Marin Independent Journal has issued the following report from Paul Liberatore:

James Hetfield, co-founder of the superstar heavy metal band METALLICA, has lived a quiet, low-key life in Marin County, always content to stay under the radar. Until now.

On Friday night, he hosts his own coming out party, Metallica's first hometown concert, a benefit for the Marin History Museum's Marin Rocks project in the sold-out, 2,000-seat Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

"We've never done a public show. I don't know why. Probably because there aren't that many places to play in Marin that are large enough to satisfy enough people," Hetfield, the band's 46-year-old rhythm guitarist, lyricist and lead singer, said in his first interview with the Independent Journal.

"But in the last few years, basically after St. Anger (Metallica's pivotal 2003 album), we started getting more into public service, giving back to the community, discovering how good that feels."

At a recent reception at the Smith Rafael Film Center, drummer Lars Ulrich, who formed Metallica with Hetfield in 1981, echoed his bandmate's enthusiasm for Friday's benefit. Like Hetfield, he lives in Marin and has school-age children. The Marin Rocks museum, set to open next summer in downtown San Rafael, includes educational programs for young people in music and the arts.

"We love Marin, and we don't get chances to make an imprint in our backyard as much as we'd like," Ulrich said. "And this just seemed like a perfect opportunity to get involved in something that had Marin stamped all over it. We look forward to doing our part and hopefully our kids will reap the benefits from it."

Like JOHN LENNON, Hetfield is something of a working class hero. He grew up in a Christian Science family in a blue collar suburb of Los Angeles. His father, a truck driver, left when he was 12. His mother died of cancer when he was 16.

With his parents gone, Metallica became like a second family to him. In the Marin Rocks project, he envisions a place for young people to express their feelings, their anger and alienation through music, just as he did in Metallica.

"Growing up struggling in a dysfunctional family and being able to turn to music as my escape and therapy and savior is dear to my heart," he said. "So introducing kids to music and having a safe clean place for the youth of Marin to come in and jam, talk about their problems and write songs together really excites me."

In April, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After 28 years as a band, they've earned the title of elder statesmen of heavy metal.

Read the full report at Marin Independent Journal.