Saturday night was a momentous occasion as metal icons Iron Maiden brought their “Run for Your Lives Tour” to Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, with stacked support from thrash legends Megadeth and Anthrax. The surrounding area quickly became the center of the metal world as fans poured out of the PATH station and made their way toward the stadium, donning Iron Maiden shirts and battle jackets. Inside, fans pressed against the barricade and held up Iron Maiden flags alongside flags from their home countries, with people having traveled from across the globe to be there.
Opening Acts
Anthrax opened the stadium with a 35-minute set, tearing through a seven-song set that included “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” “Got the Time” and “Indians.” One of the highlights of the night was when Scott Ian had one of those signature jumps concert photographers are always hoping to catch at exactly the right moment.
Megadeth followed with just under an hour to work with, opening with “Tipping Point” before quickly ripping into “Hangar 18.” The band moved through “She-Wolf,” “Sweating Bullets,” “The Conjuring” and “Tornado of Souls” before closing with a three-song run of “Peace Sells,” “Symphony of Destruction” and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.”
Iron Maiden’s Set
By the time darkness settled over Harrison, UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” came through the PA and everyone knew what was next. Iron Maiden didn’t come out with one of the obvious hits, instead opening with “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” followed by “Wrathchild” and “Killers.” The band dug into the first nine albums that built them, including songs that haven’t always had a permanent home in the set, such as “Infinite Dreams,” which was played live for the first time in nearly four decades.
Fans were treated to a mix of favorites like “The Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills,” “The Trooper,” “Fear of the Dark,” and “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” alongside deeper cuts. The stage production matched the size of the songs, with enormous lighting and backdrops, as well as Eddie and the theatrics surrounding the band.
Conclusion
By the time “Wasted Years” closed the night, Iron Maiden had spent roughly two hours looking backward without making the show feel stuck in the past. The real measure of 50 years is not how many records you’ve sold or how many times you’ve played these songs, but whether they still mean enough to someone that they’ll travel halfway around the world just to hear them. On Saturday night in New Jersey, the answer was standing right there at the barricade. Iron Maiden’s “Run for Your Lives Tour” continues through a September 29th show in San Antonio, with tickets available.
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