Virginia Tech fans go berzerk as Metallica plays their sacred anthem live

Wednesday night didn't disappoint in Blacksburg, to say the least.
Metallica perform For Whom The Bell Tolls during the second night of the M72 World Tour at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Sept. 9, 2023. Alex Gould/Special for The Republic
Metallica perform For Whom The Bell Tolls during the second night of the M72 World Tour at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Sept. 9, 2023. Alex Gould/Special for The Republic | Alex Gould / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the best, ok, I'll be a homer, the best entrance in college football in the fall is in Blacksburg when the Hokies make the walk in the tunnel and Enter Sandman starts over the speakers. It's electric, to say the least.

In what was a long time in the making, 25 years, Metallica took over Lane Stadium on Wednesday night with a concert that had been hyped up for a very long time. What was impressive was the way the stadium was changed over, which took weeks before the historic concert.

Once everything was all set to go, the magical night was set to begin.

Virginia Tech rocks out Lane Stadium during Metallica concert

The bands M72 World Tour took over Blacksburg and had Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies as the opening act. The concert drew 60,000-plus fans, which included the football coaching staff and head coach Brent Pry met with the band backstage to give them Virginia Tech gifts.

In the end, the crowd was waiting for one thing and one thing only: Enter Sandman. Metallica teased the Hokies fans and crowd with the song before closing out the night with an incredible rendition of the song, the way it happens on Saturdays in the fall in Blacksburg.

Things got so crazy that the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory said the jumping up and down set off the Richter Scale. Virginia Tech fans were waiting a long time for an electric night like they got Wednesday night, and the wait was worth it for the 60,000-plus in attendance. We are just four months away from hearing the iconic song when the Hokies take the field under Brent Pry on Sept. when they play their home opener against Vanderbilt.

For one night, it was a magical night that took too long to happen, and Virginia Tech fans and Metallica didn't disappoint.

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