Musical Thursday: Metallica, Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Johnson, and Tago in Pittsburgh Concerts

1) Metallica has experienced ups and downs for over 35 years, a fact which makes how the band members are still  together and touring all the sweeter. Shortly before the band recorded its debut album, 1983’s Kill ’Em All, the other members fired Dave Mustaine, Metallica’s original lead guitarist, for his excessive substance abuse. (Mustaine later formed Megadeth.) The group’s third album, 1986’s Master of Puppets, was its first to go gold, but before it was certified as such, bassist Cliff Burton died in Sweden after a tour bus accident and rollover during which he was pinned under the bus. Metallica soldiered on with bassist Jason Newsted and somehow achieved even greater success with 1991’s multi-platinum The Black Album. By 2000, though, Metallica alienated some fans when it sued Napster for file-sharing. Then, four years later, the members were in therapy, as documented in the film Some Kind of Monster. All their trials and tribulations are (mostly) behind them, and Metallica comes to PPG Paints Arena. Their latest album is 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct. 7:30 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (CM)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO1sQPs3U8k

2) Lindsey Buckingham was a guitarist, singer, and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac from 1975 until this year when they wanted to go on tour and he did not. Too bad, but Buckingham is a top musician in his own right. With a distinctive lead guitar playing style (he picks the strings with his fingers and fingernails, eschewing a guitar pick) and good singing voice he will continue along for now with his solo career. As a solo artist Buckingham has released six studio albums and three live albums. Buckingham’s latest album, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, is a collaboration with his bandmate at the time, Christine McVie. The material was going to be included in a new Fleetwood Mac album, but with many delays they decided to release it as their own project in 2017. Buckingham will be releasing Solo Anthology: The Best of Lindsey Buckingham on October 5. Special guest is J.S. Ondara. 8 p.m. Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, 510 E. 10th St., Munhall.

3) Many great guitarists have participated in the G3, but Eric Johnson was one of the first. (Joe Satriani started the G3 Tour, a gathering of three top lead guitar virtuosos, in 1996. Steve Vai was the other inaugural member.) Johnson is also known for 1990’s Ah Via Musicom and its Grammy-award-winning single, “Cliffs of Dover.” He’ll play that album in its entirety at The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (RH, CM)

4) Tago: Korean Drum II is a U.S. premier piece for South Korea’s Tago production company. Tago means “Lighting Up the World by beating drums” and this show does just that with a mixture of traditional Korean drums and a hint of martial arts. Their show info says, “Korean drums play an important part in traditional Korean music – from folk music to royal court music, it’s an art that has been passed from generation to generation for hundreds of years. The music that Tago brings to the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts is the survivor from what has been handed down from the performers ancestors during their 5,000-year history.”  Co-presented: 2018-2019 Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents. This show is part of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts. 8 p.m. Byham Theater, 101 6th St. 

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