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Metallica, the biggest Bay Area band of all time, is set to open the new Chase Center in San Francisco.
The band, which has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, will rock the new home of the Warriors on Sept. 6, long before Steph Curry and company play their first official game in the 18,064-seat venue. And Metallica, consisting of vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo, will will be joined by an old friend — the San Francisco Symphony, led by Michael Tilson Thomas, in his final season as orchestra conductor.
The Chase Center opening show was announced during a press conference Monday (March 18) at the Chase Center, with Hetfield, Ulrich and MTT in attendance.
The performance not only celebrates the opening of the new building but also the 20th anniversary of Metallica and the Symphony’s groundbreaking collaboration of 1999, which produced the Grammy-winning live album “S&M.”
The original “S&M” live dates, which took place at the Berkeley Community Theatre, have become the stuff of legend over the years. So, without a doubt, this is a big score for Chase, which could have probably just booked Maroon 5 or any other bland touring act as an opener and called it a day.
“We wanted to do something that would be unique to the Bay Area. Something that would only happen here and no where else in the world,” says Rick Welts, Warriors president.
The show isn’t even part of a larger tour. This is a special one-off for the Chase opener.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. March 22. See chasecenter.com for details.
The Metallica/Symphony show was the first step in what organizers are calling “Reveal Week,” with plans to announce seven more events/concerts at the Chase this week.
Show announcements will also be made on the venue’s website at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. March 19; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. March 20; and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. March 21.
The final Reveal Week announcement takes place at a press conference at Chase Center at 4 p.m. March 22. That press conference will also be livestreamed at chasecenter.com and broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The venue will host concerts, cultural events, family shows, and convention activities, totaling nearly 200 events a year. The 11-acre site will also include two office buildings and 29 retail outlets.
Metallica is in the midst of a multi-year world tour in support of its excellent 10th studio album, 2016’s “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.” The group performed at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in December.
