The band, fans, venue, and songs were in full sync in Durham, NC, for the best Godsmack has sounded in 25 years.
Durham showed up in force at the Durham Performing Arts Center. All three theater tiers were nearly sold out to welcome Godsmack back to North Carolina. The audience of long-time, hardcore fans showed up early, rocked out, and stayed until the very end.
Opening artist, Basitan da Cruz, was a singer-songwriter from Denmark. A long way from home and thrilled to be on tour with Godsmack, Bastian was not the artist you would expect to open for a hard rock band but he was the perfect choice.
Bastian’s songwriting is simple, personal, and powerful and his voice is to match. At times, his vocal strength overpowered the sound system, demonstrating he could easily slide between genres and run in similar circles as Scott Stapp from Creed if he so chose. His seasoned tenor voice prioritized lyrics over dynamics, powering through mellow songwriting with an unflinching commitment to strength and volume. This intensity was why Bastian da Cruz was the perfect opening artist to set the tone for the evening.
In a mystical ambiance, with gargoyles flanking the stage and illuminated by the flickering warmth of candlelight, Godsmack pulled DPAC into an otherworldly experience from the start. The theme for The Vibez Tour was to strip down the stage grandeur and focus on the music, an uncertain theme for a band consistently known to be one of the hardest rocking bands of the past 25 years.Opening with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time,” it became immediately clear this was no ordinary Godsmack show. What immediately stood out was the quality of sound. Without feeling the need to physically command a large stage, all six musicians were free to focus on the music. Every member of Godsmack is an excellent musician, a fact that can become lost amongst the pyrotechnics and crowd surfing in an arena. The band was totally in sync and incredibly tight, and mind, body, and soul were present to perform. DPAC is a superb venue and the Godsmack audio engineers took full advantage to create a sonic experience no big stage could ever rival. Godsmack has never sounded better than on The Vibez Tour.
Performing a setlist containing old and new Godsmack songs plus several covers, Godsmack ran the gamut from solo piano ballads to full-on electric hard rock power. Immediately prior to performing an excellent cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” a highlight of the show was a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” Added to the band for this tour was guest guitarist and longtime friend of the band, Tim Theriault, who joined guitarist Tony Rombola in an extended, freewheeling guitar jam that brought the audience to their feet with one of the loudest reactions of the night.
Shannon Larkin seemed to be having the time of his life, infusing the performance with his infectious energy and huge smile while bassist Robbie Merrill stayed true to form with his slinky yet impossible-to-miss omnipresent energy. Chris Decato, another longtime friend and guest keyboard for the tour, complimented Sully Erna perfectly on songs such as “Serenity” and “One Rainy Day” and opened up the band to be able to perform covers like the Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train Runnin’” the way these classic rock songs deserve to be honored.
Throughout the performance, Sully’s inner music teacher continuously directed the band and gave smiles and thumbs up as Tim and Chris flawlessly added their skills to the mix. A poignant video montage mid-set filled with photos and videos from the band’s 25 years together added layers of nostalgia for the band and longtime fans alike. Of special note was a friend in the audience Sully performed with in a band back in 1985 but the loudest applause came when Sully’s mother joined him center stage for loving hugs and appreciation.
The night climaxed with an unexpected double encore featuring a mesmerizing rendition of “Come Together” by The Beatles seamlessly transitioning into a teasing guitar solo of “Stairway to Heaven.” Godsmack lived up to The Vibez Tour promise of honoring their history, honoring the bands and music that inspired them and creating a soundtrack for the lives of every Godsmack fan in attendance.
Regardless if Sully tells every audience every night that this was the best audience so far on the tour, it didn’t matter. Just as Godsmack came to impress, Durham met the band with equal enthusiasm and power, exceeding Sully’s expectations of how the night would turn out. The Vibez Tour solidifies Godsmack as one of the best-sounding hard rock bands during a two-hour transformative journey through the soul of Sully and his extraordinary ensemble. It is a show not to be missed by any fan of rock music.
GODSMACKWebsite Facebook X
BASTIAN DA CRUZ
Facebook
