14 North American Cities. 18 Shows In The Round. 2 Festival Stops. 1 Unforgettable Tour. (Metallica)

[Editor’s note: Jeff Holland was gracious enough to write a story on the upcoming Metallica concert at Lane Stadium for Tech Sideline. It’s an incredibly detailed article featuring over 4,500 words and nearly 60 links and photos. It contains everything you need to know before Blacksburg shakes to ‘Enter Sandman,’ from how Virginia Tech’s connection with Metallica began and its evolution to how this event came to be and what to expect at the concert. With so many attachments in this piece, I highly recommend viewing and reading on a computer or other large device. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy. — David Cunningham, Managing Editor]

It’s happening. It’s FINALLY happening! After years (and decades) of rumors, wishes, tweets, prayers, dreams and desperate pleas of Metallica playing live in Blacksburg, Virginia — either right before a Virginia Tech home game or a live concert in Lane Stadium — the day has finally come.

James Hetfield (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Lars Ulrich (drummer), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar) and Robert Trujillo (bass) will grace us with their presence. Metallica is playing at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg on May 7, 2025 — one week from today.

I can offer Hokie Nation a unique perspective of this once-in-a-lifetime event because I have deep connections to Virginia Tech, Tech Sideline (TSL) and Metallica. As some of you know, I played defensive tackle for the Hokies from 1991 to 1995. My name has been mentioned over time in TSL articles — here and here, for instance. If you want to know who I fought on a regular basis during Tech football practice, click here. It was talked about on TSL Podcast Episode 175. I was even a guest on TSL Podcast Episode 54 way back in 2018.

Jeff signed a scholarship to play football at Virginia Tech from 1991-95. Also pictured are his father, Bill, along with Larry Creekmore (former Virginia Tech defensive line coach) and Lew Johnston (former Western Branch head coach).

Some of you who have supported TSL since the early days may also remember that I wrote some articles — back when it was Hokie Central — from 1999-2001. Will Stewart was gracious enough to pay me $50 per article back then. Thanks, Will! I believe those articles are still located somewhere in the TSL archives, if you know where to look.

See kids, back in late 20th century, $50 was a lot of money. I could fill my gas tank up, have dinner, go buy some CDs (what we put music on before everything became digital) and still have money left over. But I digress.

Jeff Holland blocked a field goal during the 1993 Independence Bowl. (Virginia Tech athletics)

What some of you might not know is I’m also a die-hard Metallica fan. I started listening to Metallica in 1988 and I’ve been following the group on tour since 1992 (as much as my bank account, my wife and my free time will allow).

Coincidentally, my first Metallica concert was right up I-81 in Roanoke on March 11, 1992, at the Roanoke Civic Center. I remember that show was during Virginia Tech’s spring break. Instead of heading to the beach for the week, I stayed in a cheap motel near the Civic Center with a couple of my high school friends to see Metallica play live. Now that’s dedication.

I’ve seen Metallica play live in 56 different cities, 22 U.S. states, five countries and on three continents. I’ve even seen Metallica play three times live in the same day. I was also lucky enough to get on stage with Metallica to start one of their songs.

Jeff started 'Seek and Destroy' — November 18, 2010, in Melbourne, Australia. (Metallica)

The Virginia Tech concert will be my 105th Metallica show, so consider me a “Metallica connoisseur.” For those of you wondering, 105 shows is a lot. However, I have some friends who have been to well over 200 and 300 Metallica shows. So, in the grand scheme of things, 105 shows isn’t really that many.

I cannot find the words to accurately describe how thrilled I was when the show in Lane Stadium was announced. I lost count of how many emails and texts I received after the tour announcement that I got from friends and family. All of them essentially asked me the same two things: “Hey, you hear about Metallica playing at Tech?” and “Are you going to the Metallica show at Tech?” Uh… Yes and yes!

I’m so happy to finally see this day come — not only for me, but for all of Hokie Nation, including my fellow VT alumni who are also die-hard Metallica fans, including George, Jeannette, Tom, Rachel, Willis and Eric. We all needed this!

Jeff with James Hetfield — July 1, 2000, in Rockingham, N.C. (Jeff Holland)

Kudos To Brad Wurthman, Virginia Tech Associate Athletic Director

As Andy Bitter, Tech Sideline’s Senior Staff Writer, wrote in September about how the band coming to Blacksburg was the result of ‘shoot-for-the-moon’ negotiations, getting Metallica to play in Lane Stadium has been in the works for a while.

