He really wanted to understand why we tour and what makes us tick, and by the end of the day he understood us better. It’s a combination of the band and the new cities, but it’s truly about the Metallica Family. Jim is part of it now, another one of us. He will always be family. Hell you only need to show up to one concert and you are family for life.

When the “Black Ticket” became available, I had no idea what my itinerary would look like, but I knew it was a must have. And that metal ticket has opened up the United States to me in a way I could never have imagined.

So What! spends an evening at Chez Ulrich learning exactly how Stone Brewing – and Enter Night Pilsner – came to be.

This was all it threatened to potentially be. A special night, one for the ages that turned up not just a fantastic collection of performances but also allowed many on both sides of the stage a chance to properly grieve the tragic, senseless passing of Chris Cornell and celebrate his enormous life and talent.

Kirk Hammett is currently in his trusty VW camper, toodling along a Hawaiian road, eyeing the surf and knowing he is fully prepared for whatever might need to go down in the next few hours (he maintains a stash of gear for various activities). To that extent, asking him to cast his mind back over three decades ago could well be asking a lot. But Kirk is always able to slip effortlessly into whatever conversational mode is required, and within minutes we find ourselves reflecting on all things Justice with the Hawaiian scenery temporarily forgotten.

This leg has been something else for me. Many good times, many smiles, many unexpected things as well. I look at pictures now, and I think that both today and 20 years from now, those pictures and memories will be something very special, a once in a lifetime opportunity we got to take and enjoy with family.

I arrived in the driveway Thursday morning. I sat in the car, trying to wrap my head around the events of the previous three weeks. In many ways, it seemed like a dream… a glorious dream. I had driven nearly 7,000 miles on a path that spanned fourteen states, nine of which I had not previously visited.

No matter how many times I see the band play “One” I am always mesmerized at how one band can transform and dominate an arena of this size. The bombs and machine gun fire at the beginning, followed by James’ beautiful clean intro, with Kirk adding the slow solos that can give anyone goosebumps.

We are witness to an awesome setlist, including a very tasty “Through the Never,” the always excellent “Halo on Fire,” an appropriately fiery “Fight Fire with Fire” and much more. Even with as consistently high as Metallica sets the bar live, which I think we fans tend to take for granted, sometimes you can tell one of the guys is having an extra good night; as though he picked up a Super Mario Bros. star and is running invincible. Tonight seems to belong to Kirk – it’s on his face, it’s in his leads, and it’s really cool to see.

Of all the band perspectives to receive on the "…And Justice for All" album, Robert Trujillo’s was always going to be the most unique by design. He is a bassist. There was no bass to speak of on the album. He heard it first as a fan. He helped re-energize the material when he joined the band some 15 years after it was released.

We ALL wonder “how” to help the homeless. We ALL wonder “how” to help feed or clothe or just offer something. Sarah Gustafson explains it’s really much easier than you think.

When I last left you all, I was in South Dakota yelling in the direction of Mr. Ulrich’s face. Six weeks have passed, and fellow Black Ticket Roamer Jameson and I are up at 3:30 am to make our 6:00 am flight to Philadelphia.

Leg two was short for me, tough on the sleep and work, but as always, it’s all worth it.

Sunday morning, I drove to Niagara Falls for the first time and walked over five miles checking out the fall foliage, the waterfalls, and Metallica fans from Central/South America walking around showing of their proud battle vests. A fist bump and a smile and we were on our way, acknowledging our mutual respect for each other and love of a band that has brought us together, when so much in this world tries to divide us.

There was a point when it occurred to me (while hanging out with the guys from Ecuador after the Penn State show) that I am travelling around the country meeting the entire world and this is perhaps, the greatest thing I’ve experienced in my life.

The news about Dave Pickerell’s passing was both tragic and unexpected. That he packed lives into a life is no consolation; the world was not ready to lose Dave Pickerell. In getting some insights into the man and his sojourns, you will understand just why so many people beyond his Metallica and Blackened family are finding Dave’s loss especially difficult.

In sitting down to speak with Jason about the …Justice…era, the challenge was not how much we would find to talk about, but how much we would leave on the table for future discussions.

As September 2nd approached, I found myself increasingly anxious. I had tried for months to imagine in every way possible the journey I was about to begin, but to no avail. I had seen many Metallica shows before, but this would be different due to the nature of what my “Black Ticket” offered. I knew that I would be meeting many new people and others that I have met only in cyberspace. I also knew that I would be afforded the opportunity to get to know them well, through repeated encounters. The concept intrigued me.