Mom panics when son went missing at Metallica concert, then everyone pointed to the stage

The most unforgettable fan moments happen when celebrities openly show appreciation for their supporters, especially at live events like concerts. These genuine connections can leave fans with memories that last a lifetime. Ten-year-old Russell was lucky enough to experience one of these magical interactions when he was invited on stage by none other than the legendary Metallica. The touching moment was captured on camera by his mom, Anne Watson (@theannewatson), who shared the experience on Instagram.

The video shows Watson, an entrepreneur, making her way through the crowd to locate her son. “Last night, my 10-year-old asked if he could try to get closer to the stage at the Metallica show on night two in Chicago,” she explains in the text overlay. Not wanting to hold him back, she encouraged him with, “Be brave and ask people to help you. It’s like family here; go ahead!” This small nudge gave Russell the confidence he needed to head off on his own. But soon after, Watson realized he had disappeared into the crowd during the entire song, "The Call of Ktulu."

The mom panicked and closed her eyes to remember her late husband. “I was nervous, so I closed my eyes and said to Tim, ‘I can’t see our son. But you can. Please watch him for me,’” she revealed through the text overlay of the one-and-a-half-minute video. Following this, the mom started asking people, “Have you seen a kid in a battle vest come through this way?” Suddenly, a man pointed at the stage and asked, “Is that your kid?” The mom turned around to see an incredible sight as the band started playing “The Unforgiven.” It was her metalhead son, Russell, perched on the drum kit alongside the rock band’s founding member, Danish musician Lars Ulrich (@larsulrich).

“Turns out Russell had bumped into some of our Metallica family by the stage, and they had lifted him up on their shoulders for ‘Ktulu’. Then Lars spotted Russell and pulled him up on the stage for ‘The Unforgiven,’” the mom added. After the song finished, the 10-year-old was helped back to the floor to reunite with his mom. He exchanged a high-five and a hug with Lars before being gifted drumsticks. “How did you do that?” the amused mom asked, but the boy with long blonde hair had no reply.

The concert took place at Soldier Field (@soldierfield) in Chicago, Illinois, per Watson's post caption. In another post, Watson revealed that she asked her son, "'Hey buddy, what did it feel like up on stage with Lars in August?'" She shared that his reply left her speechless. "'I felt connected to something so big, mom. So much bigger than me. It was quiet up there. I felt home,'" the youngster told her. The entrepreneur and yoga enthusiast expressed her gratitude to the band by saying she had “no words” for the kindness shown by Lars. “Our lives were changed forever, for the better, by this,” she revealed.

Metallica responded to the post with a comment that reads, “It was awesome to share the stage with your son.” “That was definitely his dad, who stepped in and helped. You could feel it,” @lamorena_art added. “That kid's gonna be a drummer. That was a core memory for him,” @vrekcare commented. @lorisal8_ hailed, “That gave me goosebumps. That’s amazing! Way to go, kid.”

You can follow Anne Watson (@theannewatson) on Instagram for business-related, yogic and lifestyle content.