All Photos By George Dionne/@rockisgeorge
It only seems fitting that GODSMACK and STAIND would be touring together. GODSMACK's self-titled debut was released in 1998, and STAIND's debut Dysfunction in 1999. 25 years in the industry is quite the accomplishment for Hard Rock bands coming onto the scene at the cusp of the year 2000. Making this milestone even more special was the fact both bands are from Massachusetts, and hometown crowds can be intense, plus proud that the local boys have done good.
I'm not the biggest STAIND fan. I absolutely loved the Dysfunction album when it came out. Break The Cycle in 2001 was decent, but by 2003's 14 Shades of Grey I had lost interest. The last time I had seen STAIND live was at the Worcester Centrum as part of the Family Values Tour 2001 (w/STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, LINKIN PARK, STATIC-X, and DEADSY).
Of course I did not recognize a lot of songs in their current set. Putting that aside, STAIND delivered some great performances. As with a lot of turn of the century bands, STAIND doesn't move around much on stage. There isn't much of a 'show', because the focus is on the music.
STAIND's set was split between their first two albums, and their most recent material. Nothing from their 2008 album The Illusion of Progress appeared in the set. One of their newer songs really caught my ear, "Wannabe". Vocalist Aaron Lewis takes on Internet trolls, calling them out for their feigned outrage.
The last four songs of the set were the money for me. The songs all sounded so fresh and still relevant today. STAIND sounded much like they did in the early days with their performance of them. "Mudshovel" drove the crowd insane. STAIND is set to release a new album in September entitled Confessions of The Fallen.
Setlist:
- "Lowest In Me"
- "Not Again"
- "Just Go"
- "Home"
- "Eyes Wide Open"
- "Fade"
- "Something to Remind You"
- "Epiphany"
- "Right Here"
- "Outside"
- "Wannabe"
- "So Far Away"
- "For You"
- "It's Been Awhile"
- "Mudshovel"
It had been a while since I had last seen GODSMACK live as well. Not quite as long ago as STAIND, but it was still 2007, at the Mohegan Sun Arena. I was a big fan of the first four GODSMACK albums, and certainly the singles they've had on the radio from the albums that followed. Somewhere around the early 2010's GODSMACK got a little too commercial for me. I don't fault them. You always want to reach a bigger audience.
GODSMACK is currently supporting their latest and possibly final studio album Lighting Up The Sky. GODSMACK made the bold decision to play four songs from the new album and it paid off. "You and I", "Soul on Fire", "What About Me", and "Surrender" fit in well with the group's catalog of hits.
The only thing more intense than GODSMACK's music is their liberal use of pyrotechnics. Every time one went off it took you by surprise. I was in the pit for the flame columns that accompanied the song "1000hp" and boy were they giving off some heat. In between songs frontman Sully Erna was a bit chatty. Maybe it was the hometown crowd, maybe it was the tequila he said was consuming backstage.
I remember when "Whatever" first came out, and I still get excited about hearing it live today. If you didn't know, for a brief time, Walmart and Kmart both banned GODSMACK's debut album due to its lyrical content. It's quite comical looking back on it. GODSMACK left the night's crowd satisfied, but clearly antsy for more. Now that GODSMACK has allegedly made their final album, will they be hitting the nostalgia 'hits' tour next time around?
Setlist:
- "When Legends Rise"
- "Cryin' Like a Bitch!!"
- "1000hp"
- "You and I"
- "Soul on Fire"
- "Something Different"
- "What About Me"
- "Awake"
- "Bulletproof"
- "Voodoo"
- "Batalla de los tambores"
- "Whatever"
- "Surrender"
- "Under Your Scars"
- "I Stand Alone"
Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By George Dionne/@rockisgeorge
