Located in the northern Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre welcomed multi-platinum rockers Godsmack to town on a steamy Thursday evening in the South. Billed as The Rise of Rock World Tour 2026, this concert event also featured special guests Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy.
Built in 2008, this 12,000-capacity open-air venue has become a premier destination for summer concertgoers, especially those brave enough to endure the soon-to-be sweltering Southern heat from the uncovered lawn seats in exchange for an evening filled with familiar hits from their favorite artists. However, unlike most concerts I have covered at Ameris Bank, the orchestra seating was removed on Thursday night, making way for a large general admission pit that allowed fans to move freely and immerse themselves in the energy of all three performances throughout the night.
Kicking off the night at 7:00 p.m. was Dorothy, an outfit that has quickly become one of the more electric opening acts on the current hard-rock touring circuit, driven largely by the commanding presence of frontwoman Dorothy Martin. From the first note of “Down to the Bottom” (a track that was featured in the game Forza Horizon 4), the band showcased their blend of blues-rock swagger layered in modern hard-rock intensity, delivering a set that felt raw, loud, and fully committed.
Martin dominated the stage with a gritty vocal style that shifted easily between soulful restraint and full-throttle power. Songs like “Raise Hell” and “Rest in Peace” hit especially hard live, fueled by thick guitar tones emanating from Nick Perri and a rhythm section in Eliot Lorango (bass) and Jake Hayden (drums) built for amphitheatre-sized momentum. Even with an early support slot, Dorothy left a strong impression. The band’s live show felt aggressive without losing melody, combining classic rock attitude with enough modern weight to connect with both longtime rock fans and the younger crowds discovering the group for the first time.
Dorothy (band)
Dorothy Martin –Lead vocals
Nick Perri – Guitar
Eliot Lorango – Bass, backing vocals
Jake Hayden – Drums, percussion
Setlist:
1.) Down to the Bottom
2.) THE DEVIL I KNOW
3.) Raise Hell
4.) After Midnight
5.) BONES
6.) MUD
7.) Rest in Peace
8.) Whiskey Fever
9.) Dark Nights
Following a fairly quick equipment changeover, Grammy Award-winning artists Stone Temple Pilots took the stage shortly before 8:00 p.m. I last caught STP live at this same venue a little under two years ago, and they continue to perform with the confidence of a band that understands its catalog has become foundational to modern rock. With a 12-song setlist largely anchored by familiar hits, the group balanced nostalgia with professionalism, delivering a performance that celebrated the band’s legacy without sounding trapped inside it.
What immediately stood out during their performance was how naturally the material still translated to a live environment. Songs written during the height of ’90s alternative rock culture continued to feel muscular, melodic, and surprisingly fresh in front of a packed amphitheatre crowd. Tracks like “Vasoline,” “Plush,” and “Interstate Love Song” still triggered instant audience participation, with entire sections of the venue singing along before the first chorus had fully arrived.
Since 2017, frontman Jeff Gutt has settled comfortably into the difficult role of carrying one of rock’s most recognizable catalogs. Rather than imitating the band’s original late singer Scott Weiland note-for-note, Gutt approaches the material with his own phrasing and stage personality while preserving the emotional weight fans expect from the songs. That balance allows the performances to feel respectful to the band’s history without becoming an exercise in reproduction.
Musically, Stone Temple Pilots remain exceptionally tight live. Bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz kept the performance grounded in thick grooves and subtle tempo shifts, while Dean DeLeo’s guitar work still carries the textured, layered sound that made the group distinct during the alternative-rock explosion of the 1990s. Even decades later, the arrangements retained their ability to move between heavy distortion and melodic restraint without losing cohesion.
What makes Stone Temple Pilots compelling in 2026 is the absence of desperation. The band does not appear interested in chasing trends or forcing reinvention; even their stage production was fairly nondescript. Instead, their performance focused on execution, musicianship, and preserving the emotional pull of a catalog that continues to resonate with fans spanning multiple generations long after its original era.
Stone Temple Pilots
Robert DeLeo – Bass, backing vocals
Eric Kretz – Drums, percussion
Dean DeLeo – Guitars
Jeff Gutt – Lead vocals
Setlist:
1.) Dead & Bloated
2.) Wicked Garden
3.) Vasoline
4.) Big Bang Baby
5.) Down
6.) Lounge Fly
7.) Big Empty
8.) Plush
9.) Interstate Love Song
10.) Crackerman
11.) Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart
12.) Sex Type Thing
Following the curtain drop shortly after 9:15 p.m., Godsmack wasted no time proving why they remain one of modern hard rock’s most dependable live acts, launching into “Surrender” to set the tone for the night. The Grammy-nominated group, anchored by founder Sully Erna, wasn’t chasing trends or attempting to modernize its identity. Instead, Godsmack spent the evening leaning fully into the dense riffs, thunderous rhythms, and arena-scale energy that built the band’s reputation in the first place.
Erna commanded the stage with a veteran performer’s instinct for pacing and audience control, shifting effortlessly between aggressive vocal delivery, crowd-hyping theatrics, and off-the-cuff commentary. Songs like “Awake,” “Voodoo,” and “Whatever” landed with the same blunt-force impact that made them staples of rock radio years ago, but live they felt even heavier and more physical. Godsmack’s concerts are carefully structured around those dynamics, with the setlist alternating between punishing, riff-driven tracks and slower, moodier moments that allow the crowd to breathe before the next sonic hit arrives.
One of the more surprising aspects of the current lineup was how sharp and cohesive the band sounded despite recent personnel changes. Rather than feeling like a transitional version of the group, this new touring configuration performed with precision and confidence. The guitar work from Sam Koltun stayed thick and aggressive, while drummer Wade Murff drove the set with an almost mechanical consistency that kept the momentum high from start to finish. On a personal level, it was difficult not seeing Shannon Larkin behind the Godsmack kit any longer, especially after following his career since the 1980s with Wrathchild America, but Murff handled the challenge with impressive authority.
What separates Godsmack from many veteran rock acts is the sense that the band still performs with urgency and youthful energy. There was little evidence of autopilot despite more than 30 years together, much to the adoration of the Atlanta crowd. This current tour feels driven by a desire to reinforce relevance rather than simply celebrate longevity. That mentality gave the 15-song performance an edge that many legacy hard-rock bands struggle to maintain after decades on the road.
Emphasizing that point, Godsmack closed their main set with an enjoyable cover of “Come Together” by The Beatles before returning for a three-song encore that powered emphatically through “Under Your Scars,” “Bulletproof,” and the chart-topping “I Stand Alone” before the band took its final bows. The performance delivered exactly what fans expect from arena hard rock: oversized sound, commanding stage presence, massive choruses, and enough raw energy to make the entire venue feel like it was vibrating. Godsmack’s formula has not changed much over the years, but judging by the audience’s response on Thursday, it clearly does not need to.
Godsmack’s Rise of Rock World Tour 2026 remains active in the United States through Friday, July 3rd, before the band takes a break to tour overseas. Their second U.S. leg will then resume on Sunday, September 6th, in El Paso, Texas, at the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center.
Godsmack
Sully Erna – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Robbie Merrill – Bass, backing vocals
Sam Koltun – Lead guitar
Wade Murff – Drums
Setlist:
1.) Surrender
2.) You and I
3.) When Legends Rise
4.) Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
5.) Straight Out of Line
6.) Awake
7.) Keep Away
8.) Love-Hate-Sex-Pain
9.) Voodoo
10.) Batalla de los tambores
11.) Whatever
12.) Come Together (The Beatles cover)
Encore
13.) Under Your Scars
14.) Bulletproof
15.) I Stand Alone
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.