Godsmack And Stone Temple Pilots Come to Tinley Park
If you're a 90's-2000's Rock fan then you know who Godsmack are. On June 20th, the legendary rock stars made a stop in Tinley Park during their "Rise of Rock World Tour 2026" and bringing along with them Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy. This was a teenage dream of mine, being both a huge Godsmack and Stone Temple Pilots fan for so long.
Dorothy opened up the show with, what I would consider rock/southern rock with a little bit of blues mixed in there. She had the look of a rock star and along with it a powerful voice. I had never heard her music so couldn't wait to see what she was all about. Her set overall was very enjoyable and had the crowd pumped for the rest of the night.
Next was up one of my favorite "Grunge" bands, Stone Temple Pilots. I've never thought I would ever be able to see them live and was so excited when I heard they were touring with Godsmack. Again, that teenage fan started to get pumped with anticipation during the set change. I've been listening to STP since a very young age and know all their music, I couldn't wait to see what they would start the set with.
The guys started making their way onto the stage and I quickly rushed to my spot. As soon as the music started I recognized the song right away, one of my favorites and a classic, "Dead and Bloated"! I found myself singing along while capturing them behind my camera, I couldn't help myself.
Any time there's a change in band members there can be a bit of hesitation, being such a huge fan of Scott Weiland, I knew those were big shoes to fill. Jeff Gutt definitely filled those shoes! His energy and raw, scratchy voice did them justice. I think he is a great front-man and was welcomed with open arms to Chicago. As soon as I was done shooting I ran to my seat to enjoy the rest of the show, continuing to sing along to every song they played. The band ended with "Sex Type Thing", another STP classic, and then gathered to the front of the stage as a solid group and said their thank you's and good byes to the crowd.
Now it was time for the main event, Godsmack! I have been such a huge fan since their first album came out in 1998, I wasn't even in high school yet! I remember specifically hearing "Voodoo" on the radio and was hooked, I bought their CD, yes CD! I played the CD like crazy, over and over, watching their videos on MTV and couldn't get enough. I knew I had to go see them when they came around this tour and when I was given their show to cover, that huge fan came out! To see Sully Erna up close and live, playing my favorite songs and getting to shoot and review them was a dream come true.
The band starting coming out one by one, then Sully hit the stage and the music started. They started the show off with "When Legends Rise", the crowd instantly started to singing along. After that, Sully started to play a guitar solo, he was enjoying just playing and being on stage, almost as if no one else was there but him. One of my favorite parts of the show as that they would stop here and there and chat, it wasn't just getting through the set list and being done, they made everyone feel welcome and a part of the show. Sully talked about some stories from the past, goofing around with the other band members, and then started talking about all the kids in the crowd. He brought up about 8 kids of all ages onto the stage to share a huge memorable moment with them, lucky kids! Now, that drum battle between him and Mike Mangini was draw dropping! They were having a blast, even tossing drum sticks at each other.
They started their encore off with "Under Your Scars" and Sully shared the story behind that song and the foundation they started supporting mental health awareness and help for those in need. He played the beautiful song on a piano, starting with just him and then the rest of the band joined him. The show ended with "I Stand Alone", a great closing to an amazing evening. Music has been such a huge part of my life since I was young, and being able to see two bands I've loved since I was a young teen in the same night was unforgettable.