Swap meets. The sights, the sounds, the smells. Bartering with that old guy for a really cool fake leather wallet and some cowboy boots. Can’t beat that. Or can you?
You can if you give your swap meet a theme and that theme is metal as heck. On Saturday, April 29, the eighth annual San Diego Metal Swap Meet comes to Quartyard (1102 Market St.) from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. All ages? Check. Cheap tickets? Check. Meet and greet with metal icons? Check. Live performance from Jag Panzer? Mega check. Oh, and there’s an after party, too.
According to founder and organizer Brian Parker, "Expect everything metal related. Shirts, records, CDs ... We had about 1,200 people come last year, and we're at a bigger place this year, so we're expecting a good turnout."
If you’re up on your thrash metal, you know Hirax and you know vocalist Katon W. De Pena. If you’re not, you better learn quickly, because he’ll be holding down DJ duties, spinning the best metal of all eras and genres. At 2 p.m., he’ll be joining Dark Angel/Eliminate’s Don Doty, Nunslaughter’s Don “Of the Dead” Crotsley, Cryptic Slaughter’s Scott Peterson, legendary heavy metal producer Bill Metoyer and Derek Riggs -- the creator of Iron Maiden's Eddie and first 12 album covers -- for a signing session.
So, for only $7 in advance or $10 at the gate, gain access to all of the above plus a bunch of vendors with whom you can try bartering (not gonna promise anything though). If you want to treat yourself, you can get the VIP package for $70, which includes early entry, a private lounge, beer specials, a shirt, tote bag and a badge. Or, for half of that price, get the Diehard Package for early entry, a shirt and a beer koozie.
And that after party? Join the Metal Swap Meet caravan heading to Brick by Brick afterward to see Superjoint (fronted by Pantera's Phil Anselmo), Battlecross and more.
Get ready to get your face melted and your ears shredded. But bring sunscreen and earplugs, too.
Rutger Rosenborg was almost a Stanford neuroscientist before he formed Ed Ghost Tucker. He now plays in the Lulls and makes music on his own when he's not writing. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.
