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Godsmack’s “The Rise of Rock” World Tour, featuring Dorothy, Rocked the Pinnacle Bank Arena

Music Critic

Oct 22, 2026 • Just now • 3 min read • 12 views

Concert Review: Godsmack’s “The Rise of Rock” World Tour, featuring Dorothy, Rocked the Pinnacle Bank Arena

REVIEW BY DAVID TAYLOR AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine

It was a chilly night in downtown Lincoln as Godsmack made their return to Lincoln, NE after nearly twenty years to play Pinnacle Bank Arena. Despite it being a work/school night, people showed up to see one of the most legendary hard rock acts of the last thirty years.

Dorothy from Los Angeles was the direct support on the bill. They played pure, unadulterated rock n’ roll. Led by Dorothy Martin, who had such a soulful voice, they would fit perfectly with the rock bands in the 70s if they were around then. Guitarist Nick Peri’s guitar solos felt like songs in their own way, just very melodic and full of passion. I wouldn’t assume they would be a right support act for Godsmack, but they fit right in nicely. They had an album that came out last year titled, The Way.

Godsmack from Boston was ready to perform to the masses at PBA. This felt like Godsmack 2.0 in the best way possible, bringing in new blood into the band while maintaining that Godsmack sound. They have a new guitar player, Sam Koltun, and what a shredder he was. This kid is for sure bringing in some of that youthful energy to these musical veterans. And then you have Mike Mangini behind the kit and if that name sounds familiar, he was the drummer for Dream Theater for a while from 2010 to 2023. He, also from Massachusetts, gave a great performance behind the kit, very technical and felt like he had been with them for a while, but he has joined the band on the road since June of this year. Sully Erna was very blunt, saying he wasn’t having a good day, but powered through and the audience was very receptive to him. Before “Something’s Wrong” he asked the ladies to get on their date’s shoulders, which was a little tough as the whole floor was all seats. But they managed to pull off without injury. Sully Erna still sings like the record live and continues to have that energy of wanting to entertain the audience on stage. They kicked off their set with some recent songs like “Generation Day” and “You and I”, but then you got hit with old school Godsmack like “Awake” and “Keep Away”. The band was tight, rhythmically. Their production was superb, bringing these lasers out and a giant video screen showing their music videos and crazy visuals. A showstopper of the night was “Under Your Scars” with Sully Erna saying how important it is to take care of your mental health and help others if they’re down, as well as a tribute to the legends that we’ve lost along the way. The show ended with a ripping version of “I Stand Alone”. If you’ve been a Godsmack fan from the late 90s or you joined in like the early to mid 2010s, you weren’t disappointed. It sounds like new Godsmack is coming hopefully soon after they wrap up this tour, so be sure to be on the lookout for that.