Watch: Video of Exmortus Neo-Classically Shredding “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a Minor League Baseball Game

Nothing screams Americana like Minor League Baseball. Sure, the sparse crowds may appear whimsy and the play on the field often far from top-notch, but attend a game sometime and you’ll totally get it: this is the way baseball was meant to be played, up close and personal, with a jovial, campy vibe in a small-town stadium. Silly-looking mascots; local plumbing ads on the outfield walls; old-timey PA announcers; young talent worth getting excited about; local “celebrities” performing our national anthem.

In other words, the perfect setting for Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez and David Rivera, co-guitarists of California metallers Exmortus, to perform a neo-classical, shreddy rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is exactly what they did last week for the Bakersfield Blaze, the Cincinnati Reds’ advanced Class A affiliate. Conan and David do a fantastic job of putting their own spin on a classic, and, of course, they do their patented guitar-switching move at the end, delighting the tens of fans in attendance.

The Blaze won that night by a score of 5-4 with a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, if anyone’s keeping track. Huzzah!