On May 23rd, Godsmack turned Orion Amphitheater into a full-on hard rock party, bringing a night packed with gnarly riffs, a large crowd singing along, and nonstop energy, even if Mother Nature tried to intervene with a lengthy lightning delay. With Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy opening the show, the lineup felt perfectly built for a late spring night at the Orion. Every band brought something different, from blues laced rock, grunge, all the way to late 90s era rock at its finest, but together the whole show flowed naturally from start to finish.
Dorothy kicked things off and wasted absolutely no time getting the crowd riled up. Dorothy Martin has the kind of stage presence that immediately pulls your attention, and her voice sounded huge inside the amphitheater. The band came out swinging with a ton of attitude and energy, mixing gritty hard rock with bluesy moments that hit perfectly in an outdoor setting. Dorothy’s soul laced tracks got people moving early, and by the end of the set it felt like the crowd was fully ready to rock out for the night.
After a lightning storm delay, Stone Temple Pilots followed with a set that was absolutely nostalgic in the best way possible. The second the opening notes of “Wicked Garden” hit, the crowd exploded. Throughout the set, you could see people singing every word to classics like “Interstate Love Song,” “Plush,” and “Big Empty.” Jeff Gutt still does an excellent job honoring the original feel of the songs while still making them his own, adding his own unique swagger to the performance, and the rest of the band sounded incredibly tight, almost like they had been doing this for decades at this point. There was something really cool about hearing those songs echo through the Orion at night. It felt less like watching a legacy band and more like watching a group that still genuinely loves playing these songs live.
When Godsmack finally hit the stage, the energy level rose to a entirely different level. From the first song, “Surrender” the crowd surrendered to the power that the Boston rockers have been known for. Sully Erna controlled the stage effortlessly, constantly interacting with the audience and feeding off the crowd’s energy. Godsmack’s setlist balanced newer material with the songs everyone was waiting to hear, and every big chorus turned into hundreds of people screaming along together, especially during the heavy hitters like “Awake” and “Voodoo”. “Voodoo” was one of the standout moments of the night, especially under the lights of the amphitheater. The atmosphere completely changed during that song, giving the show a dark, almost hypnotic feel for a few minutes as they crowd chanted the words along before launching right back into the heavier side of the set.
Of course, one of the biggest crowd reactions came during the drum battle between Sully Erna and newcomer Murff Wade. It’s one of those moments that could easily feel cheesy after all these years, but instead it ended up being one of the most fun parts of the entire night as usual. The crowd loved every second of it, and you could tell the band was genuinely having fun up there too.
The Orion Amphitheater ended up being the perfect setting for this show. The venue somehow feels massive while still staying intimate enough to make every performance feel personal as there is not a bad seat in the house. Between the lighting, the warm night air, and the energy coming from both the stage and the crowd, the whole night had that feeling of a spring rock show people will probably talk about for a long time. Even though the evening was truncated due to bad weather, it didn’t stop them from delivered one heck of a performance.
Godsmack always delivers a powerful performance, and this night was no different. With the new additions to the band, they still sounded like they had been playing together for years. It was an incredible show that the thunder of the double bass pedals fit in perfectly with lightning in the sky, giving Huntsville a stellar night.
Godsmack’s Rise of Rock Tour continues through September 26th of 2026.
For upcoming shows, visit https://www.godsmack.com/tour.
Follow Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy on their socials below:
Godsmack: Instagram // Facebook
Stone Temple Pilots: Instagram // Facebook
Dorothy: Instagram // Facebook
