Metallica Fans Rock Virginia Tech Stadium — Literally — with Seismic Encore
Metallica shook more than just the stage during their May 7 performance at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium — they shook the earth itself.
As over 60,000 fans roared and jumped to the iconic opening riffs of “Enter Sandman,” the excitement registered as a minor seismic event at Virginia Tech’s Seismological Observatory, located a mile away. Though the movement didn’t even hit a 1 on the Richter scale, it was enough to earn the nickname “The Metallica Quake,” marking a thunderous end to their encore.
According to Virginia Tech’s news site, the heavy metal legends — James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo — delivered a powerful performance that echoed the Hokies’ long-standing tradition of blasting “Enter Sandman” before home football games.
Currently on their M72 World Tour in support of their latest album, 72 Seasons, Metallica is joined by acts like Pantera, Limp Bizkit, and Ice Nine Kills. The tour rolls through the U.S. into June, promising more earth-shaking nights.
The Metallica Quake joins a growing list of concerts with seismic side effects — Taylor Swift fans similarly shook stadiums during her 2023 Eras Tour. One thing’s clear: rock and roll can still move mountains — or at least stadiums.
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Photo Credit: Yulia Grigoryeva / Shutterstock.com
