Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - This week saw back-to-back shows performed at Highmark Stadium. Def Leppard and Motley Crue performed Wednesday and Metallica and Greta Van Fleet performed Thursday, to about 35,000 fans each.
At least four hours prior to showtime on Thursday, The Hammer's Lot, a popular tailgating spot for Highmark Stadium, saw trailers and RV's filling up spots in the lot, locals and friends gathered to cook hotdogs and reminisce of prior concerts at the historic stadium, some RV's where still there from the night prior.
Is there a real difference between tailgating for a Buffalo Bills game and a stadium concert?
The popular answer from the tailgaters we asked was no, people are still out drinking and having a good time before the event. However the atmosphere at the tailgate was a little more laid back than a Buffalo Bills game. Owner of the Hammer's Lot, Eric Matwijow, says he does notice some small differences.
"I did notice a huge decrease in amount of garbage on the ground. Seems like the [Bills] Mafia is really overplaying their toughness with the garbage aspect. We still had a good sized crowd last night [Wednesday] and everybody had a good time, we really didn't see any incidents of any disruption where the police had to be involved and we don't really see that with the Bills, also. So overall, I think it's pretty much the same, just the cleanliness."
"I think it is a slightly a different vibe," said East Aurora resident, Tommy Holmes.
"There's still people coming together, the community is having a good time. You meet people and talk to people, but it's a different crowd. You got people that are more fans of the bands, rather than, just normal Bills fans. You have conversations about music more and less on football, for sure."
For Tommy, tailgating is a big part of every event he goes to but just seeing the huge crowd of people attending the event makes the experience more unique.
"I like the sound, I like the spectacle and how big it is and how many people you can get one area to see a band."
Dave, Shane and Ron, good friends who've been tailgating together for years agree with Holmes.
"It's electric. It's the crowd. It's everybody here. It's everybody tailgating before the show," said Dave from Hamburg.
Shane is from the area but now resides in Greencastle, Pennsylvania and looks forward to coming back every year to Highmark Stadium to tailgate, attend Bills games and go to concerts, as well as reminisce on previous memories.
"That's what we've been talking about for the last four hours now... memories from other events. I grew up around this area and I come back a few times a year, but it just brings back everything from the last 30, 35 years of my life," says Shane.
This is what you live for. When you get older, you can't see your friends like you do now. So when you can gather, you gather," Dave adds.
Dave Mack from Cheektowaga had been waiting for Metallica to come back to Highmark Stadium for a long time. He remembers Metallica touring with Van Halen in 1988 during the "Monsters of Rock" tour and is excited to share his experience with his two daughters and wife, Wendy.
"June in '88, was Metallica's first time here for Monsters of Rock with Van Halen. Their second year here was in '92 with Guns N' Roses and Faith and War, which happened to be my favorite show, but I've seen Metallica every single time they've come to Buffalo since 1988. 34 years later, I get to share that same exact moment with my wife and daughters in the same place. I saw my very first concert ever. This is one of the most favorite moments I've been looking forward to my whole life other than the birth of my children."
For Mack, nothing compares to outdoor stadium concerts.
"The outdoor open feel of live events is unmatched to indoor events," Mack says.
Mack and his wife, Wendy agree that the vibe at football games is a lot more rowdier.
Fans told us that while they are feeling that nostalgia from the sounds of their favorite older bands and not so much for the stadium, they know that there are more concerts to come at Highmark and their favorite bands are not going to be performing forever. They're going to take every advantage they can for concert events before the new Bills stadium comes in three years.
"The bands are aging. Hey, I got to see this band. You never know. I mean, many years ago, we had Led Zeppelin. Unfortunately, the one guy [lead singer, Robert Plant] lost his son and that show was canceled. Any opportunity you get to see your favorite band, people are going to do it," says Matwijow.