NYS Music 202​2

Tag: live shows

  • SZA Announces First Arena Tour, Madison Square Garden Stop Set for March

    Superstar R&B songstress, SZA, will be embarking on her first nationwide arena tour — The S.O.S. North American Tour — in promotion of her number 1 selling album, SOS.

    The SOS Tour will see SZA perform at arenas nationwide.

    Produced by Live Nation, the exclusive 17-city tour kicks-off on February 21 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH, and includes a stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Along with special guest Omar Apollo, the tour will see SZA make stops in visit Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver and more before wrapping up in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum. This tour marks the first time the Grammy-winning singer is playing venues of this size while debuting her critically-acclaimed album live to fans. 

    SZA’s Rise

    All in all, SZA has been an industry mainstay for nearly a decade. Her 2014 EP, Z, put her on the map with records like “Child’s Play” and “Babylon.” But, 2017 would see her reach mainstream stardom with the release of CTRL. SZA’s debut recording earned her widespread recognition, including four Grammy nomination and a spot on Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

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    SZA has continued to garner recognition since the release of Ctrl. Despite her hiatus from solo work, she received a 2022 Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat. She also won Billboard Music Awards’ Top R&B Female Artist, BET Awards’ Best New Artist, BET Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best New Artist, MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Visual Effects for the “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar, and NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding New Artist. In 2019, she won NAACP Image Awards’ Outstanding Duo or Group for “All The Stars” with Kendrick Lamar and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation for the Black Panther Soundtrack. SZA also received Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music Rule Breaker award.

    What to Expect From the SOS Tour

    Although a now decorated recording artist, SZA’s greatest achievement is her longstanding relationship with her fans. Not many artists can not release an album for five years and debut at number 1 on the Billboard charts. A talented artist, SZA’s vulnerability on her records leaves a lasting impact on listeners. Topics revolving around love, desires and insecurities have made her this era’s go-to R&B songstress. The addition of Grammy-nominated artist, Omar Apollo, should make for an impassioned set of performances. With about 300K in first-week sales, fans were eager for SZA’s sophomore effort and should be even more restless to see it live.

    Tickets can be purchased on the SOS Tour official website.

    THE S.O.S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: 

    Tue Feb 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

    Wed Feb 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center

    Fri Feb 24 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

    Sat Feb 25 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

    Mon Feb 27 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

    Tue Feb 28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

    Thu Mar 02 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

    Sat Mar 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

    Tue Mar 07 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

    Thu Mar 09 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

    Fri Mar 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

    Mon Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena

    Tue Mar 14 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

    Thu Mar 16 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

    Sat Mar 18 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

    Sun Mar 19 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

    Wed Mar 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

  • Key Glock Announces Glockoma Tour With Performance in Queens’ Knockdown Center

    One of the brightest stars in the Southern hip-hop scene, Key Glock, has announced a U.S. tour this upcoming spring. Presented by SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation and produced by Live Nation, Key Glock brings his “Glockoma” tour across the nation. The 31-date run kicks-off on March 5 at Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy, and includes a stop at the Knockdown Center in Queens, NY, on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

    With support from fellow Memphis native Big Scarr, the “Russian Cream” rapper will be performing songs from his catalog, including PRE5L, the 5-song EP he released in November. Key Glock’s last solo headlining tour, “YellowTape 2022,” sold over 35,000 tickets across intimate venues. However, his upcoming tour promises even more hits. Since bursting onto the scene, the “Look at They Face” rapper has maintained an upward trajectory. With the addition of XXL Freshman and Gucci Mane signee Big Scarr, expect two of Memphis’ best to put on.

    One of the leading faces of Memphis rap, Key Glock is signed to the late Young Dolph’s Paper Route Empire. The 25-year-old rapper stays true to his roots with an emphatic midtempo flow, trunk-rattling trap beats and plenty of horns

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    Glock burst onto the scene with his PRE debut, Glock Season, in 2017, from which the single “On My Soul” has nearly 8 million views on YouTube. Additionally, 2018’s Glock Bond spurned the hit “Russian Cream” which sits at 16 million views. Since then, he has continued his meteoric rise with 4 solo mixtapes and Dum and Dummer, a collaborative effort with Young Dolph.

    2020’s Yellow Tape took him to a new level, peaking at #8 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts and #14 on the Billboard 200. March 2021’s Dum & Dummer 2 with Young Dolph debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 and generated nearly 36k sales equivalent units across platforms and scored the fifth-biggest streaming debut on Spotify during its first week of release. October 2021’s Yellow Tape 2 debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Independents Charts. Currently boasting over 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Key Glock is breaking into the mainstream as we speak.

