In 1996 Metallica played a parking lot show in San Jose. On June 4, 1996, Metallica played a surprise show in the parking lot of the San Jose Tower Records at 871 Blossom Hill Road across from Oakridge Mall. After a morning announcement on local radio, news of the free show spread across the Bay Area, and once MTV News picked it up, it went worldwide. About ten thousand people showed up. The band planned to perform three flatbed truck shows that day to celebrate the release of their sixth album Load. One in San Jose, one in San Francisco, and one in Sacramento. Only two happened because San Francisco canceled at the last minute. Tower Records was chosen for all of the stops so fans could watch the show and then walk inside to buy the record. Tower Records manager Barbara Williamson, who has since passed away, later said that city officials told her no permit was needed. But one week after the performance, San Jose city attorney Joan Gallo held a news conference announcing that charges were being filed against Bill Graham Presents, Elektra Entertainment, and Tower Records. Offenses included disturbing the peace, failing to secure permits, and not obtaining approval for temporary street closures and amplified sound. The city also billed Tower Records seven thousand dollars for police, fire, and emergency medical services. “I think the destruction that was caused deliberately and purposefully to get publicity and take advantage of this community needs to be dealt with in a criminal form,” Gallo said at the time. Police were not happy either. Thousands of fans packed the parking lot across from Oakridge Mall, creating a traffic jam. Highway 87 backed up, and traffic at Santa Teresa and Blossom Hill was at a standstill for hours. This 1996 strip mall concert remains an indelible part of Metallica lore and Bay Area music history. source footage 🎥: MetConcerts100