Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Anthrax Rock New Jersey
Second night at Sports Illustrated Stadium was a night to remember
For two nights on Labor Day Weekend, metal fans from across the Tri-State Area gathered together at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, for one of the greatest triple bills in heavy metal history.
Iron Maiden, with superstar openers Megadeth and Anthrax, performed at Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of American soccer’s New York Red Bulls, in Harrison, New Jersey, for nearly 25,000 fans each night — kids, parents and grandparents alike in attendance together alongside the multitude of metal lifers peppered amongst them.
I came to the second show with my 13-year-old son Ben, who thoroughly enjoyed all three bands despite having minimal knowledge of their respective catalogs. However, each group performed fantastic primers for young fans like him, largely sticking to material from each of their classic eras with complete dedication to fan service at this stage in their respective careers.
Anthrax, though playing a shorter set at only seven songs, made every second count, ripping through such classics as “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” “Antisocial,” Joe Jackson’s “Got The Time” and “Indians.” They even threw in the new single “It’s For The Kids” from their forthcoming studio album Cursum Perficio, which based on an early listen serves as a formidable follow-up to 2016’s For All Kings. I saw Anthrax with Public Enemy, Primus and Young Black Teenagers exactly 35 years ago as a high school senior. Anthrax kicked ass then and they kick ass now. Looking forward to these guys doing their own headlining tour.
Megadeth, currently in the throes of a long farewell tour in support of their excellent, eponymous final album, was a band that has been on my personal concert bucket list since I missed them on the 1991 Clash of the Titans Tour with Slayer, Anthrax and Alice in Chains. So in many ways I was a little more psyched to see Dave Mustaine and co. play than Anthrax and Maiden, who I got to see live already. The only song from the new album they played was the opening cut “Tipping Point” at the start of their set. After that, the band played banger after banger from such classic albums as Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying, Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. They even broke out the Peace Sells cut “Devils Island” as well as “Take No Prisoners,” one of the four tracks they played off Rust, on this night for the serious heads. And while this lineup of Megadeth is completely different from their imperial lineup of the late 80s/early 90s, these cats performed alongside Mustaine with essentially the same precision and ferocity.
Maiden, meanwhile, celebrated 50 years of their crucial role in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with an epic set for the ages. This, of course, coming off perhaps the most significant lineup change the group has had since singer Bruce Dickinson left and then rejoined them in the debut of Simon Dawson behind the drum kit, replacing the beloved Nicko McBrain. And Dawson did not disappoint in the least, playing a heavier handed percussion reminiscent of onetime Maiden drummer Clive Burr, who performed on Maiden’s first three albums — 1980’s Iron Maiden, 1981’s Killers and 1982’s The Number of the Beast, all of which were celebrated during this super fan-friendly set that capped off its song selection at 1992’s vastly underrated Fear of the Dark. And while the band’s iconic mascot Eddie made a couple of appearances onstage — most notably during “Killers” with his axe in hand and when they broke out “The Trooper,” a song that was famously featured during the series finale of Stranger Things — it was the giant LCD screens behind them that truly brought their creature to life in all his different variants. Take, for instance, the powerful performance of the title track to Maiden favorite Powerslave, where the Egyptian-like Eddie structure towered over a masked Dickinson, who at 68 and a cancer survivor, sang and ran around that giant stage like a man a quarter his age. Then, during “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” he swaps places with a digital avatar in a serious bit of stage magic that depicts the spirit of death chasing him towards a noose at the end of an ascending path. Another highlight was during “Iron Maiden,” where a giant version of Piece of Mind Eddie leers at the band and into the crowd from his giant padded cell.
But what really made the concert such a delight to the legions of fans who descended upon Sports Illustrated Stadium on this night was the band’s performances of their two most powerful epics in Powerslave’s and the title track to their underrated 1988 masterpiece Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, blowing the minds from the floor to the nosebleeds with absolute peak Maiden.
Of course, the plethora of fan favorites delivered by Dickinson, Warner, founding bassist Steve Harris and the three-headed guitar dragon of Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers was overwhelming in the best possible way. “Two Minutes to Midnight.” “Run to the Hills.” “Wrathchild.” “Phantom of the Opera.” “The Number of the Beast.” “Aces High.” “Wasted Years.” It was pure heavy metal magic from beginning to end.
Walking back to the parking garage, my son marveled at the concert he experienced as we thanked away the cats selling lot shirts that will disintegrate after two washes. Hopefully one day he will fully recognize what a monumental bill he witnessed at such a young age.
VIDEO: Iron Maiden 2026 Tour Teaser
- Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Anthrax Rock New Jersey - September 8, 2026
- ‘The Who By Numbers’ Gets Big Reissue - September 6, 2026
- Stetson Heat Seeker Talk New LP - September 4, 2026
You May Also Like
-
April 15, 2019 -
March 25, 2021 -
