A picture-esq Summer night drew more than 13,000 fans to the Providence Medial Center Amphitheater for a night of explosive hard-rock hits. Shinedown and Godsmack played nearly identical 75-minute sets on what is being billed as a co-headlining trek across America. The tour itself has been somewhat of a surprise hit as crowds have been turning out in droves.
Shinedown hit the stage at exactly 8:00 PM to a thunderous ovation and some of the loudest pyro you will ever hear at a concert this side of Kiss. The incomparable “Sound of Madness” opened the show but the band certainly did their best to focus on it’s latest album “Attention Attention” which has gained both commercial and fan acclaim since its release.
It would, however, be songs such as “Cut The Cord,” Bully,” and “State of My Head” that would derive the biggest ovations of the evening, that is until the familiar chords of the bands cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple” man rang out over the spacious amphitheater. Unfathomably missing from the set were some of the very songs that put the band on the map back in the early 2000’s. “Leave A Whisper” was the band’s debut platinum-selling album and those initial hits were inexplicably ignored on this night which is ultimately head-scratching.
Setlist:
1. Sound of Madness
2. Diamond Eyes
3. Cut the Cord
4. If You Only Knew
5. Bully
6. Get Up
7. Enemies
8. Unity
9. State of My Head
10. Second Chance
11. Simple Man
12. Devil
It seems hard to fathom that it’s been 20 years since the hard rock tour-de-force known as Godsmack first graced us with their presence. Back in 1998 songs like “Voodoo” and “Keep Away” peppered rock radio and MTV. Six albums later, Godsmack are still headlining large venues and releasing relevant new music. Like Shinedown, Godsmack are coming off the heels of a recent release and a few songs from “When Legends Rise” made their way into the set this evening.
Godsmack did not have quite the over-the-top pyro that Shinedown showcased, but delivered a more than adequate set that spanned their entire career. While it was good to hear songs such as “100 HP” and “Cryin’ Like a Bitch,” there were some notable omissions from the band’s early days like “Greed,” “Bad Religion,” and “Straight Out of Line.” Granted, the band have a fairly vast catalog to draw material from these days but it seems somewhat of an oversight to leave out some of their bigger songs.
The crowd certainly did not seem to mind as they stuck around for rousing renditions of songs like “Voodoo,” “Whatever” and finally, “I Stand Alone.” The band were absolutely in top form as frontman Sully Erna still commands the audience, and despite having recently turned 50, can be counted on to hold the show together vocally. Drummer Shannon Larkin has long been a standout in Godsmack and is the backbone of the group. Few drummers are as precise or hit as hard as Larkin and his skill set are a major reason Godsmack commands the respect they do in the rock universe.
Overall, it’s easy to see why this tour has been such a success. Both bands are now wily veterans with both nostalgic hits as well as relevant new music that the fans want to hear. The combination worked to perfection and you’ll likely see these bands embark on similar tours in the future
Setlist:
1. When Legends Rise
2. 100 HP
3. Keep Away
4. Cryin’ Like a Bitch
5. Unforgettable
6. Awake
7. Someday
8. Voodoo
9. Batalla de los tambores
10. Whatever
11. Bulletproof
12. School’s Out
13. I Stand Alone