    Tickets go on sale Friday, December 9 at 10 a.m. at keyglock.com

    GLOCKOMA 2023 TOUR DATES

    Sun Mar 05 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy

    Thu Mar 09 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues

    Fri Mar 10 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte

    Sat Mar 11 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz

    Sun Mar 12 – Greensboro, NC — Piedmont Hall

    Wed Mar 15 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia

    Thu Mar 16 – Washington, DC – Echostage

    Sat Mar 18 – Queens, NY – The Knockdown Center

    Sun Mar 19 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live

    Wed Mar 22 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center

    Thu Mar 23 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

    Fri Mar 24 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom

    Sat Mar 25 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

    Sun Mar 26 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall

    Wed Mar 29 – Chicago, IL – Radius

    Thu Mar 30 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater

    Fri Mar 31 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis

    Sun Apr 02 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium

    Tue Apr 04 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex

    Thu Apr 06 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo

    Sat Apr 08 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater

    Tue Apr 11 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

    Fri Apr 14 – San Diego, CA – SOMA

    Sat Apr 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

    Sun Apr 16 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

    Fri Apr 21 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater

    Sat Apr 22 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center

    Sun Apr 23 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom

    Wed Apr 26 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore New Orleans

    Thu Apr 27 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company

    Fri Apr 28 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works

  • Latin Band Bacilos Announces ‘Back In The USA ’23’ Tour, Irving Plaza Date Set for May

    The hit Latin band, Bacilos, featuring Jorge Villamizar and André Lopes, have announced their first tour in the United States since 2004. Produced by Live Nation, the nine-city — Back in the USA ‘23 — tour kicks-off on April 27, 2023 at North Beach Bandshell in Miami, FL, and will make stops in Orlando, Atlanta, Houston, Boston and New York‘s own Irving Plaza on May 12, before wrapping up in Chicago, IL at House of Blues on May 14.

    Bacilos’ first tour in the U.S. in 19 years will make a stop at Irving Plaza in New York City on Friday, May 12, 2023.

    When curating their set the duo decided to give an exciting spin to their classic records while bringing sensational new material into their performance. In addition to Villamizar and Lopes, Bacilos will be accompanied by their high-caliber band. Moreover, having performed across Latin America to huge crowds with immense success, Bacilos’ show is representative of their vibrancy and impact-fulness as critical trendsetters in modern Latin Pop music. 

    This past year, Bacilos released new classic songs and collaborations with Latin America’s most outstanding young artists. Their music has reached around 22 million people around the globe, reaching up to 180 countries. In addition, with more than 1 million creations, Caraluna — the tittle of their Latin Grammy winning album and single — became a Worldwide trend when the community accomplished a very successful TikTok movement with new choreography.

    BACILOS BACK IN THE USA ‘23 TOUR DATES: 

    Thursday, April 27, 2023 – Miami – Miami Beach Bandshell

    Friday, April 28, 2023 – Orlando — House of Blues

    Sunday, April 30, 2023 – Atlanta – Buckhead Theatre

    Thursday, May 4, 2023 – Houston – House of Blues

    Saturday, May 6, 2023 – Austin – Emo’s

    Sunday, May 7, 2023 – Dallas – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall

    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 – Boston – Paradise Rock Club

    Friday, May 12, 2023 – New York – Irving Plaza

    Sunday, May 14, 2023 – Chicago – House of Blues

    Tickets for Bacilos go on sale starting on Friday, December 9 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.

  • Rock The Bells Announces First-Ever Timeless Hip Hop Cruise

    LL Cool J founded media platform, Rock The Bells, have announced their latest venture, “Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience” in partnership with Sixthman. The hip hop culture platform will team with the industry leading theme cruise charter company to offer fans of hip hop a new way to experience their favorite era of hip hop and immerse themselves in the mystique of the genre’s golden era.

    Rock The Bells began as music festival in Queens and will now be going abroad

    What is Rock The Bells?

    With this intention, the brand is bringing its annual Rock The Bells Festival – a day-long celebration of hip hop curated by founder LL Cool J in his hometown of Queens, NY. Setting sail from Miami to the Bahamas from November 13 – November 17, 2023, the cruise will feature live performances by iconic artists. Not to mention, “Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience” is the first of its kind, offering an all-inclusive four-day, four-night Hip-Hop experience aboard the Norwegian Pearl. The cruise is one of many announcements the company has planned to honor and celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary and salute its icons. 

