Live-Metal.Net - Concerts: Godsmack, Rob Zombie

Nissan Pavilion
Bristow, Va.
September 2, 2006

By GREG MAKI

From a fan’s point of view, if there is one good thing the recent decline in the music industry has given us, it is the rise of the package tour. With concert ticket prices climbing higher and higher due to sagging CD sales, consumers want a little more bang for their buck. And they’re getting it, as acts who could sell out arenas on their own in the old days frequently join forces to ensure they aren’t playing to half-empty houses. It may be a tough climate for the bands, but fans are being treated to some dynamite packages. At the top of the list is the traveling rock n’ roll circus of Godsmack and Rob Zombie.

The evening began with the Southern-tinged rock of Shinedown, who proved to be just as comfortable as an opening act in front of 20,000 people as they are headlining a mid-sized club. The audience included many Shinedown fans as the band took the stage and many more by the time they finished their 40-minute set. The band, highlighted by the mesmerizing vocals of frontman Brent Smith, stuck mostly to the hits—six of their seven songs have been in heavy rotation on rock radio.

The theme from Halloween signaled the start of Rob Zombie’s show, which was a far more extravagant affair than what he presented earlier in the year. As Zombie and his band churned out the expected crowd favorites (“Superbeast,” “Living Dead Girl,” “More Human Than Human,” “Never Gonna Stop,” “Thunderkiss ’65,” “Dragula”) and the singles from this year’s Educated Horses album (“American Witch,” Let It All Bleed Out,” “Foxy Foxy”), pyro frequently lit the stage and vintage movie clips played out on a large screen and several monitors. Two dancers (including Zombie’s wife, Sherri Moon Zombie) joined the fun on selected songs, while “More Human Than Human” saw the return of the giant dancing robot.

Zombie himself was as energized as he has been since headlining the second stage of Ozzfest 2005. His new band, featuring former Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5, has given him a second wind. He has been one of the most consistently entertaining performers in rock music over the last 15 years and it’s good for the entire genre that he has not yet turned to movies completely.

Show highlights included the two songs inspired by his films, “House of 1000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects,” a cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and John 5’s guitar solo midway through “Thunder Kiss.” The crowd relished every second Zombie graced the stage and 60 minutes didn’t seem long enough for his set.

Of the many hard rock acts that emerged in the late 1990s, few have proven to be as enduring as Godsmack, whose latest release, IV, charted at number one earlier this year. A major reason for their continued success undoubtedly is their phenomenal live show, which features about as much pyro as fire marshals will allow. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by seeing the band live several times, but the show this night felt a bit predictable to me. It’s a small complaint because it’s still far better than what most other acts offer. I would have liked to have heard one or two more new songs (those they did play—“Speak,” “The Enemy,” “Livin in Sin” and “Shine Down”—were exceptional) or something obscure from their back catalog. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Godsmack show without songs like “Straight Out of Line,” “Awake,” “Keep Away,” “Voodoo,” “Whatever,” “I Stand Alone” and the percussion extravaganza “Batalla de los Tambores.”

Godsmack has matured into a legitimate arena headliner, commanding the audience’s attention for all of their 90 minutes on stage and holding their own following Zombie. And that’s no easy feat.