Here are three excerpts from Andy’s piece:

“Negotiations had started and stopped so many times over the years through various tour managers and endless scheduling conflicts that even the most die-hard believer might have given up on the idea that Metallica, one of the founding fathers of metal music, would one day play in Blacksburg. But Brad Wurthman, Virginia Tech’s associate athletic director for external affairs, never lost hope. …

“The process that led to the concert began in earnest about two years ago. Wurthman and the Hokies spoke with Metallica’s reps about two possibilities — playing ‘Enter Sandman’ before a game and putting on a concert in Lane Stadium. …

“The band came to a conclusion: If they’re doing this, they’re doing it big. Given all the production that goes into a show, a full, big show would be preferable to playing a single song.”


At a Blacksburg Sports Club luncheon in January, Wurthman was the guest speaker. He went into more depth on how he got Metallica to play at Virginia Tech.

A Hokie fan —  RJHokie on the TSL boards — who was at the luncheon recounted, “[Wurthman] called [Metallica] constantly for about five weeks, with only getting a recording to leave a message. So, he stopped calling.

“A few months later, someone from Metallica calls him and asked, ‘Are you the guy that’s been calling about scheduling a concert in Blacksburg?’ So, they talk a bit and the guy says he will get back with Brad, which he did several months later.”

Jeff and some of his friends at an intimate club show in Nashville, Tenn., on June 12, 2008. (Metallica)

How The Metallica-Virginia Tech Connection Began

As many of you know, ‘Enter Sandman’ started as Virginia Tech football’s walkout song on August 27, 2000, vs. Georgia Tech when the Hokies debuted their new video board. That was the infamous game where Lee Corso’s rental car got struck by lightning prior to kickoff when a thunderstorm rolled through Blacksburg and the game was cancelled.

How Was ‘Enter Sandman’ Chosen?

‘Enter Sandman’ and Virginia Tech are nearly synonymous nowadays. Having any other song as the Hokies’ intro song is unthinkable at this point. But did you know that ‘Enter Sandman’ was picked over a few other song choices?

There is some discrepancy of what those other song choices were. According to a February 21, 2010, article from the Roanoke Times, “Tech officials wrestled over the choice of the Hokies’ song” and the options were between Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ and AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck.’

However, according to a June 27, 2024, article on HokieSports.com — “How ‘Enter Sandman’ became the most electric entrance in college football” —  it came down to ‘Enter Sandman,’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ by Guns N’ Roses and ‘Sirius’ by The Alan Parsons Project.

Regardless of what the other options were, ‘Enter Sandman’ was clearly the right choice.

The person who is credited as choosing ‘Enter Sandman’ still works in Virginia Tech athletics today. According to the previously mentioned Roanoke Times story, that was Jed Castro, who is currently the Hokies’ senior associate athletics director, production & multimedia.

Back in 2000, Virginia Tech’s director of broadcasting and media, Kevin Hicks, decided the winner of an arm wrestling contest among the video office would choose the song Virginia Tech’s football team entered the field to. Fortunately, Jed chose wisely.

Jed’s spent much of his time at Virginia Tech as a cameraman roaming around Lane Stadium during games and putting Hokie fans on the big screen. If you’ve been to a home football game in the past 15-plus years, you’ve probably seen Jed without realizing it.

Jed Castro put Jeff Holland's face on the Virginia Tech video board on November 29, 2008, during Virginia Tech football's game vs. Virginia. (Ivan Morozov)

Quick Interview With Jed Castro

Jed Castro and I are friends so I reached out to him for this article to ask him a few questions and find out exactly what other songs were in the running.

Jeff: “So, how did picking ‘Enter Sandman’ happen?”

Jed: “As you remember, we got our video board in 2000 and we were looking for an intro/song in conjunction with debuting the new video board. The big thing (in terms of intros for sports teams) at the time was the Chicago Bulls intro, which used ‘Sirius’ from The Alan Parsons Project. Also, Nebraska was the leader in college sports at the time. (Note: The Cornhuskers football team won three national championships between 1994-97.) They were also using [‘Sirius’] as the song for their intro and they had this really cool animation as part of their football intro.

“Tim East (then the Virginia Tech assistant athletic director for marketing & promotions who now works at Liberty), myself and Kevin Hicks talked about a couple of songs. ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ was in the mix. I think ‘Thunderstruck’ was also in the mix. ‘Enter Sandman’ was obviously in the mix.”