    The Norwegian Pearl will play host to “Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience.”

    Events

    Thus, the expedition kicks-off with a special “Welcome to Miami” performance by Miami hip hop legends Trick Daddy and Trina on the ship’s pool deck. Attendees that purchase their cabin before January 18, 2023, will be able to hang out with Trick Daddy and Trina at a private cocktail happy hour prior to setting sail. Moreover, guests that purchase before January 18, 2023 can also start a free 3-month subscription to SiriusXM and tune into into LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Radio on Channel 43 and on the SXM App.

    At Rock The Bells, we believe classic and timeless Hip-Hop deserves to be served on a silver platter and we can’t wait for Hip-Hop lovers across the globe to be immersed in the culture for five days, on five stages. We’re excited to partner with Sixthman, who bridges the gap between artists and fans, creating unforgettable guest experiences.

    – Rock The Bell’s President James Cuthbert

    The full cruise lineup will be announced at the top of the new year, but attendees can expect dozens of performances and intimate experiences from some of Hip-Hop’s classic MCs, DJs and producers. In effect, Rock The Bells will be taking over every corner of the ship with pool deck parties presented by world renowned DJ Kid Capri. Other fun endeavors will include MC and DJ battles, rap karaoke, interactive graffiti, live podcasts, roller skating, open mic nights, movie screenings, masterclasses, art galleries, custom grillz, tattoos, basketball and The Trill Mealz Food Court. 

    More Information

    Pricing ranges from $1,099 to $5,199. Attendees can book now for themselves or as a gift to others. More detailed information can be found on the Rock The Bells cruise website.

  • Maná Announes México Lindo Y Querido Tour to Continue in the U.S. With Stop at Belmont Park

    Following their record-breaking Los Angeles arena residency and their Latin America stadium run, Maná has announced the 2023 leg of their México Lindo Y Querido tour featuring 19 shows across the United States.

    The U.S. leg of the tour kicks off with two more dates of Mana’s current L.A. residency at the Kia Forum on February 10 and 11 and continues with stops in Phoenix, Houston, Miami, Chicago, including a stop at UBS Arena at Belmont Park, in Elmont, NY, on Saturday, April 22, before wrapping in Sacramento, CA, at Golden 1 Center on September 23. Tickets go on sale starting on Friday, November 18 at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.

    Maná’s Mexico Lindo Y Querido complete tour dates

    Mexico Lindo Y Querido

    México Lindo y Querido kicked-off on June 10 in Tijuana, México. With Maná performing multiple nights in Medellin, Bogota, Puerto Rico and México. The tour is a timeless celebration of their love and admiration for Mexico and the multigenerational Latino community. The five-city México run brought the band to sold-out stadiums with over 150,000 fans. Moreover, that total includes 60,000 ecstatic fans at the prestigious Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. In order to kick-off the announcement of their U.S. leg, MANÁ will host a launch party at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Beach, featuring a special live performance from the band. Moreover, Mexico Lindo Y Querido is a part of a three-decade run that has seen Maná amass a diverse audience of fans of all ages that continue to celebrate their music around the globe.

    The México Lindo y Querido U.S. run comes on the heels of Maná’s record-breaking residency with 12 sold-out shows and 165,000 tickets sold to date.

    Get ready, we’re coming with a brand new production and all our hits. We’re excited to be back on the road and see all our fans in the US. This isn’t just a concert tour, it’s a celebration of life.

    – Maná

    Considered one of the most influential Latin rock band in the world, Maná has transcended generations with their music. Maná — meaning positive energy in Polynesian — began in 1986 when four friends from Guadalajara came together and fused rock sounds with Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The group includes Fher Olvera as vocalist, guitarist and main composer, Alex González on drums, Sergio Vallín on lead guitar, and Juan Diego Calleros on bass.

    Maná is one of the most decorated latin groups ever

    Furthermore, the group has amassed 133 Certified Gold Albums, 256 Certified Platinum albums, 4 Grammy Awards, 9 Latin Grammys, 26 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 15 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards, and honors such as the 2018 Latin Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award & 2018 Latin Grammy Person of the Year Award and more recently the 2021 ICONO LATIN BILLBOARD Award.

    Their current collaboration project, which began in 2019, revisits some of their greatest songs, accompanied by renowned and diverse artists.

  • Nas To Perform First Ever Headline Show at Madison Square Garden

    Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) and Live Nation announced that Grammy Award winning rap legend, Nas, will perform at Madison Square Garden on Friday, February 24, 2023, marking the icon’s first headline show at The World’s Most Famous Arena.

    Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 18 at 10:00 a.m. Chase cardholders will have advance access to tickets from Tuesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 17. Tickets will also be available in person beginning on Saturday, November 19 at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Fresh off the success of the NY State of Mind Tour, with Wu-Tang Clan and special guest Busta Rhymes, Nas will once again hit the road on the heels of his latest release, King’s Disease III. The first two-installments of the series both earned him grammy nominations, with the former earning Nas his first-ever win. As such, the fabled rapper has once again recruited Hit-boy to complete the trilogy. The duo has worked together extensively the past few years, producing three King’s Disease albums and their Christmas EP, Magic.

    A headlining performance at MSG will culminate the career of one of New York Cities most devoted sons. Nas’ career was made off of his incredible storytelling in which he depicted inner-city New York living. One of his more renowned records “NY State of Mind” has become a hip hop staple, with Nas becoming an embodiment of the city. Having influenced so many, Nas will finally get to take his rightful place as an MSG headliner.

    Nas’ Other Ventures

    Recently, Nas executive produced the limited three-part SHOWTIME docuseries, Supreme Team with Peter J. Scalettar. The documentary recalled the notorious New York drug syndicate and its long-standing cultural influence. Moreover, the film made its debut at this year’s Tribeca Festival this past summer. Furthermore, Nas also narrated and executive produced The Invaders documentary, following the rise and fall of a militant black power group based in Memphis, Tennessee in the late 1960’s.

    Fans can access exclusive King’s Disease III content, merchandise, and experiences here, while a limited deluxe version of the vinyl is exclusively available on Mass Appeal’s website.

  • Music at Noon Lineup Revealed by Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall have announced the return of popular lunchtime series, Music at Noon. Back for the 2022-23 season, Music at Noon has taken place on the second Tuesday of each month from October to May, since 1988.

    The free concert series has presented exceptional musicians with a diverse mix of musical styles. Sponsored by the New York State Council on the Art and the Fagan Associates,the kickoff to the season will feature guitar and vocal pops from Hui Cox and Laura Roth on October 11 and run until May 9, with various genres gracing Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Other Music at Noon performers will include Acoustic guitarist Thomasina Winslow, Classical Pianist Akina Yura, country/bluegrass quartet The Buebillies, among many other diverse performers.

    While Music at Noon performances are free to attend, Teachers with buses and large groups should call ahead to reserve seats. There will also be a limited number of handicapped accessible spaces available.  Groups with special seating requests can contact the box office. More information about Music at Noon or Troy Music Hall’s upcoming programs can be found on their website.

    Music at Noon Lineup

    October 11th – Hui Cox & Laura Roth, Guitar and Vocal Pops

    November 8 – Thomasina Winslow, Acoustic Blues

    December 13 – Carl Gutkowski & James Fitzwilliam, Classical Flute & Piano

    January 10 – The Bluebillies, Country/ Bluegrass Quartet

    February 14 – Bleecker Consort, Renaissance & Medieval Music

    March 14 – Natalia Shevchuk, Urkanian Pianist

    April 11 – Akina Yura, Classical Piano

    May 9, Findlay Cockrell, Piano

  • Billy Joel Announces 87th Monthly Show At Madison Square Garden

    Madison Square Garden Entertainment have announced that legendary musician and MSG’s first-ever music franchise, Billy Joel, has added another show as part of his record-breaking residency at the world’s most famous arena. Set for Friday, January 13, 2023, the show will mark 133rd lifetime concert at the Garden.

    Billy Joel had turned the garden into his personal residency

    In December 2013, Billy Joel was named the historic venue’s first-ever music franchise. In doing so, he joined the ranks of other monumental MSG franchises, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at the Garden, “as long as the demand continues.”

    Fittingly, Billy Joel is one of the world’s biggest draw, having sold out arenas and stadiums across the globe. The grammy-winning musician is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist. Having sold over 150 million records and scoring 33 consecutive Top 40 hits. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected his debut North American single “Piano Man” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”

    Billy Joel has been mesmerizing the Garden for decades.

    All in all, Billy Joe’s residency at the Garden is no accident. Joel brings prestige to an already prestigious venue. Fans of the “piano man” have watched him ascend to legendary status. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Long Island also received a TONY award for “Movin’ Out,” a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music.

    Ticketing Information

    Citi cardmembers will have first access to presale tickets. Beginning Monday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. through Thursday, September 22 at 10:00 p.m. via www.citientertainment.com.

    Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10:00 a.m. (east) on Friday, September 23 via www.ticketmaster.com. Due to congestion and high-demand, it can be difficult to purchase tickets right away, so continue to check Ticketmaster throughout the day.

  • Rising Artist Lizzy McAlpine performs at The 2022 New York State Fair

    Rising star Lizzy McAlpine made an appearance this past Friday at The Great New York State Fair 2022. The 22-year-old McAlpine enjoyed a significant rise of attention once her music went viral on TikTok. Her debut album Give me a Minute was released in August 2020 and has since garnered her a following.

    Perri Sage Photography

    McAlpine was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and started getting into music in middle school. She began studying music and songwriting in college at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Berklee College she continued to pursue her music career, leading to her internet fame.

    “I think [Berklee] did shape my music, but not because of the classes. The main thing I got out of Berklee was the people that I met, and the people I surrounded myself with who definitely influenced my music. I don’t think you need to necessarily understand music theory to be a good musician. If you have a good ear, you don’t need to know all the harmonies to write a good song.”

    Perri Sage Photography

    Syracuse was one of many stops for McAlpine, as part of her first official tour. Lizzy’s raw and stunning voice had her fans singing along to every song. The audience was visibly enthralled by the performance as they swayed and danced with friends. Some of her top hits such as “ceilings” and “hate to be lame” her latest album Five Seconds Flat drew the best reactions. McAlpine also performed songs from her breakthrough project, Give Me A Minute. Songs like “Pancakes for Dinner,” “Means Something” and “To the Mountains.” all made the setlist.

    Perri Sage Photography

    Overall Lizzy McAlpine has become a leading figure at a young age. Inspiring young girls and other young artists to pursue their dreams.

    Lizzy’s next show takes place on September 11, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Fine Line Music Cafe. We look forward to seeing what’s next for McAlpine and what the future holds for her.

  • Metallica rocks Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium in front of 40,000 fans

    Thursday, August 11, will be fondly remembered by many people in Buffalo. Not only were there massive, record breaking traffic around Highmark Stadium, but it marked the return of Metallica to Buffalo. Metallica played their second out of three shows in the USA this year at Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. For support they brought Ice Nine Kills and Greta Van Fleet.

    Ice Nine Kills

    Ice Nine Kills (sometimes stylized in all capital letters or abbreviated to INK, and formerly known as Ice Nine) is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member. Their drummer Patrick Galante, is from Buffalo so this was a special show to be opening for the biggest metal band in his hometown.

    Greta Van Fleet

    photo credit- Mike Miller

    Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan, formed in 2012. It consists of Kiszka brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam (bass guitar, keyboards); and Danny Wagner (drums). They were signed to Lava Records in March 2017, and a month later they released their debut studio EP, Black Smoke Rising. Their debut single, “Highway Tune”, topped the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts in September 2017 for four weeks in a row.  

    Metallica

    The last time Metallica played this stadium, it had a different name and was on July 25, 1992. It has been many years since then and Metallica has vastly grown their fanbase and released many popular songs and albums since then. Most of their setlist was older songs. This is because a majority of their fanbase grew up with their older material. Metallica is Lars, James, Rob and Kirk.

    Metallica hit the stage at 9pm sharp once dusk came. When the Ecstasy of Gold video intro started, the place went nuts. Packed with 40,000 screaming diehard fans, you could feel the energy in the air and tell this was going to be a special show. As the first song “Whiplash” started, Lars Ulrich the drummer, appeared from below the stage on his drum set on a lift. There were microphone stands all over the stage for Metallica to sing from. A second drum set was in the middle of the stage which Lars would use later in the set. There was a “snakepit” in the middle of the stage filled with fans. The walkway circled around them so any fan inside it had the perfect view of the whole show. These tickets were given away to their fan club members. 

    photo credit- Mike Miller

    There were also huge vertical video screens to show the rest of the stadium the action on the stage. Custom banners hung from each side of the stage with the date and the city on the bottom. Two spidercams (remote controlled camera) moved in the sky above the crowd. Metallica also was selling special Buffalo only merch and had special guitar picks made with the date and city on them. Metallica also used pyro many times from atop the stage and on the sides in the empty seats.

    photo credit- Mike Miller

    We would also like to extend our thanks and gratitude to Pegula Sports Entertainment. Mike Whitney and Dominic Verni were great hosts. They supplied a great landing area in between bands for the photographers and supplied drinks and food which made the experience more enjoyable for a summer Buffalo day. 

    Metallica setlist

    Photo credit- Mike Miller