PHOTOS: Godsmack, Shinedown, and Red Sun Rising at Montage Mountain in Scranton, 08/31/18
Two major multi-platinum rock acts that broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s, Godsmack and Shinedown, brought their co-headlining summer tour and rock radio hits to The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on Friday, Aug. 31, supporting their latest albums released in the spring, “When Legends Rise” and “Attention Attention,” respectively.
Up-and-coming rockers Red Sun Rising opened the concert, playing songs from their new record, “Thread,” as well as the earlier hits they’re known for, like “The Otherside” and “Emotionless.”
“We really believe this could be a great moment in our band’s career, and we plan on running on the road until at least fall of 2019,” Godsmack frontman Sully Erna said of this tour when it was first announced. “We love the guys in Shinedown, and we all go way back. There is a very strong mutual respect between our camps, and we feel that this tour is going to be a must see!”
“It’s all about impact and making a statement,” added Shinedown singer Brent Smith. “We are creating a show for the fans that is powerful, passionate, and sonically inspiring. The audience has given us a platform to be ourselves and create something spectacular. That being said, Shinedown and Godsmack will most certainly not let them down. This will be the rock and roll event of the year. In other words, ‘It’s about to get heavy!’”
Starting with 2008’s “Sound of Madness” and largely playing songs from 2012’s “Amaryllis” with others mixed in, Shinedown closed with another ’08 hit, “Second Chance,” before the two-song encore consisting of their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” and their recent single, “Devil.”
With Erna promising to be at “the top of our game,” Godsmack opened with the title track of their new album and blew through classics like “Keep Away,” “Awake,” “Whatever,” and “Voodoo,” taking a break for their set-staple drum battle “Batalla De Los Tambores” with Erna and the band’s drummer, Shannon Larkin, which included bits from Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” the Beastie Boys’ “So What’cha Want,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” and Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean.” Before closing with “I Stand Alone,” the Boston band also covered AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” in its entirety, complete with a massive sing-along with the audience who knew those iconic lyrics all too well.
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Godsmack performing at Musikfest in Bethlehem last year here and Shinedown at Rock’N Derby in New York in 2016 here.