Jeff: “Wasn’t ‘Sirius’ also in the mix?”

Jed: "I don’t think we actually considered that because the Chicago Bulls and Nebraska were already using that song. I will say the big thing that I argued for [at the time] was making sure that we did something that was signature to us and we weren’t doing something that someone else was using.

“Some years later, [Virginia Tech officials] were talking about changing the song because perhaps fans were getting tired of ‘Enter Sandman’ or the song was getting old. I said, ‘If you look at the Chicago Bulls, they didn’t change their intro song after a year or two. You have to give it time to actually become something.’ That was the big thing for me — to help prevent the song from changing before it became a thing.”

Jeff: “I’m so glad they didn’t change ‘Enter Sandman.’ Thanks, Jed!”

How ‘Enter Sandman’ Has Evolved: The Jumping


While the ‘Enter Sandman’ tradition started on August 27, 2000, the jumping part didn’t start right away. That came later.

Per Virginia Tech, the jumping began in December 2001 when the Hokies hosted No. 1 Miami. It started when one member of The Marching Virginians started jumping because it was cold. Then other members of the band started to join in, and it evolved into the legendary entrance it is today.

In a September 26, 2009, article by the Washington Post, David McKee, the director of the Marching Virginians (1986-2018), stated, “The next thing you know, the whole band is jumping up and down, and then next thing you know, the whole stadium is jumping up and down. It was one of those accidental traditions.”

How ‘Enter Sandman’ Has Evolved: Not Just For Football

‘Enter Sandman’ has since spilled over to other Virginia Tech sporting events. For example, it’s played before every men’s and women’s basketball games in Cassell Coliseum.

It was even played after Hokies wrestler Caleb Henson won his national championship in 2024.

How ‘Enter Sandman’ Has Evolved: During A Football Game


‘Enter Sandman’ is also played during a game to rev up the crowd. You remember the Miami game in 2011, don’t you? The late Mike Patrick’s reaction on the broadcast is iconic: “These people are losing their mind!”


How ‘Enter Sandman’ Has Evolved: Not Just Sporting Events


‘Enter Sandman’ has even become a tradition at Virginia Tech’s commencement ceremonies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9gzKY3QeE&t=7s

How ‘Enter Sandman’ Has Evolved: Crowd Sings It A Cappella


What I really like about the evolution over the years is when ‘Enter Sandman’ stops playing, the crowd continues to sing the song a capella.

Even when the NCAA didn’t allow the song to be played at the Virginia Tech’s women’s basketball game when the Hokies hosted an NCAA Tournament regional in 2023, the crowd sang the song anyway.

Metallica Returns The Love: 2011 Video

Hokie Nation’s love for Metallica isn’t just one-sided. Metallica has returned the love. In 2011, the group made its first of three videos specifically just for Virginia Tech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUT2fZgFXQ&list=PLvVhZns7TRIKIb8-Nh0XkSG6blFpiZd8s&index=27

How this video came to be is quite interesting. According to a story in the Washington Post from October 11, 2011, which detailed Metallica’s Virginia Tech-themed introduction before the Miami game, Bruce Gearhart played a pivotal role.

Here are a few excerpts from the piece:

“The video was the result of almost two years of work by Bruce Gearhart, a Baltimore native who is the president of the Maryland-based wine distributor, Bacchus Importers. …

“It all began in the fall of 2009 when Gearhart’s son, Mac, was beginning his freshman year at Virginia Tech. Gearhart, who was a vice president at EMI music before getting into the wine business, got a call from his son during the Hokies’ home opener against Marshall. Gearhart then sent the article to his friend, Marc Reiter, of Q Prime management, the company that represents Metallica. Reiter was able to get the band to autograph a football that reads: “Coach Beamer and Hokie Nation: Keep Jumping. …

“‘I saw the enthusiasm that brought on, so then it was, ‘Let’s see if we can get Metallica to film an intro,’ Gearhart said. ‘Normally, this kind of stuff, it’s not easy to get, and it has a cost. But Marc was so excited and told me, ‘They’re really excited over what’s being generated by their song and the enthusiasm they’ve gotten.’ …

“Gearhart says he’s working on getting Metallica to participate in another Virginia Tech-related initiative, but declined to go into specifics because “unless I can deliver it, unless Marc can deliver it, then you just disappoint. … The key here is really just supporting my son and being able to fan the flames of this insane enthusiasm that they generate.”


