Jason Newsted, former Metallica bassist, is touring North America with his band The Chophouse Band following his recovery from throat cancer and public discussions about his past struggles with addiction and the band's controversial Load/ReLoad era. He has also performed live with Blackberry Smoke, covering songs by Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy, while working on his memoir, which he has described as containing 130 chapters. Newsted has reflected on his career, including fan incidents and the emotional toll of his health challenges.