Corning, California (9/20/26) – The heavy hitting powerhouse of Hard Rock, Godsmack brought The Rise Of Rock World Tour to the newly built Obsidian Spirits Amphitheatre in Corning, California.
On this stop of the tour hard rockers, Dorothy, served as direct support. Fronted by Dorothy Martin, the band wasted no time getting acquainted with, or in the faces of the crowd. Martin, dressed in all black leather, possesses an amazing stage presence that absolutely demands attention.
Backed by a tight knit band, Dorothy weaves the sultry soul ofthe blues with the grit and determination of hard rock into a quite impressive sound. As a matter of fact, after the band’s set, many concert goers were exclaiming what a commanding presence she had. As well as how much they enjoyed the performance.
Dorothy is: Dorothy Martin – lead vocals, Nick Perri – guitar, Eliot Lorango – bass, Jake Hayden – drums
After what seemed for many as an eternity, although it was a brief 30 minutes or so, the stage was all set for Godsmack. The sold-out crowd, restless as they were, were getting even more amped up as AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock” blared from the speakers. Almost in unison everyone in attendance shouting “WE SALUTE YOU”, as the bright lights over the stage illuminated the amphitheater.
With the audience fully primed, Godsmack took the stage at the song’s conclusion, kicking things off with “When Legends Rise.” The band, consisting of Sully Erna (vocals, guitar), Robbie Merrill (bass), Sam Koltun (guitar), and Mike Magini (drums), proceeded to absolutely annihilate the stage in the most Rock ‘n’ Roll way possible through “You and I” and “Cryin‘ Like a Bitch!!”
At one point in the evening, Sully took a moment to recognize the youngsters in the audience, going as far as asking they how old they were. There were a few 9-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and a one-year-old baby. Which Erna exclaimed set the record as the youngest thus far. He went on to express the importance of the human element of life, as well as music, and to live in the moment.
After an incredibly impressive performance of fan favorite “Voodoo”, Sully Erna left the stage. I can only imagine that many people were a bit puzzled and wondering what was going on. Then Mike Magini’s drum kit began to roll towards the front of the stage, followed by an additional drum kit right next to it.
Enter “Batalla de los Tambores”, also known as Battle of the Drums! Sully and Mike went head-to-head, powerfully and expertly playing outtakes of songs such as “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith), “Back In Black” (AC/DC), and “Enter Sandman” (Metallica).
Though Sully’s vocals were impeccable throughout the night, he asked “those of you who claim to have been with us from the beginning” to help him out with the last song of the evening. The band then launched into “Whatever” as the thunderous crowd assisted with each and every “GO AWAY”.
As you can imagine, the crowd wanted even more! Thankfully, Godsmack came back out and obliged us with three more songs. The first being the emotional “Under Your Scars” which was performed acoustically. Sully took a moment to introduce the song by letting the audience know about the existence of, as well as the purpose of The Scars Foundation.
He then went on to dedicate “Under Your Scars” to all those we have lost to mental health. Before the song ended, he paused and asked for the stage lights to be extinguished, he then asked us to illuminate the entire amphitheater ourselves. As thousands of cellphone flashlights lit up the area, Sully’s powerful voice completed the last verse:
“Hey, if you feel like comin‘ down
If you feel like comin‘ around
Just call my name out loud, nah, nah, nah, hey!
Under your scars, I pray
You’re like a shooting star in the rain
You’re everything that feels like home to me, yeah
Under your scars, I could live inside you time after time
If you’d only let me live inside of mine
Live inside of mine”
With four Grammy Award nominations, eight studio albums, over a dozen Number One singles, 27 Top Ten hits, and over 2.7 BILLION global streams, Godsmack’s “The Rise of Rock World Tour” is not a show you want to miss. Sully Erna’s vocals are commanding and powerfully strong, Sam Koltun absolutely shreds, Robbie Merrill is an absolute beast on bass, and Mike Magini is a true powerhouse on the drums.
Do not altar photos
Copyright: Chris Couture Photography
