When Metallica announced their “No Repeat Weekend” tour, featuring two nights with completely different setlists, I was immediately intrigued. This concept would give me the chance to hear every popular Metallica song live. I hesitated when they announced a weekend show at MetLife Stadium for the summer of 2023. Although travel was easy for the NY date, something held me back. My usual indecisiveness and fear of committing to the expense. As the dates passed, I regretted not pulling the trigger. So when the Philly weekend rolled around, I decided not to make the same mistake twice. I grabbed tickets l and it was absolutely worth it. Interestingly, I had told Danny weeks before that I wanted to see Limp Bizkit live, but their current tour dates weren’t working for me. Lo and behold, they were on the lineup for night one of this upcoming Metallica tour. Sometimes, things happen the way they are meant to!
I woke up at 9am to prepare for our trip to Philly for the Metallica weekend. By 11:00am, I was ready, having eaten a bagel and packed my things. We then ordered an Uber to Moynihan Hall to catch our Amtrak train to Philly. Before boarding, we stopped at a drugstore to stock up on toiletries. I was also excited to find Cherry Pepsi Zero in the wild. It's the little things lol. We've become quite proficient at getting to the front of the boarding line since I always worry about finding seats. Luckily, we were among the first to board the train. Once we arrived in Philly, the Uber surge charge was super frustrating, with rideshares costing three times more than usual just to reach our hotel. I decided to stay at the Marriott in Old City, where we typically stay, as it's conveniently located near all the places we like to go to in the city.
We managed to check in early, which was a big relief. We headed to Campo’s to grab food before the concert because I had been craving an Italian hero, which is surprisingly difficult to find in our area of Brooklyn. The wall there was nice as the weather felt petfect. I was hoping the rain would hold off, as little to no rain was on the forecast for the evening. Upon returning, I began preparing for the concert. I encountered a crisis with my makeup. My eyeliner appeared to be older than I realized, or perhaps I had mistakenly grabbed an old one I should have thrown out. It just wouldn’t cooperate. Additionally, my concealer was also giving me hell. I’m not sure if it's old or what, but it was blending poorly and made my complexion look too orange. I definitely need to get my eyeliner and concealer situation in order. This is the result of my not using makeup for a while. I felt like throwing everything in frustration and calling myself an ugly beast because GIRL, I was STRUGGLING. As a result, we ended up running a bit late. LOL. Just girly things.
We ordered an Uber around 5:30. The show was starting at 6:00, so I was stressed about missing Ice Nine Kills. However, getting into Lincoln Financial Field was surprisingly quick and easy. They didn’t even check our bags. We just went straight through the security detector. By the time we found our seats, they were midway through their second song, so we didn’t miss much, thank GOD. Our Uber driver on the way to the venue was hilarious. He was playing Russian dance music, and I loved how passionate he was about it. It was funny when he discovered we liked metal and were going to see Metallica. Danny assured him that we enjoyed other genres as well, not just rock. I always love a good dance song!
Our seats offered a decent view of the field, although the tower in front of us raised our concern that it might block our view of the circular stage. However, as the night progressed, that wasn't the case. It was hard to see much of Ice Nine Kills, but I think that was due to their positioning on stage. We saw Art the Clown (a fake David Howard Thorton lol) come out during "A Work of Art" and watched as he spun a baby around his head. At one point, he even got on the drum kit during the song. LOL. Funny enough, I found myself enjoying their song "Rainy Day." Usually, I’m a tougher critic of Ice Nine Kills and think I should start giving their music more of a chance to see if I like it, rather than being such a hater. Hearing a band perform live sometimes makes me more interested in listening to their music. You’d think I'd love a band like Ice Nine Kills since I'm obsessed with horror, but as a metal fan, I struggle with metalcore and the vocal techniques used by many of these bands.
Set List:
- Ex-Mørtis
- Rainy Day
- Meat & Greet
- Walking on Sunshine (cover)
- A Work of Art
- Hip to Be Scared
- Wurst Vacation
- The American Nightmare
- Welcome to Horrorwood
Turns out, I still love this band as much as I did when I was a teenager. The moment they stepped on stage, I was incredibly hyped throughout their entire set. Their performance brought me back to a time when I was discovering a lot of new music in my younger years. Unfortunately, midway through "Nookie," it started pouring rain. I was frustrated because I was convinced it wouldn’t rain, so naturally, I wasn’t wearing a raincoat or prepared for wet weather. LOL. It didn’t just drizzle either, the rain came down hard. Luckily, at a concert, you tend to care less about getting rained on. I was too absorbed in the music to worry about how wet we were getting, but I was hoping it would eventually stop. The rain seemed to affect DJ Lethal’s equipment, which stopped working halfway through the set, and Wes Borland appeared to encounter some difficulties as well. Despite all of us getting soaked, it was still an entertaining performance.
