It’s finally going to happen.
It was announced on Feb. 13 that Metallica is going on a nationwide tour, its “WorldWired Tour 2017.” As luck would have it, Philadelphia is one of the tour destinations.
When I posted the announcement on my Facebook page, my best friend, Jake, had a simple question.
“Which one we going to?”
As of Friday, tickets have been purchased for myself, Jake and my other best friend, Clay, to attend the show on May 12.
Finally, I’m going to see my all-time favorite band in concert.
Those close to me know just how much I love Metallica. Whether I’m driving to an assignment, out for a night on the town, or just gaming at home, Metallica is more often than not my music of choice.
When the weather gets warm and my car windows are down, I tend to get some weird looks from pedestrians or those beside me at stop lights as my music blares.
I’ve come to embrace them. It just gives me a reason to crank the volume a bit higher and drown out the Lady Gaga, Drake, or whatever other auto-tuned or cliché nonsense I tend to hear.
My fandom started back when I was about 12 years old. I was still adjusting going from a small, rural elementary school to a middle school in a more urban area. I was also dealing with a lot of inner angst from losing my mother, along with the typical teenage quest of finding all the answers to life.
Oh, to be young and dumb …
It was actually my brother that first introduced me to Metallica with none other than the infamous “St. Anger” album. That particular album is divisive among Metallica fans — for me, it did so much more than expose me to the greatest band on the face of the planet.
The album is raw, and came at a time when the band’s future was very much in doubt. The lyrics span everything from defying social norms, reflecting on life or just plain anger.
For a hot-headed teenager that looked to defy authority in any way, that album made a lot of sense to me. I felt misunderstood in a lot of ways at the time and talking it out always seemed to do more harm than good.
As I listened to “St. Anger,” I felt like how I was feeling was finally articulated in a way that I could relate to.
I’ve come to appreciate every aspect of the band, from their humble beginnings and rise to stardom to their most recent album “Hardwired … To Self-Destruct.” To this day, when I hear Metallica sing about anything from religion, politics, war, or social norms, I find something to take away from it.
Ironically, I used to despise Metallica growing up because when people would suggest listening to Metallica, that always meant listening to “Enter Sandman” or “Sad But True” on repeat.
Those are now probably my least-favorite Metallica songs.
My buds and I have clamored for years about going to see Metallica. We tossed around the idea of seeing them perform when they got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but life as a college kid working part-time at a juvenile detention facility made that impossible.
It’s also going to mark the first real road trip with the guys after life has pulled us in different directions over the years. It’s a safe assumption that the trip will involve visiting some historical sites, copious amounts of cheesesteak sandwiches and no shortage of shenanigans along the way.
It’s also going to be epic to finally see James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo take the stage.
May 12 seriously can’t come soon enough.
A photo of Metallica, courtesy of Metallica’s official website.
http://timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Metallica-1.jpeg
A photo of Metallica, courtesy of Metallica’s official website.
Ross Halfin via metallica.com
Beyond the Byline Travis Kellar
http://timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Kellar-1.jpg
Beyond the Byline Travis Kellar
Ross Halfin via metallica.com
By Travis Kellar
tkellar@timesleader.com
Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews.