GODSMACK & THE FUTURE OF ROCK AND ROLL
There are a handful of bands (ok, maybe two handfuls) that I absolutely must see in concert if their tour passes anywhere close to the general vicinity of my home. Godsmack is definitely one such band and for their show on October 24th ... I traveled 4 hours to see them at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, NY. Although not exactly around the corner, this venue is one of my favorites with its old-school arena feel, spacious GA section, and class-act staff. Plus, it’s pretty close to being a “home show” for Godsmack who hails from Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Frontman/guitarist/pianist/drummer Sully Erna rocked the packed crowd for two hours with the always stellar musicianship of bassist Robbie Merrill, guitarist Tony Rombola, and drummer Shannon Larkin backing him up. The rock legends pummeled through hit after hit while tucking in new favorites “What About Me,” “You & I,” “Red, White & Blue,” and “Surrender” from their newest and self-proclaimed last album Lighting Up The Sky.
In a recent interview Sully explained, “This isn’t an ending. We’re just ending one chapter in our lives, but we’re opening a whole new chapter for our sunset years: to be able to create, now, a greatest hits show, and enjoy the rest of our career playing live, which is really what the reward is for all the work that we do in the studio.”
Live shows may be Godsmack’s reward; but their performances are all that and more to their fans. There is no slowing down for this group who just get better and better with every tour. What I love about Sully is how he doesn’t allow a crowd to passively experience his show. You’re sitting down? He’s gonna call you out on it. You’re not participating? Well, you’re gonna be forced to. And put those girls up on your shoulders, guys! This is a genuine rock and roll show, dammit!
As a matter of fact, out of all of the rock shows I attend, there always seems to be the largest number of kids at Godsmack shows. All Godsmack fans are superfans and they seem to really want their children to experience the best rock and roll has to offer. Never one to miss an opportunity, Sully called about eight of the kids up on stage and had them rate the audience’s participation as we sang along. Trust me, we had to work hard for it! But it was one of the most special moments of the night where the entire crowd was unified ... young and “old” … singing “I Stand Alone” together! (No pun intended.) Prior to finishing the song to close the night, Sully looked at the kids proudly and said, “Ladies & Gentleman, this is the future of rock and roll!”
Follow the band for upcoming tour announcements for 2024!
