Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque, N.M., isn't just any mayor. He's a "metal mayor" who last week attended the New Mexico date of The Bay Strikes Back Tour with thrash metal acts Testament, Exodus and Death Angel.
Loudwire has spoken to Keller about his metal fandom before. Last Saturday (April 16), he posed for a photo with Testament after the show. In turn, Testament shared the image and gave a shoutout to the politician who's long shown his love for heavy music.
See the photo down toward the bottom of this page.
"Thank you to the mayor of Albuquerque Tim Keller for coming to our show last night!" Testament wrote alongside the pic they posted Sunday (April 17), adding the sign of the horns emoji.
"We love meeting members of our thrash metal family!" they said.
Keller, the 44-year-old mayor from the Southwestern U.S., has been singled out for his love of metal before. He once talked to The New York Times about his city's metal scene.
"Albuquerque has always been pretty strong on the heavy metal front," Keller remarked in 2018, around the same time he introduced bands such as Anthrax, Trivium and Parkway Drive onstage. (See videos below.)
"What can I say?" he added. "This is something I've been into for a long time."
To Loudwire that year, he said his music taste "played a significant role in terms of … challenging the system. I think [that's] fundamentally metal, and also fundamental to the reason why I'm even in public service."
He continued, "Bands that are somewhat more political than others, like Sepultura or even System of a Down, have taught me to be my own person and not take the status quo as acceptable."
Thrash icons Testament released Titans of Creation in 2020. The Bay Strikes Back Tour continues across the U.S. through May. See the dates further down the page and get tickets here.
Mayor Tim Keller Poses With Testament
Mayor Keller Introduces Anthrax (2018)
Keller Introduces Parkway Drive (2018)
Testament, Exodus + Death Angel Spring 2022 U.S. Tour Dates
The Back Strikes Back
The Back Strikes BackApril 19 – Okla. City, Okla. @ Diamond Ballroom
April 20 – Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall
April 21 – Austin, Texas @ Emo's
April 22 – Dallas, Texas @ Amplified Live
April 23 – New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues
April 26 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Masquerade
April 27 – Raleigh, N.C. @ The Ritz
April 30 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom
May 1 – Baltimore, Md. @ Soundstage
May 2 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
May 3 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Theater of Living Arts
May 5 – Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount
May 6 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Town Ballroom
May 7 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Madison Theater
May 9 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Stage AE
May 10 – Cleveland, Ohio @ The Agora
May 11 – Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall
May 12 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Majestic Theatre
May 14 – Joliet, Ill. @ The Forge
May 15 – Joliet, Ill. @ The Forge
May 17 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Skyway Theatre
May 19 – Denver, Colo. @ Summit
May 20 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
