San Francisco Mayor London Breed Proclaims 'Metallica Day' to Kick Off 40th Anniversary 'Takeover'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Members of iconic Bay Area band Metallica on Thursday appeared with San Francisco Mayor London Breed at the Chase Center for an official proclamation commemorating the first 40 years of the influential group.
Metallica drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo appeared onstage with the mayor and Another Planet Entertainment President Gregg Perloff for the press event where the proclamation was made.
Mayor Breed praised the band for its importance to San Francisco and the Bay Area, pointing out that even though they can sell out large venues like the Chase Center where they will be playing their two 40th anniversary shows this Friday and Sunday, the band also maintains its ties to the community by playing much smaller venues like the Independent on Divisadero Street as they did for a surprise concert last September.
"When you talk about San Francisco, you talk about cable cars and then you talk about Metallica," said Breed. "And on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco, I want to officially declare today Metallica Day."
Last month, the band announced that in addition to the two sold-out Chase Center concerts, it would be curating a series of "San Francisco Takeover" events to help mark the group's 40th Anniversary.
The list of associated events will include a free block party in the Mission on Valencia Street between 15th and 17th streets starting at 5 p.m. Thursday. There will also be whiskey tastings, concerts, a film festival featuring Metallica-focused films at the AMC Kabuki and several events involving band photographer Ross Halfin and the release of a new photo book focused on the band's self-titled 1991 "Black Album." That effort marked its 30th anniversary this year and recently got a deluxe box set treatment and remastered reissue.
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Live music will be a major part of of the Takeover festivities, with no less than five additional concerts being held at venues across the city including August Hall, the Fillmore, the Chapel and Bimbo's 365 Club. Among the acts performing are punk band White Reaper, who are headlining the kick-off party at August Hall on Dec. 16, and the Wedding Band -- a covers act featuring Metallica members Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo, drummer Joey Castillo (ex-Queens of the Stone Age, Danzig), Death Angel singer Mark Osegueda, and Bad Wolves/ex-God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle -- which headlines the Fillmore Dec. 17.
Trujillo's son Tye plays two shows with his metal band OTTTO at the Starlight Lounge in Oakland on Dec. 16 and the Chapel on Dec. 18. Meanwhile jazz saxophonist Kamasai Washington and DJ Dials appear at August Hall and Bimbo's hosts a night of cover bands with ...And Tributes For All! A Celebration of Metallica with the groups Damage Inc., Motorbreath and Sandman. More information on the events can be found at the Metallica website.
