Godsmack melts faces off fans in St. Louis this summer

It was a beautiful Tuesday evening in St. Louis, Missouri. Warm weather and clear skies graced the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater as thousands of fans gathered on the hillside lawn, ready for a night of hard rock and headbanging courtesy of music legends, Staind and Godsmack as they kicked off their summer tour.

Both bands were formed in Massachusetts in 1995, and both dominated the rock music scene in the early 2000s. Back then, you simply could not go anywhere without hearing Aaron Lewis (Staind’s lead vocalist) crooning on the radio during hits like “It’s Been Awhile” and “So Far Away,” or the jamming guitars and deep growling vocals of Godsmack’s “Awake.” A lot has changed since the inception and meteoric rise of both bands. Nearly three decades later, the world in 2023 looks a lot different.

Many bands have come and gone in that time, which speaks to the longevity of these alternative-metal behemoths.

Godsmack just put out their eighth studio album called Lighting Up the Sky, five years after their last album, When Legends Rise. Staind also plans to release a new album called Confessions of the Fallen later this year, their most recent work in 12 years since releasing 2011’s self-titled album.

Despite the gaps in releasing music, and the length of time since these bands first rose to mainstream popularity, listeners will find that the music holds its own in 2023. Whether you’re an elderly millennial who listened to these guys on the radio as a kid, or a new rock fan who is just now discovering these guys and their deep catalogs of rock anthems, you are sure to find something you like. This was equally evident at the show. Fans young and old crowded into the amphitheater to have their faces melted by blistering guitar solos and insane pyrotechnics that had the stage (and photo pit) feeling like it was going up in flames. Hell, even if you’re NOT a rock fan, the production and scale of this tour are impressive on its own.

The tour continues across the US and Canada for another couple of weeks so be sure to catch the next stop if it’s in your neighborhood!

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