by Glenn Woodell

I’ve covered Godsmack in the past but this was surely the best show I’ve seen, as they played to a nearly packed amphitheater despite the July heat and humidity so typical of the southeast coast this time of year. Mix Master Mike opened the show, with plenty of audio and visual magic. Staind took the stage and satisfied their devoted fans with Godsmack being the main feature. I was surprised to see a few people leaving after the Staind act for they surely missed the great performance that followed but I guess that shows their devotion to an act of the same age.

While Staind’s Arron Lewis is more reserved with his presentation, Sully Erna is much more in touch with the audience. For the last few years, Erna has invited the strong men of the crowd to lift up their women and he repeated the invitation here. At one point, he shared a drink with one of the audience members, but not until checking his ID to make sure he was old enough even though he had gray hair.

The highlight of the evening was the drum battle with drummer, Shannon Larkin, called, Batalla de los Tambores. It’s been performed in the past with some changes but I had never seen it until this show. Near the end of Voodoo, Sully left the stage. Shannon started the drum show while his drum riser shifted off-center. Sully’s drums came through the curtains with him playing the bongos in unison with Shannon’s drums. From there, the two played some amazing drum riffs over the next nine minutes, sharing pretty impressive drum stick tosses, and broke into the familiar songs, AC/DC’s Back in Black, Aerosmith’s Walk this Way, Metallica’s Enter Sandman, Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick, and Rush’s Tom Sawyer.

At the beginning of the two-song encore, Sully played Under Your Scars on a white grand piano, adorned with a Scars Foundation banner, and spoke of his efforts to help raise awareness of mental health issues faced by those with substance abuse, thoughts of suicide, and other major challenges in their lives. At the end of the song, Sully paid specific tribute to Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Amy Winehouse, Dimebag Darrell, and Eddie VanHalen. Godsmack then eneded the show with the classic, I Stand Alone.

Be sure to check out Staind and Godsmack along the tour. Note that Staind will only be with Godsmack during the first half.

Staind

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Staind/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staindofficial/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@staindvideos/

Setlist

Lowest in Me
Not Again
Just Me
Home
Eyes Wide Open
Fade
Something to Remind You
Epiphany
Right Here
Outside
Wannabe
So Far Away
For You
It’s Been a While
Mudshovel

Godsmack

Setlist

When Legends Die
Crying Like a Bitch
1000 HP
You and I
Soul on Fire
Something Different
What About Me
Awake
Bulletproof
Voodoo
Batalla de los Tambores
Whatever (encore)
Surrender (encore)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/godsmack
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/godsmack
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@godsmack