We regrettably announce that the Metal Church performance scheduled for Wednesday, March 20th, has been cancelled due to health issues in the band. Refunds for credit purchases will be issued automatically. Refunds for cash purchases are available at the HG box office. Apologies for any inconvenience. A note from the band below:

Dear Friends (Kurdt here) As some of you may have recently noticed during our live performances, I frequently will disappear to the side of the stage during a set and continue playing while sitting on a chair. This is due to an ongoing back issue that I’ve needed to deal with for a while now. I kept putting it off and it’s finally caught up with me, so I’m going to get this taken care of so I can continue performing live in the future. That being said, sadly we will be canceling all upcoming show dates for 2024. I apologize for this but I need to get this taken care of. Check with your local venues for any refunds. Thank you for your continued support and I’m looking forward to seeing you in the future!
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$30 Advance | $35 Day of Show

All Ages

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Formed in San Francisco in 1980, Metal Church consisted of vocalist David Wayne, guitarists Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington. Their 1985 self-titled debut album, recorded when the thrash/speed metal genre was still evolving, made a huge splash on the scene, as did its follow-up, The Dark.

However, the band really hit its stride when Wayne left and was replaced by Mike Howe on 1989’s Blessing in Disguise; Vanderhoof left after the album due to his dislike of touring and was replaced by Metallica guitar tech John Marshall. Vanderhoof remained the group’s designated composer on 1991’s The Human Factor, possible the band’s most socially conscious album yet.

However, the advent of Alternative Rock and problems with their record label contributed to a loss of direction 1993’s Hanging in the Balance, and Metal Church ended up disbanding. In 1999, the group’s original lineup — Wayne, Vanderhoof, Wells, Erickson, and Arrington — reunited and released the album Masterpeace.

The ensuing years saw the group undergoing numerous lineup changes and assorted members tending to other projects. In 2004, the band issues their seventh full-length LP, the critically acclaimed Weight of the World, which marked the debut of new vocalist Ronny Munroe. Tragically, former vocalist David Wayne died the following year from complications resulting from a car accident.

2006’s A Light in the Dark included re-recording of 1986’s “Watch the Children Pray” as a tribute to their fallen comrade. Shortly after the release of 2009’s This Present Wasteland, the band announced that they would be going their separate ways once again.

A reunion show in 2012 eventually led them back to the studio. The resulting Generation Nothing, their tenth studio long-player, arrived the following year, and the aptly named XI appeared in early 2016, marking the return of vocalist Mike Howe. A concert album culled from the XI tour featuring Howe appeared the following year under the title Classic Live. Continuing their prolific run, they issued their 12th set, Damned If You Do, in late 2018.

Vocalist Mike Howe died at his home in Eureka, California on July 26, 2021. He was 55 years old. Kirk Arringtion, the group’s original drummer, died on May 22, 2023 at the age of 61.