Godsmack is a band that’s reinvented themselves a few times over the last few years and they recently came through Noblesville, Ind. with Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy on the Rise Of Rock Tour.
Dorothy opened the night up with a bluesy southern rock-inspired set that was full of energy and saw her interacting with her band members throughout the entire set. Her appreciation and awe of crowd was clear, as the lawn was almost full before she even took the stage- something that isn’t always the case with Summer amphitheater shows.
Stone Temple Pilots were up next and proved that they still have it after over 30 years of going strong. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 10 years since Jeff Gutt joined the band at the helm as lead singer, but he’s completely owned the role.
The band didn’t talk a whole lot and zoomed right through the setlist, but still made sure the fans saw the band’s gratitude- especially when Gutt got up on the guardrail and sang right up into the fans in the pit.
Godsmack closed out the night in explosive fashion. Their set was loaded with hits and fan-favorites and didn’t have much room for fluff. The fans were singing and screaming along, making for one hell of an atmosphere and they embraced the new members of the Godsmack crew like they’d been in the band for years.
Legendary drummer Mike Mangini and guitarist Sam Koltun are new additions to the band and add a new sense of life to the band and they play the classics to perfection.
Godsmack slowed things down coming out of the encore, with singer Sully Erna sitting solo at a grand piano, opening up about why they started the Scars Foundation, and the importance of asking for help when you need it. They even brought out a young girl named Abigail, who had lost her father a few years ago due to suicide, who helped sing “Under Your Scars” with the band in one of the most powerful moments in rock history and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
They closed it out with “Bulletproof” and “I Stand Alone” and threw in their signature dueling drum solo featuring Erna and Mangini, leading to an explosion of cheers and making sure every fan left ready to see Godsmack again.
-Reggie Edwards
