The last time a rock or metal band performed on the T-Mobile Stage at Lollapalooza was the Foo Fighters’ closing set in 2021, which was their final performance in Chicago before drummer Taylor Hawkins’ unexpected death earlier this year.
Although Hawkins wasn’t specifically acknowledged, the appreciation for still having titanic rock icons in their prime and performing well persisted as Metallica took the stage.
For the most devoted and even the most apathetic followers, Metallica has always been sort of like the Kleenex of metal; a name that has come to stand for an idea. The “Metallica family” came out in droves, but what was different this time were the newcomers.
Hetfield made an effort to welcome the new youngsters at Lollapalooza while also catering to their needs. With a barrage of their biggest hits, the band launched into its performance. After “Whiplash,” “Creeping Death” was played, then “Enter Sandman,” “The Memory Remains,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Nothing Else Matters.”
Hetfield made a joke about not knowing what else the crowd wanted to hear by the halfway point of the Lollapalooza performance. That was obviously untrue because “Sad But True,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” and “Seek & Destroy” would all appear much later.
The band finished with “Master of Puppets,” which was made popular again by “Stranger Things,” and fireworks, almost twenty minutes late.