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IRVINE, California – Los Angeles radio station KROQ held its annual Weenie Roast y Fiesta on Saturday and featured a who's-who of modern rock, including The Raconteurs, The Offspring, Bad Religion and Pennywise.



But make no mistake: This was a Metallica concert. Anytime the four horsemen of heavy metal arrive clad in black with riffs ingrained into the public consciousness galore and lyrical nods to hot rods, Ernest Hemingway and the Book of Exodus in tow, there is no question the night belongs to them. Without a new album in stores, music video, single or DVD collection to promote, the band delivered a set list culled almost exclusively from its first five albums.

It might not have been 1986, but the scene could have been 1991, thanks to James Hetfield's white Gibson Explorer and self-described "Satanic stage stance"; Kirk Hammett's impossibly tight black jeans, sneakers and guitar painted with Boris Karloff as Frankenstein; and Lars Ulrich standing up to hit his crash cymbals and spitting beer onto his gold Tama kit. That unmistakable intro music — "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" composer Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold"— announced the band's arrival, with the stomping opening notes of "Creeping Death" providing quick assurance that the day's heat was well worth suffering through.

Two songs from Reload and the presence of bass player Robert Trujillo, who has the longest hair of anyone in the crew, were the only two things separating Metallica from their commercial Black Album peak. Kirk's "look" has slipped backward in time (in a good way), as has Lars', and James has aged gracefully into a slightly rockabilly version of the ferocious lion frontman (not to mention his new tattoos, including one that has the word "faith" written in the Ford logo and a portrait of Jesus Christ). The set list rested mostly in the '80s and early '90s (there wasn't a single note from St. Anger, to the disappointment of nobody), and it all sounded wonderfully badass.

Which isn't to say that "Fuel," their second song of the night, wasn't welcome. It's easy to forget that the band's often unfairly maligned Load/Reload set sold millions of records and contained certifiable jams like "The Outlaw Torn" and "Bleeding Me." But hearing the crowd sing Marianne Faithfull's part from "The Memory Remains" at Weenie Roast was a quick reminder that several of those songs got played a lot on the radio across the country, especially in SoCal, and that they sound really good live.

But the night was all about the gazillion-selling Black Album ("Sad but True" remains possibly the heaviest song ever written); Master of Puppets ("Battery" and the title track sounded incredible as ever); that album's predecessor, Ride the Lightning (first-ever Metallica ballad "Fade to Black" could have been written yesterday, or anytime, the way it was performed); even a slight tease of the title track from ... And Justice for All before "The Unforgiven"; and, of course, "One," which bears the distinction as boasting the first video clip from the band that had famously said it would never make a video.

Metallica do whatever they want, of course (even when it involves high-fashion photos with Jonas Aukerland or disconnecting the snare drum for an entire Pro-Tools hodgepodge therapy session of an album), and that has always been their charm and their strength. The by-now-predictable Metallica confidence, elegance, statesmanship and professionalism was onstage at Weenie Roast, but more excitingly, the danger seems to have returned, as well as the fun. The guys were unhinged and having a blast.

Jason Newsted should be commended for putting more than a decade of his life into the Metallica monster, abandoning his own band Flotsam & Jetsam; punishing his body with intense physicality; putting up with constant hazing; shaking every hand he possibly could at the meet and greets; wearing Machine Head, Sacred Reich and Sepultura shirts onstage; and refusing to quit for many years despite the restrictions placed upon him regarding his numerous side projects. The guy simply doesn't get enough credit. But with that being said, Trujillo's fluid finger-picking and "in-the-pocket" rhythms are undeniably more in the spirit of the late great Cliff Burton, the bell-bottomed and Crimson Ghost-tattooed icon who was killed in a tour bus accident while on tour in Sweden in 1986. Sure, the former Suicidal Tendencies/Infectious Grooves /Ozzy bass player looks a bit goofy doing his "crab-walk" move and the "sick-Tribal, bro!" adorned basses have got to go, but the guy can shred, and the other three clearly enjoy his company.

Bands from Atreyu to Pennywise shouted out Metallica all day long, and members of Avenged Sevenfold, Bleeding Through and Every Time I Die were backstage braving the heat, presumably to catch a glimpse of the biggest of the thrash-metal "Big Four" (which, of course, included Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax back in the day) in all of their no-St.-Anger-songs-on-the-set list-glory.

Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel was also backstage. Slagel gave Metallica their break when he offered a slot on 1982's Metal Massacre I compilation to a teenage Ulrich, who promised he could get a band together and whip together something worthy of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts they both loved. And over 25 years later, Hetfield happily gave him credit once again, dedicating their final encore of the night, "Seek and Destroy," from their debut album, Kill 'Em All, to Slagel.

"Without him, this would not be possible," Hetfield said. The "this," of course, being the band's status as the biggest heavy metal band of all time.

Complete Metallica set list from Weenie Roast:

"The Ecstasy of Gold"
"Creeping Death"
"Fuel"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"The Unforgiven"
"Where I May Roam"
"Harvester of Sorrow"
"The Memory Remains"
"Fade to Black"
"Master of Puppets"
"Battery"
"Sad but True"
"One"
"Enter Sandman"
"So What!?"
"Seek and Destroy"

Metallica remain, perhaps, the best best live rock and roll band still out there.


[Metallica]

Jack White's Raconteurs couldn't hold a candle to Metallica's show, but they certainly gave it the old college try. White's vibe is a bit aloof, and connecting with the audience in any sort of obvious and visceral way has never seemed to be his concern, which hurt his "other" band at Weenie Roast. One has to remember that many of the folks who come out to a radio festival probably don't go to too many other shows throughout the year, if any. Nevertheless, his hipster Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin worship has its place, and definitely benefits from the presence of a fuller band and a drummer who can play more than simplistic thudding grooves.

The Offspring's greatest hits needed no introduction to the Weenie Roast crowd, who were treated to two new songs from the mega-million-selling band's forthcoming album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. It's still weird to see Dexter Holland, who doubles as owner of Nitro Records (the label that gave AFI their start), holding a guitar. "Hammerhead," one of the new songs, was well-received. But was "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)," one of the worst novelty hits ever from a band that didn't need one, necessary?

Daron Malakian's songwriting chops are undeniable. But it's hard not to imagine what Serj Tankian would have added to the proceedings while watching Scars on Broadway, whose lame lyrics leave a lot to be desired (watching shirtless bros sing along with "come eat some chemicals with me!" = major embarrassment shivers) and whose Pink Floyd jam-esque moments tend to meander. Malakian and System of a Down drummer John Dolyman (who also plays on Serj's solo record, Elect the Dead, which kind of tells us which two are having trouble getting along) have something cool brewing with Scars on Broadway, and their debut album, due this summer, will no doubt be interesting ... but it feels like less than the full-meal deal without System's frontman adding his spice to Daron's stew.


[Scars on Broadway]

Speaking of shirtless bros, they got their greatest moment when Pennywise trotted out their irrepressible "Freebird" à la "Bro Hymn." The chant throughout the anthem made the venue feel like a Manchester United soccer match. Guitarist Fletcher Dragge had plenty of things to say about the government and about the war ("F--- Authority" is still a ruling punk tune!) but made sure to let everyone know they love America. They just want the troops to come home.

What Pennywise offered in raw protest, Bad Religion supported with reasoned intellectual debate. Whether you agree with their atheistic modus operandi (I don't), there's no denying singer Greg Graffin's academic chops or guitarist Brett Gurewitz's, who in recent years plays third guitar for home shows only, impact on the scene as founder of Epitaph Records. Guitarist Brian Baker was in both Minor Threat and Dag Nasty for crying out loud, which more than negates his participation in hair-metal wannabes Junkyard (though Baker was wearing a Junkyard shirt at Weenie Roast). Bad Religion have some persistently memorable melodies. All of the pitch-corrected and auto-tuned brats fronting screamo bands could learn a thing or two about singing, let alone politics, from Bad Religion.

Atreyu opened the main stage with songs from their cleverly titled major-label debut, Lead Sails, Paper Anchor, and its Victory Records back catalog. It's no secret that the band's metalcore has softened in favor of more commercial-friendly fare, but Atreyu's momentum hasn't slowed and they still seem to be enjoying what they do ... probably even more than when they were kids coming up in the DIY hardcore community before Ozzfest and KROQ beckoned. Bass player Marc McKnight wandered into the crowd thanks to his wireless system, while frontman Alex Varkatzas left most of the melodic singing to drummer Brandon Saller, providing the closest thing to an Eagles-esque moment of the day.

Atreyu proved worthy of the main stage opening slot, though The Bravery boasted what one KROQ DJ called "the biggest second stage crowd I've ever seen at Weenie Roast," topping a bill that included MGMT and Flobots and a day that began with KROQ personality "Psycho" Mike gleefully punishing the early comers with his unique brand of bottom-dwelling humor set to music.