5/8/25 Page 6
On May 7, 2025, very longtime HardRadio friends METALLICA headlined Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA. The highly anticipated concert wasn't just a performance; it was a seismic event, reports Chris Oberholtz of FOX Weather. The opening chords of "Enter Sandman" have long been an electrifying and familiar soundtrack to football games, igniting a synchronized surge of jumping and cheering. This tradition reached unprecedented levels Wednesday night in Blacksburg, as the estimated 60,000-strong crowd's collective energy remarkably culminated in unusual seismic readings. The Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory (VTSO) recorded ground tremors generated by the concert's immense energy. The peak coincided precisely with the band's iconic performance of "Enter Sandman". VTSO Director Martin Chapman confirmed to FOX Weather that their seismograph, situated approximately one mile from Lane Stadium, clearly registered the ground motion produced by the enthusiastic audience. While the seismic activity dubbed the "Metallica Quake" posed no danger, it was too minor to register on the Richter scale or be assigned a rating, the FOX Forecast Center said. Partial video of the event can be seen below:
