Godsmack’s Lead Vocalist Sully Erna commands the amphitheater

Godsmack arrived in Raleigh carrying the weight of nearly thirty years of hard rock history and still sounded like a band completely invested in earning the reaction they received from the packed crowd at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on 5/16/26. Sully Erna led the band through a set that balanced precision with raw aggression, pulling heavily from the catalog that built Godsmack into one of the defining American hard rock acts of the late 1990s and 2000s. Songs from Godsmack, Awake, Faceless, IV, The Oracle, 1000hp, When Legends Rise, and Lighting Up the Sky hit with the kind of familiarity that turned entire sections of the amphitheater into singalongs. Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola gave the material weight and movement without overplaying it, while Robbie Merrill anchored the set with the same thick low-end presence that has always defined the band live. The stage production was massive without becoming distracting, relying on towering LED walls, elevated drum risers, aggressive lighting cues, and stark monochrome visuals that fit the band’s darker aesthetic. The crowd stayed locked in from the first song to the encore, especially during the band’s biggest radio staples, and the audience response proved that Godsmack has maintained one of the most loyal fanbases in American rock. The tour itself has been routing through major North American markets including Virginia Beach, Raleigh, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles before additional international dates expected later in the year. Merchandise lines stayed consistently heavy throughout the night with fans grabbing anniversary shirts, tour-exclusive hoodies, signed posters, and classic skull-logo apparel. Godsmack’s long-standing relationship with BMG continues into this era of the band, and their legacy includes multiple platinum records, chart-topping albums, sold-out amphitheater tours, and recognition as one of the most commercially successful hard rock bands of their generation. The band has also remained involved with military support organizations and addiction recovery advocacy over the years, adding another layer of loyalty between the band and its audience. Their latest release remains Lighting Up the Sky, a record that continues the band’s heavy melodic formula while sounding mature rather than nostalgic. Latest release: Lighting Up the Sky

Godsmack

Stone Temple Pilots delivered one of the strongest support sets Raleigh has seen in years, walking onto the stage with total confidence and immediately reminding the crowd why this band’s catalog continues to influence modern rock decades after their breakthrough. Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz, and vocalist Jeff Gutt sounded tight, experienced, and fully committed to the material. The band moved seamlessly through songs from Core, Purple, Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, No. 4, Shangri-La Dee Da, Stone Temple Pilots, and Perdida, giving the audience a set that balanced massive hits with deeper catalog respect. Jeff Gutt continues to handle the difficult role of fronting Stone Temple Pilots with restraint and professionalism, never trying to imitate Scott Weiland while still honoring the emotional weight of the material. The visual production for STP leaned into cinematic backdrops, layered lighting washes, and mood-driven presentation instead of oversized spectacle, which fit the music perfectly. Fans responded especially hard to the material from Core and Purple, with entire rows screaming every lyric back toward the stage. Stone Temple Pilots remain one of the defining alternative hard rock bands of the 1990s, and their career includes Grammy Awards, multi-platinum records, massive international touring history, and a catalog that has aged exceptionally well compared to many of their contemporaries. Their relationship with Atlantic Records helped shape one of the most commercially successful runs in modern rock history, and the current version of the band continues proving that these songs still belong on large stages. Merchandise booths featured retro-inspired shirts, anniversary vinyl pressings, posters, and classic STP logo apparel that pulled longtime fans directly into the band’s history. The audience reaction in Raleigh made it obvious that Stone Temple Pilots are still viewed as a major live act rather than simply a legacy band revisiting old material. Their latest release, Perdida, showed a quieter and more reflective side of the band while still maintaining the melodic identity that made them famous. Latest release: Perdida

Stone Temple Pilots

Dorothy opened the evening with a performance that immediately justified her inclusion on a tour built around heavyweight hard rock names. Dorothy Martin walked onstage with complete confidence and controlled the amphitheater crowd from the opening moments of the set. Her voice remains one of the strongest in modern hard rock, carrying equal parts grit, melody, and attitude without sounding forced or over-rehearsed. The band ripped through material from Rockisdead, 28 Days in the Valley, Gifts From the Holy Ghost, and newer songs tied to the current touring cycle, giving early arrivals a set that felt far bigger than a standard opening slot. Dorothy’s rise through the modern rock scene has been built on relentless touring, strong songwriting, and a stage presence that feels authentic instead of manufactured. Her relationship with Roc Nation helped elevate the project into larger touring circuits, but the sustained audience growth clearly comes from consistent live performances. The stage production for the opening set relied on bold backdrops, fast-moving spotlight work, and stripped-down hard rock presentation that kept the focus squarely on the performance itself. Fans crowded the merchandise booths after her set looking for vinyl, shirts, patches, and tour merchandise carrying the band’s increasingly recognizable logo. Dorothy has also become vocal in support of addiction recovery awareness and mental health discussions, subjects that have become increasingly present in both her interviews and songwriting. “The Rise of Rock World Tour” has already pushed through major amphitheater markets across the United States and Canada, introducing Dorothy to larger audiences nightly while strengthening her standing inside modern hard rock. In Raleigh, she proved she belongs on stages this size. Her latest release, The Way, continues pushing her mix of blues-heavy hard rock into a sharper and more mature direction while keeping the intensity that built her fanbase in the first place. Latest release: The Way

Dorothy