Godsmack w/ Stone Temple Pilots, Dorothy at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside MO (2026-06-12)

For Those About to Rock (walk-on music, AC/DC from tape)
When Legends Rise
You and I
Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
Straight Out of Line
Awake
Surrender
Keep Away
Love-Hate-Sex-Pain
Voodoo
Batalla de los tambores
Whatever

Encore:
Under Your Scars
Bulletproof
I Stand Alone

Dead & Bloated
Wicked Garden
Vasoline
Big Bang Baby
Down
Lounge Fly
Big Empty
Plush
Interstate Love Song
Crackerman
Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart
Sex Type Thing

DOROTHY SETLIST

Down to the Bottom
THE DEVIL I KNOW
Raise Hell
After Midnight
BONES
MUD
Rest in Peace
Whiskey Fever
Elevate TOUR DATES

We knew the Rock ‘would rise’, but would the “Salt Shaker” also shake?!

The answer was an indubitable “Yes” as The Rise of Rock Tour featuring Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots, and Dorothy made a local stop at the brand-new Morton Amphitheater, becoming the very first rock show to play the just-opened venue. The show was one of 32 dates of the Spring/Summer tour, which began last month in Virginia and will wrap in late September in Idaho.

Since it was our first time in, a bit about the much-anticipated outdoor amphitheater, which plans on hosting some 40 shows per season, from May through October. The location, while somewhat isolated in a mostly industrial and office park area, is easy to get to, especially from the Kansas side by taking the turnpike in, then heading north, and being the first exit just over the Missouri river.

While that was relatively simple, the venue was still working out entry and parking details as it took us almost a half hour to navigate in. So, account for some extra time, until they can better refine their entry and lot parking flows. Once you do arrive, the grounds are inviting and spacious, with a 3600sq ft front foyer, filled with casual seating and concession options.

Once inside, the 12,000 covered seats are very comfortable with additional table and reserved sections for groups, and a smaller lawn area up top. The grass and seating sections are at a wider eclipse facing the stage, making for prime viewing from almost anywhere and a somewhat more intimate experience than the 16,000 capacity might first make you think.

The three-band evening began promptly with a spirited set from Dorothy, in support of the deluxe version of their most recent album, The Way (via Roc Nation), released in December. We’ve seen the LA-based band a few times over the years, and have always been entertained by their hard rock blend of blues and Southern styles, and Ms. Martin’s distinct stage presence.

The too-short set began with 2017’s standalone single, “Down to the Bottom” and kept in overdrive, with 2024’s “MUD” being a standout that featured fierce vocals and some dizzying guitar work. Dorothy mentioned there being a ‘Riverside’ in California as well (saying she wouldn’t want to live there), stopping “Rest in Peace” to note to a crowd member how hard work and perseverance is worth it in the end, and ended the set with the new “Elevate,” played live for just the second time.

Following a set change and with little fanfare (not even their logo on the backdrop), Stone Temple Pilots strode to the stage for their hour-long set of classics, beginning with 1992’s “Dead and Bloated”, the opening salvo from their seminal debut album, Core.

Of course, Scott Weiland is no longer with us, but the remainder of the band is still firmly in place- brothers guitarist Dean DeLeo and bassist Robert DeLeo, and drummer Eric Kretz, who all still play at a high level, joined by singer Jeff Gutt, who has fronted the band for almost a decade.

Gutt, an X Factor TV show veteran, has settled in comfortably to the role, and if you squinted, he looked a bit like the combination of previous frontmen Weiland and Chester Bennington (with sunglasses, burgundy shirt, and a black vest) mixed with maybe a little Matt Sorum. Gutt worked the stage like a seasoned performer, fist bumping the front rows, darting from side to side, and leaning in to further engage with the crowd.

The setlist was an hour of mostly familiar songs, skipping any material from the two most recent STP studio releases which feature Gutt (both are decent listens), with the band wisely deciding that summer shed tours are mostly about the hits, and not the time to be experimental or vague.

Gutt dedicated 1994’s “Big Empty” to Weiland and the back half of the set became a total sing-along on prime STP hits including “Interstate Love Song” and “Plush.” 1992’s “Crackerman” was one of the best examples of Gutt expertly towing that line between nostalgia and forward sounding- paying homage to the band’s past but sounding vital enough to not just be shelved in the ‘where are they now’ files. The closing “Sex Type Thing” still sounded as brash and dangerous as it did thirty years ago, proving the band still has plenty left to say.

Godsmack may have just released a live album in March, “Live at Mohegan Sun” but the truest way to experience this Boston bulldozer, is to see them live and in-person, and allow yourself to be face-melted and guitar-shredded in the flesh.

As the drum kit rolled out for the beginning song of “When Legends Rise”, we noticed someone familiar in the chair – veteran percussionist Mike Mangini, best known for his stints in Dream Theater, Extreme, and with Steve Vai, among several other bands, was revealed as the newest member and was playing his first show (apparently with little to no rehearsal, he mentioned in the press following), so we were a witness to the next chapter in Godsmack history.

The rest of the band, led by vocalist/instrumentalist Sully Erna joined to provide more rocket fuel for the track, then moving next to 2023’s “You and I.” Former touring guitarist Sam (Bam) Koltun (ex-Dorothy guitarist too) has been elevated to permanent member, and original bassist Robbie Merrill still plants the flag of solid rhythm down, to anchor the songs.

The band has sold over 20 million records, logged twelve #1 singles at rock radio, and four Grammy Award nominations over their three decade+ career, so there’s plenty to pick from, for a ninety-minute setlist. As a result, the set was packed with favorites, including “Awake,” “Straight Out of Line,” “Voodoo,” “Bulletproof,” “Keep Away” and the band’s biggest hit, “I Stand Alone.”

The production staging matched the scale of the performance with lasers, dramatic lighting effects, triangular light rigs that rose, lowered, and tilted, and synchronized visuals to enhance the songs and provide a more immersive dive into the full-scale spectacle.

A show highlight was definitely the extended ‘drum battle’ aka “Batalla de los tambores”, which did not disappoint on this night either, especially with the seasoned master Mangini ‘versus’ Erna, himself beginning as a drummer for more than two decades. To see the pair face off and play in tandem was a true wonder, and the feeling was mutual from the smiles on both men’s faces.

The tender moments were very notable as well- with Erna noticing (as we did) the wide age range of fans attending, and he even personally engaged with an eight-year-old boy near the front, eventually passing a signed album to him.

And, to start the encore, Erna was behind a piano for 2018’s “Under Your Scars” and making mention of his Scars Foundation, whose mission is to provide resources to help people to be open and share their battle scars of life, which can cause mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and PTSD. He also spoke of musical heroes (Cornell, Bennington, Cobain, Winehouse, and others) who were lost to some of these circumstances.

The Rise of Rock Tour succeeded on its merits of resilience, via solid songs and musicianship, longevity sometimes against all odds and changing times, and a continued passion to uphold the spirit of rock n’ roll, for current and future generations. Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots, and Dorothy made the Rock ‘rise’, and yes, shook the “Salt Shaker” as well, for the first rock show at this premier new venue.​