Music

Bowling with Lars? Metallica announces side events in its Minneapolis ‘takeover’ weekend

The metal kings are playing two shows at U.S. Bank Stadium in August, with a night off in between for other fun.

July 11, 2024 at 2:01PM
James Hetfield, left, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica performed in Philadelphia on their WorldWired Tour in 2018, also the last year they played in the Twin Cities. (Owen Sweeney)

When their two-night stand at U.S. Bank Stadium in August 2024 was announced way back in 2022 — with a night off between those two concerts — Metallica promised there would be other events for fans to make it a banging weekend all around in Minneapolis.

On Thursday, the metal gods finally announced what those other to-dos will be.

Billed as the “Metallica Takeover,” the festivities happening in the Twin Cities around the Aug. 16 and 18 stadium concerts will include movie screenings, concerts by Bastardane (featuring sons of two Metallica band members) and the tribute band And One for All, a photo exhibit, ax-throwing, a “Name That Tune” competition and even that most metalheaded of pastimes, bowling.

In every city on their M72 World Tour, Metallica’s members — now in the 59-61 age range — are taking one night off to catch their breath between their two high-adrenaline in-the-round shows. They are promising entirely different set lists each night (no repeats!), and different openers are scheduled, too (Pantera and Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH on Aug. 16, then Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills on Aug. 18). Tickets have sold well, but many are still available via Ticketmaster for as little as $55, plus fees.

Fans don’t have to rest up on that Saturday night, though. There happens to be another big rock concert at Minneapolis’ other sports stadium on Aug. 17: Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins and Rancid at Target Field. For fans wanting to stick in Metallicaville, though, here’s the rundown sent out by Live Nation listing all the related events in town. Ticket info can be had via the Minneapolis show link at metallica.com.

The ticket money from these events, by the way, goes to Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, benefitting a wide range of causes, including technical colleges and food-shelf programs.

  • Bowling Takeover at Memory Lanes, 2520 26th Av. S, Minneapolis, 3-6 p.m. Bowling with 93X and a live performance by Metallica cover band And One for All on the lanes at 8 p.m. This is a non-ticketed event.
  • “The Black Album in Black & White” with Photographer Ross Halfin, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Av. S, 2-5 p.m. Tickets are required.
  • Bastardane & OTTTO, Varsity Theater, 1308 SE 4th St., Minneapolis, 7 p.m. Live concert featuring Castor Hetfield (son of Metallica frontman James Hetfield) and Tye Trujillo (son of bassist Rob Trujillo). Tickets are $19 via livenation.com.
  • Metallica Film Fest, Riverview Theater, 3800 42nd Av. S, Minneapolis, beginning at 11 a.m. Screenings of “Cliff ‘Em All,” “Cunning Stunts” and “Orgullo, Pasion Y. Gloria: Tres Notes En La Ciudad De Mexico.” Tickets are required.
  • Metallica Takeover at Smash Park, 1721 County Road C West, Roseville, 7-11 p.m. Free ax-throwing and a Metallica “Name That Tune” contest to win tickets to U.S. Bank Stadium. This is a non-ticketed event.

Chris Riemenschneider

Columnist/Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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