Metallica Returns The Love: 2015 Video


When Frank Beamer retired in 2015, Metallica made a video that was played at Frank’s last home game on November 21, 2015, vs. North Carolina.


Metallica Returns The Love: 2018 Video


For the November 11, 2018, game vs. Notre Dame, Metallica made its third video for Hokie Nation.

https://youtu.be/80lYlNiEtzY?si=f6-tueetmv436JJX&t=172

Metallica Returns The Love: 40th Anniversary Shows In 2021


I was lucky enough to attend the Metallica 40th Anniversary shows in San Francisco in December 2021. Metallica played two nights with songs from all of its 11 studio albums. In between some of the songs, they would show videos of various interviews, highlights, etc. from their career.

One of the videos was Metallica’s connection to sports, and the band gave Virginia Tech a very special shoutout during the first night’s show. It specifically mentioned only four sports teams or players: the San Francisco Giants, the San Jose Sharks, Mariano Rivera (former New York Yankees pitcher) and… the Virginia Tech Hokies.

https://youtu.be/bqd-HEZFkRI?si=vpC_TRUOYUNKV74u&t=4493

Metallica Returns The Love: Interviews, Talk Shows And Tweets


Metallica has even shown the Hokies love in various interviews, talk shows and tweets.

In 2021, James Hetfield, the lead singer, was doing an interview on SiriusXM and gave his thoughts about the Virginia Tech fans jumping during ‘Enter Sandman’ at the North Carolina game on September 3, 2021, and it registering on a seismograph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA9vwoqusbQ&list=PLvVhZns7TRIKIb8-Nh0XkSG6blFpiZd8s&index=13

In 2023, Metallica was on the Jimmy Kimmel Show to promote its new album, ‘72 Seasons,’ and the topic of Virginia Tech came up.

There’s also this: In 2017, Metallica tweeted a video of the Virginia Tech football team entering Lane Stadium to ‘Enter Sandman.’

The Sandman Experience

Every Hokie fan has some shaky video of them at a Virginia Tech home game during ‘Enter Sandman.’ Heck, I do too. But they’re all kind of unwatchable.

However, here are a couple of the better ones:

Here’s a video shot by TSL’s own Will Stewart back in 2022.



Kemari Copeland, a current defensive tackle for the Hokies, also shot his own video of ‘Enter Sandman’ last season when he was sidelined with an injury but still ran out of the tunnel with the team. This is one of the coolest ones I’ve seen.


Merch Collaboration


On August 26, 2024 — one day short of the 24th anniversary of ‘Enter Sandman’ becoming the walkout song for the Hokies — Virginia Tech and Metallica officially debuted a merchandise collaboration (shirts, hats, etc.). Needless to say, I got my hands on what I believe are ALL of the official (and some unofficial) Metallica-Virginia Tech shirts.

