Twin Cities to reach maximum rock ’n’ roll level with four stadium concerts over next four days

To paraphrase U2′s guitarist the Edge: It might get loud in the Twin Cities this weekend.

And crowded. And expensive.

In a swelling of concert fans not seen since (Taylor) Swiftmania hit town last summer, Minneapolis will welcome an unprecedented run of four stadium rock concerts happening four nights in a row, Friday to Monday. There’s a sold-out rock show at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday, too.

All told, nearly 200,000 tickets will be scanned among these five concerts, each defying industry projections that the post-pandemic boom enjoyed by many touring artists 2022-23 could be going bust. At least some of rock’s old reliables are still packing them in.

Leading the pack in this case is Metallica, whose first of two in-the-round performances at U.S. Bank Stadium is scheduled Friday. Then comes a Target Field doubleheader with Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins on Saturday, the same night red-hot “Too Sweet” singer Hozier is at the X.

Then Metallica performs again Sunday at the Vikings’ stadium, and the Twins’ ballpark hosts Def Leppard, Journey and the Steve Miller Band on Monday.

“We’re excited to host these two shows and help create an epic weekend of rock in Minneapolis,” Twins business communications director Matt Hodson said of Target Field’s part in the musical melee.

Because the concerts are each spread out over different nights with no competing sporting events downtown — both venues’ mid-August availability hinges on the Twins and Vikings playing out of town — Hodson said the stadium’s staffers and partners in public safety are planning for “nothing dramatically different” in terms of traffic, parking or access to the ballpark.

Rock fans heading to multiple shows might have to do a little extra planning, though.

“I am definitely going to need to pace myself,” said Jayson Wold of Minneapolis, who is headed to both Metallica gigs as well as the Green Day/Pumpkins show sandwiched in between.

“I’m going with a different person for all three shows. I think I’m the only one either brave or stupid enough to do it.”

Wold figures he has already spent about $800 on this weekend’s tickets and will spend more on band merch. But it’s the physical toll he’s worried about, especially because he’s going to be in the standing, general admission pit areas two of the nights.

“Monday is going to be tough,” he said, but then paraphrased a Warren Zevon lyric recently quoted by Gov. Tim Walz on the campaign trail: “I can sleep when I’m dead.”

Speaking of sleep, out-of-town fans may have an extra challenge finding affordable hotel rooms to crash in around these concerts.

“This is going to be a really good weekend for our Minneapolis hotels,” said Kathy McCarthy, communications director at Meet Minneapolis.

Both the Hilton and Canopy by Hilton in downtown Minneapolis are reporting their rooms are sold-out this weekend, while the W Minneapolis in the Foshay Tower is at 90% capacity, according to Meet Minneapolis representatives.

News like that is music to John Drum’s ears. Pointing back to last year’s Swift concerts and country singer Morgan Wallen’s pair in June, U.S. Bank Stadium’s general manager said weekend-long concert affairs like Metallica’s continue a trend of Minneapolis “welcoming fans from all over the Upper Midwest and North America.”

“Live entertainment has always been a catalyst for activity in downtown, and we believe it has been a major factor in the revitalization of this community in the last few years,” Drum said.

One possible danger from this particular run of concerts, though — literally the “downside” to the situation — is the fact that both U.S. Bank Stadium and Target Field will have to cover the grass and turf on their fields with protective flooring one more night than usual. Each venue has hosted two-night stands before, but this weekend’s two concert pairs are uniquely spread out over three nights.

Representatives from both stadiums shrugged off those concerns, citing their field crew’s well-rooted experience following several increasingly bustling years of being in the concert business.

“A well-orchestrated plan is in place to reset and prepare the facility,” Drum said.

“We always take care to ensure that the field is as protected as possible,” said Hodson, who couldn’t help but cite one factor the Twins’ outdoor venue has over the Vikings’ indoor venue: More gorgeous summer weather is in the forecast for this weekend.

“There’s nothing better than sitting outside at Target Field on a beautiful summer night and singing along with 40,000-plus people to some of the best acts in rock,” Hodson enthused.

What about getting seats if you don’t already have them? At press time, only limited seats remained on Ticketmaster to the Green Day/Pumpkins show, ranging in price from $93 to $193 (the pricier sections had more availability). Many more seats were available to the Journey/Def Leppard pairing, priced from $77 to $767.

At U.S. Bank Stadium, Ticketmaster’s offerings for Metallica mostly included only “verified resale” two-night passes, priced $90-$2,000, but more single-night tickets were available, priced $55-$185. The Hozier concert at Xcel Center was listed as sold-out.