I was a little disappointed that Limp Bizkit didn’t play "Rearranged." Nonetheless, out of all their songs, I think they had a pretty solid setlist filled with my favorites. They did break "Break Stuff" twice, which I thought was funny since I’ve heard they do that for some reason. I would definitely see Limp Bizkit again, considering how much fun I had, and hopefully, next time we won’t get rained on! As a side note, I’ve only been to two stadium concerts in my life, and both times it rained. The first time was when I went to see Rammstein. I’m not sure why I have such luck with rain when I’m at an outdoor venue. Oh well, I did my best to manifest no rain. The weather this weekend was great… not too hot and not too cold. Overall it was very comfortable. Unfortunately, getting rained on makes you colder later in the evening. I couldn't for an obnoxiously hot shower when we got back to the hotel.
Set List:
- My Way
- Nookie
- Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)
- Break Stuff
- Hot Dog
- Eat You Alive
- My Generation
- Take a Look Around
- Faith
- Break Stuff
Next, we waited for Metallica! Even though I didn’t know as many of the songs they played that night, I still loved watching them perform live. They genuinely have incredible production value in their shows. I was worried that one of the towers in front of us might block our view, but Metallica moved around the stage during their performance, so there were moments when we had a clear view from our seats. We could still see them when they shifted to the other side for different songs, though I couldn’t get a great shot with my camera. Overall, the set was still unforgettable. Interestingly, I think I know the newer songs from their album "72 Seasons” more than some of their older songs that I probably should have known better! I’ve listened to most of that album, and I don’t think it’s bad at all. I know Metallica has faced criticism for the records that came after the Black album, but I genuinely enjoyed some of the songs and was happy to hear them live. I’m not sure how the more seasoned and hardcore Metallica fans feel about it though.
Set List:
- Creeping Death
- Harvester of Sorrow
- Holier Than Thou
- King Nothing
- 72 Seasons
- If Darkness Had a Son
- Kirk and Rob Doodle
- The Day That Never Comes
- Cyanide
- Orion
- Nothing Else Matters
- Sad but True
- Fight Fire with Fire
- Fuel
- Seek & Destroy
- Master of Puppets
Set List:
- You Can't Bring Me Down
- Institutionalized
- Subliminal
- Adrenaline Addict
- Pledge Your Allegiance
- Cyco Vision
- How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
That said, it was a unique opportunity to see them live. I probably wouldn’t have pursued if they weren’t on a lineup with Metallica. I don’t have a deep connection to their music, so I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see them again under different circumstances. It’s also hard to ignore the controversy surrounding frontman Phil Anselmo. His past actions and statements, which include racist gestures and associations with white supremacy symbols, have always casted a shadow over the band. Also, I detest the “Dime-scheme” Rebel guitars because I hate the Confederate flag so much lol. Some people argue he’s apologized and moved on, the baggage still lingers, especially for those of us who aren't diehard fans.
One of the highlights of the night was watching Zakk Wylde shred on the guitar. Seeing him in person is something else. He’s built like a Viking, towering over the stage with these massive arms, swinging a guitar like it weighs nothing. When he launched into one of his signature solos, the energy changed. His playing is raw, fast, and chaotic. He plays like he’s trying to split the Earth in half lol. I’m glad I saw them once, especially during a massive Metallica show. I also have to point out that Phil Anselmo performed barefoot the whole time. What a redneck lol. It’s wild to think that Pantera might have remained a forgettable glam hair metal band in the '80s if Phil Anselmo hadn’t come around.
Set List:
- A New Level
- Mouth for War
- Strength Beyond Strength
- Becoming
- I'm Broken
- 5 Minutes Alone
- This Love
- Fucking Hostile
- Walk
- Domination/Hollow
- Cowboys From Hell
Metallica’s second night in Philly was electrifying from the start. The crowd was buzzing with raw energy. I was lucky to finally hear so many Metallica songs I love live including “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Wherever I May Roam,” “One,” and especially “The Unforgiven,” my favorite Metallica song. Hearing that song live was an emotional experience.
I still can’t believe I finally heard “Enter Sandman” live. Surreal. The second those opening riffs hit, the place erupted. It was total chaos. People were shouting every word, while giant beach balls were flying everywhere. It was loud, wild, hilarious, and somehow emotional. I was also hoping for “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” which would have been the perfect setlist for me. But honestly, if that’s my only live experience, I’d be satisfied. I got to truly feel their sound, energy, and connection live… and it was everything I hoped for. An unforgettable night I’ll never forget!
Set List:
- Whiplash
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Ride the Lightning
- The Memory Remains
- Lux Æterna
- Screaming Suicide
- Kirk and Rob Doodle
- Fade to Black
- Wherever I May Roam
- The Call of Ktulu
- The Unforgiven
- Whiskey in the Jar (cover)
- Blackend
- Month Into Flame
- One
- Enter Sandman
I had an incredibly fun weekend in Philly. Surprisingly, Metallica has become one of my favorite concerts I’ve seen live. It was the perfect escape from daily stresses, especially since I’m unsure when I’ll have another opportunity for a vacation.
Check out the cool shots Danny took during the shows! He was able to bring in a normal lens since Lincoln Financial doesn't seem to have super strict camera rules unlike every other venue we've been to for a concert. Sometimes you get lucky at stadium shows!
Post a Comment