Lars Ulrich performs with Metallica at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 27, 2022. Sean Liming/STAFF.

CONCORD, Calif. — There were no free samples, but the longest line at Costco on Monument on Saturday afternoon was at a whiskey display—because Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was there to meet fans and sign bottles, albums and even at least one drum cymbal.

Ulrich was joined by master distiller Rob Dietrich, who heads Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey. The process of creating it is novel. As the whiskey ages in the barrel, Dietrich and his team hit it with Metallica songs in a way meant to encourage “molecular interaction.” For many of the hundreds who showed up, meeting the iconic drummer was the primary goal. But walking away with a bottle (or more) was an added benefit.

The buzz started earlier in the day as the store began giving out numbers wristbands to the first 100 people. While waiting at that point was not a requirement, a crowd started to gather around 2:15 p.m. for the 4 p.m. start.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Rob Dietrich of Blackened American Whiskey sign bottles for fans at Costco in San Francisco, Calif. on Oct. 28, 2023. Courtesy Metallica/Instagram.

“I’ve been a fan for 20 years. I’m here for everything, for Metallica, for Lars and for this whiskey,” said Karla Sanchez, a Mexico native who drove to Concord from her home in Richmond. Sanchez was 85th in the line and didn’t want to leave after getting her wristband. “I’m excited. This is my dream to meet him.”

Metallica has an international fanbase, and its concerts pull people from all over, but the Concord Costco crowd generally consisted of locals. Many wore the band’s shirts. Some filled up on hotdogs and chicken wraps while waiting in line in the store’s liquor aisles. Even Costco employees from other stores in the area came out. In fact, after all of the wristbands had been handed out, the store started an overflow line for those without them.

The line included the likes of Concord resident Jonathan Wang, who brought a couple of friends. While he said he’s not a big Metallica fan, his parents are, so he hoped to land an autograph or a photo to show them.

“I know they’re super famous; rock and roll champions,” Wang said. “I want to tell [Ulrich], ‘If your whiskey is as good as your music, I’ll be happy.’”

San Jose resident Shubhankar Goswami said he’s been a fan of Metallica for 15 years.

“This is a great opportunity to meet him,” he said. Others have followed the band even longer.

Metallica fans wait in line to meet Lars Ulrich and master distiller Rob Dietrich of Blackened American Whiskey at Costco in Concord, Calif. on Oct. 28, 2023.

Javier Peralta, also from San Jose, caught wind of the appearance in a Facebook fan page and decided to make the drive north.

“I’m not a whiskey drinker at all. I’m a big Metallica fan,” he said, holding a bottle he planned to buy. While he couldn’t speak to the whiskey, Peralta was eager to list off his favorite Metallica albums and songs, like “Wherever I May Roam,” …And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning.

Earlier in the day, Dietrich and Ulrich made an appearance at San Francisco’s Costco. Most of those in the Concord line chose the East Bay location hoping for a smaller crowd. A few tried San Francisco first and then drove east after striking out there. There was some strategy at play; Peralta said he was nervous if word got out among fans, it might make the second appearance harder to attend.

Josie Johansen of Pacifica and her cat wait to meet Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Rob Dietrich of Blackened American Whiskey at Costco in Concord, Calif. on Oct. 28, 2023.

Costco’s store manager, who asked not be named in this report, said that while the chain is better known for traditional vendor promotions, celebrities and musicians make appearances from time to time. Most of these are not publicized by the chain but only by the brands involved.

Earlier this year, E-40 made appearances in the Danville and Hayward stores. Also recently, Ayesha Curry, Jerry Rice and Shaquille O’Neal have supported their brands. Even Fleetwood Mac members made appearances at the Novato Costco some years back, he said.

At the front of the line was Pacifica resident Josie Johansen, who’d won a contest on radio station KSAN (107.7 The Bone) to meet Ulrich. The long-time fan, who last year also won a contest to attend Metallica’s concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, brought her cat, who was decked out in denim for the occasion. While the cat chilled on the floor in its carrier, the outfit was reportedly Metallica-themed.

“I kept calling and calling. It took two phones and a lot of tries,” she said, citing her favorite albums as Master of Puppets and the band’s “Black” album.

Johansen said the band also turned her away from Jameson whiskey and to Blackened. What was she looking forward to telling Lars Ulrich?

“Pet my cat.”

Follow Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.