Godsmack Brings Lifelong Fans and First-Time Rockers Together on The Rise of Rock Tour 2026

Rock music has always had a way of bringing generations together. The songs may be decades old, but every tour introduces a new audience experiencing them live for the first time. That connection was almost tangible throughout PNC Bank Arts Center on Sunday, June 28, as The Rise of Rock Tour 2026 united longtime Godsmack fans with a younger generation experiencing the band's music exactly where it was meant to be heard: on stage.

As the sky faded from shades of orange and pink on the beautiful summer night, fans continued filing into the amphitheater, the pavilion and the lawn quickly becoming a sea of people all displaying their best Godsmack merch. The lineup only pushed the energy higher as each band took the stage, building toward one of PNC’s biggest rock nights of the summer.

Now more than halfway through a tour that kicked off in May and runs through September, The Rise of Rock Tour brings together three artists that have each left their legendary mark on modern rock. Dorothy opened the evening with an unforgettable set, dressed entirely in black, and effortlessly delivered powerhouse vocals that demanded the crowd's attention from the moment she stepped on stage. Stone Temple Pilots kept the momentum rolling with Jeff Gutt leading the band through classics including "Vasoline," "Plush," and "Interstate Love Song." Before performing "Big Empty," the band dedicated the song to the late Scott Weiland, creating one of the evening's more emotional moments before closing their set on a heavier note with “Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart” and finally, “Sex Type Thing.”

Formed in 1995 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Godsmack has spent more than three decades building a catalog that continues to resonate with rock fans across generations. Founder, vocalist, and guitarist Sully Erna was joined by bassist Robbie Merrill, drummer Mike Mangini, and guitarist Sam Koltun as the band took the stage just after 9:15 p.m.

From the opening notes of "When Legends Rise" through "Cryin' Like a Bitch!!," "Straight Out of Line," and "Awake," the energy inside the venue never let up. Fans kept their hands in the air for nearly the entire show, singing back lyrics whenever Erna turned his microphone toward the crowd. 

Erna first appeared in a black button-up and blue jeans before later stripping it away to reveal a gray tank top as the set intensified. Behind him, Mangini's drum kit sat elevated on a riser with the unmistakable Godsmack logo displayed across the front, while washes of deep reds, greens, and blues transformed the stage throughout the night.

Midway through "Whatever," the energy in the room shifted when Erna began talking with fans near the barricade, asking their ages before discovering a 12-year-old in attendance standing shoulder to shoulder with longtime Godsmack fans. "This is amazing," he said with a smile. "It's really cool to see a whole new generation of rockers out there, and thanks to you cool parents out there raising them the right way."

Later, "Voodoo" completely shifted the atmosphere. The stage glowed in vivid pink as Erna made his way to the edge of the stage leaning into the song's hypnotic groove as the lighting transformed the space around him.

The spotlight then shifted to Mangini as his drum kit rolled to the front of the stage. Moments later, Erna joined him behind a second full drum kit, the two facing one another as they launched into an extended drum battle. For nearly ten minutes, the pair traded rhythms in perfect sync while Koltun played alongside them, weaving in recognizable snippets of AC/DC's "Back in Black," Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," Metallica's "Enter Sandman," Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick," and Rush's "Tom Sawyer." With lighting effects matching every beat, it became one of the night's biggest visual and musical highlights.

The encore opened on a more emotional note with "Under Your Scars," prompting Erna to laugh with the crowd afterward stating, "we're gonna snap 'em out of this depressive state I put 'em into."

Before beginning another Godsmack original, Erna exclaimed, "I think we should do one for fun first!" After asking for suggestions from the audience, someone shouted out The Beatles' "Come Together." He followed by reminding the audience that no Godsmack show follows a script. "I told you there's no programmed show here. When things fuck up, you get a special moment tonight." 

The band broke into the cover as spinning laser lights swept across the amphitheater and an extended guitar solo added another memorable moment before the show headed toward its final stretch.

Before closing the night with “Bullet Proof” and “I Stand Alone,” Erna paused to reflect on the experience of live music itself. "I don't know a lot of things in life, but I know one thing for sure. You will never, ever, ever be able to replicate the energy of my show through a computer screen."

Photos and review by Bek Allegretti