What To Expect At The Show

  • You should expect Metallica to play 15 songs for approximately two hours. Gone are the days that it would play 22-plus songs for three hours. Father Time catches up with all of us, and that includes Metallica. However, even with all the members of Metallica in their early 60s, they can still rock the house for a solid two hours.
  • Just like how the football team walks out to two songs — Johnny Cash’s ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ and ‘Enter Sandman’ — Metallica also plays two songs right before they go on stage: AC/DC’s ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n Roll)’ and then the first minute and 45 seconds of ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ by composer Ennio Morricone. It’s from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” — a Clint Eastwood movie.
  • Metallica will usually show parts of the Eastwood movie on the huge screens they use during the shows as the song plays. I dare you not to get goosebumps during ‘The Ecstasy of Gold.’ Like ‘Enter Sandman,’ it’s really good at doing one thing: Getting the crowd pumped up and whipped into a frenzy.
Jeff Holland was front row and center with 25,000-plus of his closest friends on June 9, 2013, in Detroit, Mich. (Ross Haflin)
  • Be sure to follow Metallica’s official Instagram account (@metallica). It posts ton of pictures and videos in the days leading up, during and after the show. The band typically picks a unique hashtag for each show. For the 72 Seasons Tour (72 Seasons is the name of Metallica’s album released on April 14, 2023), it’s been using the M72 + City. So, I’m guessing the hashtag for the show will either be #M72Blacksburg or #M72VirginiaTech (or both).
  • If you post pictures or videos on your Instagram account, use those hashtags and make sure your account is public. You might see your picture or video on their Instagram reels/stories. Note: Metallica is also on other social media (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), but I mainly use Instagram.
  • Another good reason to follow Metallica on Instagram is it’ll post the timeline for when doors open, when the opening bands (Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies) go on stage, how long the wait is between bands, etc. Metallica typically goes on stage sometime between 8:30 and 9 p.m.
Jeff Holland was front row and center once again when Metallica played in East Rutherford, N.J., on August 4, 2023. (Metallica)
  • I’ve seen some chatter online about the possibility of Metallica playing ‘Enter Sandman’ twice — perhaps to open and close the concert or place it twice at the very end of the show — because of what that song means to Hokie Nation. While it would be VERY cool for Metallica to do that, I would say the odds of that happening are very low. Of course, you never know. I never thought Metallica would ever play a live show at Virginia Tech, but here we are.
  • I should point out that Metallica playing a song twice in the same show isn’t unheard of. It happened once in the band’s long 43-plus year history on May 10, 1997, in Fort Worth, Texas. It played five songs twice, but that was specifically for a DVD extra on its video home release, “Cunning Stunts.”
Here's a look at Metallica's typical stage setup.
  • Stage setup: The picture above shows how Metallica’s M72 Tour stage setup looks. A large 120-foot diameter circular stage surrounded by eight very tall and very large towers/screens. The picture is of Lumen Field (Seattle Seahawks) and was taken from last year’s Metallica show in Seattle.
  • I couldn’t find anything online stating the total minimum width needed to fit the towers and the stage, but comparing Lumen Field and Worsham Field, Lumen Field is a bit wider than Worsham Field and the stage and towers were a tight fit. It’ll be interesting to see if/how the stage and towers fit inside Lane Stadium.
  • My friend George and I have a friendly wager about whether or not the eight towers — more specifically the two towers on each side closest to the stands/seats — will fit inside Lane Stadium. Metallica sells seats at the base of those towers (eight seats, elevated view, very expensive, etc.) and for the Lane Stadium show (and the Syracuse show), those seats at the tower were not available for public purchase. Are those reserved for Virginia Tech officials? Boosters? We shall see. I say the eight towers will somehow fit in Lane Stadium. George says they won’t fit.
  • The Snake Pit: What I am sure of is that there will be a Snake Pit. Metallica’s Snake Pit is the area in the center of the stage that allows fans to watch the show. Its size and location have varied over the years. For this tour, it’s a larger circle in the middle with Metallica’s stage forming a circle around it. In the video below, you get a up-close tour of the Snake Pit with Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s drummer.
https://youtu.be/ZTGdNNFNpyk?si=b0c_SRD0LljTDLz4&t=2950
  • Beach balls! Metallica drops special beach balls with its logo during one of its last songs of the night at every show (typically ‘Seek and Destroy’). Even if there aren’t any towers, the Metallica crew will make sure the beach balls are thrown into the crowd. So, when you hear ‘Seek and Destroy’ start playing, be prepared. And yes, those balls are huge!
  • How long does it take to set up Metallica’s stage? How many crew members does Metallica have? How many speakers, guitars, LED screens, etc., are used? How much do each of the eight towers weigh? This interview with Metallica’s crew done by WCCO-CBS in Minnesota for the Metallica shows in Minneapolis (August 2024) tell you everything you need to know.
  • Here’s a cool 42-second video of Metallica’s M72 stage setup and breakdown.
  • Halfway through the show, Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo, Metallica’s lead guitarist and bassist, respectively, usually do some type of jam in which they’ll jam on some songs from musicians/bands associated with the city or state they’re playing in. It also gives James and Lars a chance to take a break. I wonder if Kirk and Rob will jam on ‘Headbanger Face Rip’ by Municipal Waste (Richmond), or perhaps it’ll be ‘Sick of You’ from GWAR (Richmond). Or maybe ‘Laid to Rest’ by Lamb of God (Richmond). They could also play some Dave Matthews Band songs (Charlottesville). Just kidding. They better not!
  • Don’t expect any deep-cut, rarely played songs. Metallica tends to cater its setlist to whatever crowd it’s playing to, and I’m sure Hokie Nation wants to hear the hits. Obviously, we’ll hear ‘Enter Sandman.’ Also expect to hear: ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ ‘One,’ ‘Master of Puppets,’ ‘Seek and Destroy,’ ‘Creeping Death,’ ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ and ‘Sad But True.’
  • Also expect two or three songs from Metallica’s 2023 album, ‘72 Seasons.’ The band has also played an instrumental song at almost every show on this tour, so don’t be surprised if we get ‘Orion’ or ‘The Call of Ktulu.’ (‘Orion’ is one of my favorite Metallica songs, by the way.) I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘The Memory Remains’ or ‘Fuel’ also make their way onto the setlist.
 
