Talk about a bucket list item. I’ve been waiting about 15 years to have the chance to see Metallica, and what better time and place. San Francisco is full of special shows as the Bay Area converted to Superbowl City this month. Fans disappointed with the halftime show were looking for their hometown heros to swoop in and save the day. Dubbed “Too Heavy for Halftime,” CBS’s The Night Before show was just one of many places to be tonight. It was, in my opinion, the best.
Opening with “Creeping Death,” the setlist varied through the first half of the show. Lead Singer James Hetfield expressed his sincere gratitude and love for San Francisco, and loved that the band was able to play for way more live fans and much longer than the traditional 12 minute halftime show.
Running through classics like “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “Fuel,” and “Ride the Lightning,” Metallica treated AT&T Park to a non-stop first hour of music.
My personal favorite song, “One,” kicked off hour two of face-melting rock. From there, it was hit after hit. “Master of Puppets” got the pit moving while “Battery” kept the heads banging. Everyone around me was having the time of their lives. Despite the entire show being sparked by the Superbowl, I was able to forget all about the craziness such an event brought to my neck of the woods. Great music has the power to make you forget all about the world outside of the venue.
The encore saw James once again thanking the crowd, and dedicating a song to former bassist Cliff Burton (Whiskey in the Jar) before launching into the mega-hit “Enter Sandman.” Topping off the night were fireworks, launched from the Bay behind the stage.
Cage the Elephant opened the show, and got the audience pumped with their indie-inspired rock. Lead Vocalist Matthew Schultz spent the majority of time out on the catwalk singing his heart out. If you have the chance, I definitely reccomend checking them out – they were a very plesant suprise.
