Sometimes, fandom dreams do come true. The love for Eddie Munson, after his appearance on the latest season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, is one that spans beyond just fans talking about the character. Celebrities have shared their love for him. We have seen as Eddie has taken over social media. We’ve seen the impact of telling this story in the series and the real life inspiration behind it, and now, Metallica has yet again opened their arms to embrace Joseph Quinn’s performance as the character.
In the series, Eddie Munson is the eccentric dungeon master of the Hellfire Club and a fan of the band Metallica. So, when his job in the Upside Down is to be the “distraction” and get the attention of villain Vecna’s hordes of bats so Steve, Nancy, and Robin can break into his home, Eddie does it in the only way he knows how: being metal AF.
Eddie and Dustin are standing on top of Eddie’s trailer (but the Upside Down version), and Eddie is playing his guitar, which he says was made for this world. And the song he chooses to play is “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, and it just all makes sense with what we knew about Eddie Munson and also fits with the energy of those who relate to Eddie and were alive through the ’80s—which I know because my older brother told me how accurate it is.
Now though, it has become something bigger than just the Stranger Things fandom. The man Eddie was based on has watched the show and found excitement in this specific moment in the series, and Metallica has embraced the moment and Joseph Quinn in a beautiful way—by bringing Joseph Quinn to hang with them at Lollapalooza and giving him Eddie’s guitar. But that’s not all, either. They also performed “Master of Puppets” with footage of Eddie playing behind them!
On top of that, we got a backstage video of Metallica meeting up with Quinn and playing together!
The power of music in Stranger Things
One thing that this season of Stranger Things really highlighted was the power that music can have for people. With the option to play any song out there to bring the bats to them, Eddie chose “Master of Puppets” because it’s a song that meant a lot to him. We see that same message reflected in Max’s storyline with her love of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush.
It’s not just two random songs that the show has made popular again. There’s also is a deeper meaning for these characters that makes us, as fans, stop and think about what songs we’d choose for these moments. it’s fun to see the wider conversation happening about your “Vecna song” or what you would play in an absolutely epic distraction in the Upside Down.
It’s beautiful that Metallica has embraced this character and the connection that fans have to him, and I love that they brought Joseph Quinn along for the ride at Lollapalooza. I just hope that the future of Stranger Things includes more of Eddie Munson in some way.
(featured image: Netflix)
