Front Range Community College Metallica Scholars recently got an unforgettable chance to see what goes into a major stadium show by going behind the scenes at Metallica’s final concert of the year, which took place at Mile High Stadium.
Students, faculty and staff toured the massive stage setup before the show, getting a close-up look at the people, gear and planning that power one of the biggest bands in the world.
The next night? They were back in the stadium, this time in the crowd, watching it all come to life.
Getting the Email
Hannah Scarbrough, a student in FRCC’s optics and laser technology program at the college’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing, was scrolling through her inbox when a subject line stopped her cold:
“Backstage Buildout Tour with the Metallica Crew in Denver – June 26th.”
Her first thought? “Oh wow! That’s incredible!”
She asked if she could bring her husband, who also works in optics, and helped her discover FRCC’s program. Luckily, the answer was yes.
“Being able to bring him along for the tour felt like a way for me to say ‘thank you’ to him, for introducing me to a field I have grown to love and have thrived in,” she says.
What Surprised Them
What amazed Hannah most was how much stuff the band travels with.
“This includes the obvious, the band’s equipment and behind-the-scenes personnel, but also all the steel structures for the towers and stage, audio equipment, video equipment, lighting equipment … even a washer and dryer,” she says.
Their guide, Ben, explained it takes 27 semi-trucks just to haul the steel. Altogether, more than 100 trucks move Metallica’s setup from city to city. And while it takes four days to set it all up, they tear it down in just five hours.
“The amount of planning, communication, direction and hard work from the hundreds of people it takes to make a show possible was really inspiring,” Hannah notes.
Welding technology program student Braeden Fitz, from FRCC’s Larimer Campus, said what stood out to him was the team’s coordination.
“There were at least 1,000 different employees, but they all had jobs and knew when and where they were supposed to be,” he says.
Real-World Connections
For Hannah, the tour wasn’t just exciting—it directly tied into her classes. She noticed the concert’s network used fiber optic cables like the ones she works with in her program.
“I was excited to learn that they use a multi-mode fiber optic cable for their network connections—something I have studied and worked with in my program.”
What It Means to Be a Metallica Scholar
Hannah says being one of FRCC’s Metallica Scholars has helped her be able to afford school and stay motivated.
“The Metallica scholarship helped make my program more affordable to me, which relieved some of the stress that the cost of higher education can bring on,” she says.
She’s also staying involved. Last month, she volunteered at FRCC’s Photon Playground, a hands-on event aimed at getting people excited about optics and photonics.
“To me, being a Metallica Scholar means that my hard work has not gone unnoticed … Plus, how cool is it that one of the most well-known bands helped get me here,” she notes.
A Program That Opens Doors
Jenna Montague, director of FRCC’s optics and laser technology program, says this partnership opens doors for students.
“Metallica scholarships through the band’s All Within My Hands foundation provide invaluable opportunities for students to pursue practical careers in our optics and laser technology program, the only optics undergraduate in the state of Colorado,” she says.
FRCC’s Dean of Manufacturing, Automotive and Construction Technologies Chris McGilvray, DM, also shared exciting news:
“We just learned that the All Within My Hands Foundation has extended FRCC’s Metallica Scholars Program for a third year! We are so grateful for this continued investment in our students and workforce programs!”
