Godsmack : Celebrating Generations of Rock
- Adam Bakelman
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Returning home to Massachusetts, Godsmack brought The Rise of Rock Tour to a packed Xfinity Center in Mansfield,MA, joined by Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy for a night celebrating generations of hard rock.
Dorothy
Dorothy opened the show and instantly grabbed the attention of the crowd and myself with Down To The Bottom, This was my first time seeing Dorothy live and had some of the most powerful southern rock vocals in today's music.
Their set continued with songs like The Devil I Know, Raise Hell, Medicine Man. The band was a perfect fit to start the night for the upcoming two legendary bands in rock and having formed in 2014 was definitely the defining feature in the tour named The Rise of Rock.Dorothy consists of Dorothy Martin on Lead Vocals, Nick Perri on Guitar, Eliot Lorango on Bass and Jake Hayden on Drums.
Stone Temple Pilots
Original members Dean DeLeo(guitar), Robert DeLeo(Bass) and Eric Kretz(Drums) took the stage alongside vocalist Jeff Gutt. Opening their set with Dead & Bloated from the band's landmark 1992 debut album Core.
The classics kept coming with Wicked Garden, Vasoline, and Big Bang Baby. Before performing Big Empty, the band dedicated the song to late frontman Scott Weiland. Having seen STP several times with Scott before his passing in 2015, this was my first opportunity to see Jeff front the band. While no one could ever replace Weiland, Jeff delivered an outstanding performance. His energy, stage presence and respect for the material made it feel less like an imitation and more like a celebration of Stone Temple Pilots legacy. The audience never stopped singing every word throughout their set as the band closed with Sex Type Thing.
Godsmack
As AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock echoed throughout the amphitheater, a massive black curtain with Godsmack’s iconic sun logo covered the stage before the Boston rockers delivered a phenomenal performance. Playing in front of nearly 20,000 fans the thunderous tribal drums starting When Legends Rise as members started emerging to the stage.The 15 song set balanced newer material with the classics. Fan favorites Straight Out Of Line and Awake were followed by a story from frontman Sully Erna about the guitar he was using. That very guitar was the one he used to record the band's 1998 self-titled debut album. Purchased for just $80, Sully reminded the audience that you don’t need an expensive instrument to make history before launching in Keep Away.
Original members Sully Erna and Robbie Merrill also took the time to welcome new guitarist Sam Koltun and legendary drummer Mike Mangini to the Godsmack family. They have replaced fellow members Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin who announced their retirement after the band's final performance together at Mohegan Sun Arena in 2024. Sully reflected on the band’s journey from playing Massachusetts clubs like The Middle East, Mama Kin and Club Infinity to headlining one of the iconic venues in their home state.
One of the night's biggest highlights came during Voodoo which seamlessly transitioned into the legendary Batalla de los Tambores. Originally created by Sully and former drummer Shannon Larkin in the early 2000s, the drum battle has become one of Godsmack’s defining live moments. Now to take over Larkin’s duties, Mike Mangini proved exactly why he was the perfect choice. The two traded scrum solos while rotating drum platforms spun on stage. Including snippets of AC/DC’s Back In Black, Aerosmith's Walk This Way and Metallica’s Enter Sandman.
Following the drum battle, Whatever brought another unforgettable moment. As the thousands of fans sang every word back, Sully acknowledged those who had been with the band since the beginning while also recognizing a new generation discovering Godsmack’s music. He invited around ten young fans onto the stage to help finish out the song, creating a moment those kids will never forget.
Sully sat behind a piano to discuss his Scars Foundation and its mission to raise awareness for mental health before delivering a heartfelt performance of Under Your Scars. More than 30 years into their career, Godsmack continues to show why they remain one of the defining bands in alternative metal and hard rock. Their hometown performance celebrated not only the band’s history but also its future. With Sam and Mike seamlessly stepping into their new roles, Godsmack showed they still have plenty left in the tank and if this performance was any indication, they’re far from finished.
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