgiven5
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)5
Whiplash5
Battery4
Blackened4
Holier Than Thou4
Too Far Gone?4
Whiskey In The Jar4
Cyanide3
Hardwired3
Screaming Suicide3
The Memory Remains3
You Must Burn!3
Fight Fire With Fire2
Inamorata2
Leper Messiah2
Until It Sleeps2
Dirty Window1
I Disappear1
No Leaf Clover1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Unique:43
Total:200

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters32
Enter Sandman31
One31
Sad But True31
Master of Puppets30
Seek and Destroy28
For Whom The Bell Tolls25
Creeping Death23
Fade To Black20
Fuel19
Wherever I May Roam17
Blackened15
Moth Into Flame15
Battery14
Ride The Lightning14
The Unforgiven14
Harvester Of Sorrow13
The Day That Never Comes13
Whiplash13
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)12
The Memory Remains11
Hardwired10
Holier Than Thou10
Cyanide9
King Nothing9
The Call of Ktulu9
Fight Fire With Fire8
Orion8
Whiskey In The Jar8
Lux Æterna7
Now That We’re Dead7
72 Seasons6
Atlas, Rise!6
If Darkness Had A Son6
No Leaf Clover6
The Four Horsemen6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
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
Screaming Suicide3
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
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:684

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