  • My friend, George, designed a VERY special shirt just for the two of us. No, it’s not on sale anywhere. Yes, that is a HokieBird skull. Yes, those are two turkey legs like the ones sold in Lane Stadium. Virginia Fuel is the local chapter of the MetClub (Metallica’s official fan club) of which George and I are both members, and ‘Hokier than thou’ is a reference to Metallica’s song ‘Holier Than Thou.’
  • For each show/city, Metallica has unique guitar picks. After the show, the members of Metallica will throw out a bunch of guitar picks to the crowd. For those of you in general admission or the Snake Pit, try to get yourself one!
Metallica's guitar picks for the 72 Seasons Tour.
Metallica's guitar picks through the years. Will there be a special one for the Virginia Tech show?
  • Unique show posters: Metallica always has an artist create a unique show poster for each concert. If you want to get one, make sure you buy them as soon as doors open because they sell out fast and will only be available via secondary markets (with prices way above market value). I’m hoping the show poster for the Virginia Tech concert features the HokieBird and Lane Stadium.
Some examples of Metallica's unique posters for each show and city.
  • Metallica Pop-Up Store and other local events: Be sure to bookmark this link for the Metallica 72 Seasons Tour Map. At each city, it adds a pop-up store that has exclusive merch, scavenger hunts and other events.

Other Odds & Ends

  • When Metallica’s 2025 North American tour was announced — “14 North American Cities, 18 Shows In The Round, 2 Festival Stops, 1 Unforgettable Tour” — I wanted to chime in with, “Um... It’s technically 13 North American cities and 1 North American town!"
  • Tickets for the Virginia Tech concert were the fastest-selling of Metallica’s 2025 North American Tour. In a March interview done by Tech Sideline’s own Andy Bitter with Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, Andy wrote, “The [Metallica] show could be a tryout for future concerts coming to Lane Stadium. The response was overwhelming for this one, with Babcock saying Live Nation told Virginia Tech that the Blacksburg stop was the fastest-selling show on the tour, moving 75,000 tickets in no time.” Note: Lane Stadium’s capacity for a football game is 65,632.
  • Kudos to Virginia Tech officials for planning this show on the last day of classes. Well done.
  • In retrospect, the Virginia Tech-Metallica merch collaboration announced in August 2024 should have been the general public’s first clue that something else was in the works.
  • Rob Trujillo, Metallica’s bassist, used to be in Suicidal Tendencies, which is one of the opening acts, and Rob’s son, Tye, also happens to play bass for Suicidal Tendencies.
Jeff Holland with Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo in Park City, Utah, on January 25, 2006. (Jeff Holland)
  • Will Metallica will enter through the tunnel as it makes its way to the stage just like the Virginia Tech football team does? If so, should the band enter the field/stage to ‘Enter Sandman’ as well?
  • I’m really hoping the crowd will start some chants in between songs. Perhaps a “Let’s go, Hokies!” cheer, but slightly altered to welcome our special guests. “Let’s go, Metallica!”
  • Just thinking about how loud the crowd will be singing along to ‘Enter Sandman’ is giving me chills.
  • I hope Metallica and their crew get a chance to visit the April 16 Memorial.
  • The show in Blacksburg will be Metallica’s 15th time playing in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the first since 2009. It’s played in Roanoke (4 — 1989, 1992, 1997, 2004), Hampton (3 — 1986, 1992, 1997), Norfolk (2 — 1989, 2004), Richmond (2 — 1989, 1992), Bristow (1 — 1998), Virginia Beach (1 — 1998) and Charlottesville (1 — 2009).

Final Thoughts

I’m very grateful and appreciative of being alive right now to finally see the day Metallica plays at Virginia Tech. If you wait long enough, some dreams do come true.

Many thanks to Will Stewart for letting me write one more article for Tech Sideline. I guess I need to update my writing experience on my LinkedIn page to “Tech Sideline columnist, (1999-2001, 2025)."

When I texted Will about wanting to write this story after the concert was announced, his response was, “Sure, sounds like fun.” It sure does, and no need to pay me for this article. This one’s on the house.

See everyone in Lane Stadium on May 7.

It’s off to never, never land…

Jeff Holland with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. (Metallica)

For more information about the Metallica show at Lane Stadium on Wednesday, May 7, from general information to parking and ticketing, click here.