Godsmack

Godsmack rock n coasters podcast

This is the first show of the newly re-branded Rock n Coasters podcast where we add in our love of music. This podcast has existed for years as The Coaster Geeks but we felt it needed more. What better than to get a new logo and start hitting the road telling stories about our Rock n Coaster Tours Across America.

 I lived in Minnesota for years and when I would drive down to the Cities from Duluth my radio was always tuned to 93X. Back in the day they were the only rock station in town and always played solid music. Remember this was way before the days of Spotify and Pandora and even satellite radio. 93X is typically behind and promoting almost any rock band that comes to the Twin Cities. The Twin City Takeover is usually an annual affair but this particular show had been postponed for two years due to COVID. At some point, I think the fans were wondering if it was ever going to happen. Through no fault of their own, it was derailed. But to their credit, they stuck with it and continued to promote it promising that it would eventually happen, and they as always deliver.

Michele and I were early, as we always are, and found our great seats in the 100 section toward the back, stage center. If you are old like us and don’t want to be on the floor these are the seats to get. Not only is the sound great but you can see the whole show.  It had been a long time since I have seen a rock show here and I showed Michele the First Avenue club across the street where I rocked out many nights. So many great artists have played there and their names are all painted on the wall outside.

By the way, before we dive in, here is a pro-tip did you know you can head over to setlist.fm and get the set list for almost any band for any show? That’s what we do after the show and add them to the show notes. We are thinking of making a Spotify set list of all the songs too, what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments or on socials.

First up on the bill that night was relative newcomer Lilith Czar. I think she’s incredible that would put her alongside many of the newer female artists coming out who have chosen the path of rock and roll over disposable pop songs. She writes her own material and has a beautiful voice. A very solid band backing her up added to the live performance. She did one cover song which was the Stevie Nicks song “Edge of Seventeen.” The rest of the songs in her set were made up of all original music. If you’re curious to get a feel for how she sounds I would recommend you go on YouTube and search for my favorite song. “100 Little Deaths.” will give you a very good feel for her music. She’s a very dynamic performer and very entertaining to watch live. Unlike many artists these days, she moves around and interacts with the crowd. I was very pleased to see that she had been added to this bill.

Next up on the bill was a band that has been around since 2011, Wage War. they seem to have a very strong following of fans who were out in numbers at this show supporting them. I heard many people yelling in between acts, “fucking Wage War!”. It reminded me of Slayer fans. The songs are very heavy, and the band is very aggressive and filled with a lot of energy. They played an eight-song set which included, “Relapse,” “High Horse,” “Circle the Drain,” and “Stitch.” They were able to get a reasonable mosh pit going. No easy feat to accomplish inside the Target Center. Wage War is a great band to add to any headline bill as they build their own career. Don’t be surprised if you see them open for bands like Lamb of God or Testament in the future.

Third on the bill was Asking Alexandria, a band that I was very familiar with and had seen several times in the past period I always like them because I think their music is very melodic with an edge to it. These guys are a staple at the rock festivals we attend and always a great show. There were a lot of their fans there that night to see them especially on the floor as they push their way to the front. They worked their way through a nine-song set that included “Alone Again,” “Into the Fire,” “Down to Hell,” and “Alone in a Room.” Every time I’ve seen them play live I’ve always appreciated the experience. I can see why they have a lot of fans.

The next band out to entertain the crowd was another band we have seen several times on the festival circuit, Three Days Grace. all I can say is wow! I thought they were amazing and so much fun to watch and listen to. They are full of energy and really knew how to interact with the crowd. They played a 10-song set that opened with “So Called Life” and closed with “Riot.” The crowd was totally engaged and appear to love every minute of it. A few of the other songs they played in the set were, “Pain,” “Home,” “Pain Killer,” and the “Good Life.”

They are another band to me that deserves to be playing in front of large crowds. Their music is very catchy, and they are spot on with their musicianship. Add to that their stage presence and you really have a great combination. I would recommend to anyone who loves rock music to see the band Three Days Grace.

 Headliners, Godsmack is a band that I’m very familiar with I’ve seen them several times and they never disappoint. These guys are by far my favorite band and in fact, it was Michele’s first concert ever when she saw them at Red Rocks more than 20 years ago.

Over the years we have seen Godsmack more than a dozen times. Several great shows at Louder Than Life, Welcome to Rockville, one time in Peoria Illinois, and even once here in our hometown of Anchorage, Alaska.

Godsmack is another band that’s extremely solid with its songwriting, production, and presentation. Godsmack worked their way through a 15-song set. They opened with “I Stand Alone” and closed with a Beatles cover “Come Together.” They did many of their fan favorites including “Cryin’ Like a Bitch,” “Awake,” “Speak,” “Bulletproof,” “Under Your Scars” and “Speak.”

Here is a fun fact, we have a litter of sled dogs called the Rock n Roll Crew and one of the pups is named Sully. Along with his brothers and sisters; Jazz, Cobain, Grohl, Jagger and Hendrix they show our love for music.

Overall, it was an incredible night of music by five unique artists that were perfectly placed together for that night. I would recommend all these bands for different reasons. They were energetic, entertaining, and played some very cool songs. But don’t take my word for it judge for yourself by checking out their music.

My guess is you won’t see this lineup of five bands play together again, this was something special put together by the radio station. But it doesn’t mean that they won’t be coming to your town soon on different package tours. Sully mentioned on Facebook months ago that this was a benefit concert for their SCARS foundation that supports suicide prevention among other things, and they played a very moving tribute late in the set as one of two encores. Sully did say that they would be releasing new music soon and a new tour starting next year. We will be there.

So there you have it guys, the new and I would say, highly improved Rock n Coasters podcast. What do you think? Let us know in the comments or on socials, just search rock n coasters podcast.

Godsmack Set List

  1. I Stand Alone
  2. When Legends Rise
  3. 1000hp
  4. Unforgettable
  5. Keep Away
  6. Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
  7. Straight Out of Line
  8. Awake
  9. Something Different
  10. Speak
  11. Voodoo
  12. Whatever
  13. Bulletproof

Encore:

  1. Under Your Scars
  2. Come Together
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