Godsmack and Halestorm landed at the Hertz Arena in Estero, FL and rocked the building to it’s core as thousands gathered to witness this amazing event!! Hopefully for SW Florida this is the beginning of more rock concerts to the area!
Kicking off the show was the Canadian rock band Monster Truck who wasted little time in building up the energy in the arena. They kicked off their set with “Sweet Mountain River” which was included in Ubisoft’s music game Rocksmith 2014 as well as hitting number one in the Canadian Rock Chart and eighty four on the Canadian Hot 100.
With their energy and great music it’s pretty safe to say they gained many new fans this night. Even days later people were still talking about how great they sounded. These guys are the real deal so go check them out!!
Monster Truck Members:
Jon Harvey ~ Lead Vocals/Bass, Jeremy Widerman ~ guitarist, Brandon Bliss ~ keyboardist, Steve Kiely ~ Drums.
Connect with Monster Truck:
www.facebook.com/ilovemonstertruck
https://twitter.com/Monster_Truck_
www.instagram.com/ilovemonstertruck/
www.youtube.com/user/ilovemonstertruck
https://soundcloud.com/ilovemonstertruck
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0slSgjqTuj6hcod6IcG6zu
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/monster-truck/466061729
Monster Truck Setlist:
- Sweet Mountain River
- She’s a Witch
- Don’t Tell Me How to Live
- Evolution
- For the Sun
- Call It a Spade
- The Lion
Halestorm came out rockin’ hard as Lzzy Hale was strutting around in some very high heels rockin’ that guitar like only she can. Hale has such a powerful voice that just draws you in, then you get nailed by the screaming guitars of her and Joe. Josh and Arejay do a great job of keeping everyone in time and pounding your soul with some great low end.
They had such an incredible light show prepared on this night. Lights and lasers were going everywhere while the spotlights were trained on both Lzzy and Arejay as they sang away. Watching this from the second floor of the arena was incredible.
In the middle of the set, Arejay went into his drum solo much to the delight of fans. I have to tell you, if you haven’t seen or listened to him play you are missing out! This guy is good!! Towards the end of the solo he broke out the BIG drumsticks, these things had to be a good three feet long and he rocked that kit hard! He is a drumstick flipper for sure.
It was just recently announced that Lzzy Hale will be honored at the Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) 2020 She Rocks Awards which is at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020.
Sadly, this was my first Halestorm show however after this I do look forward to seeing them again soon!! Go check them out!!
Halestorm Members:
Lzzy Hale ~ Vocals/Guitar, Joe Hottinger ~ Guitar, Josh Smith ~ bass, Arejay Hale ~ drums
Connect with Halestorm:
www.facebook.com/halestormrocks
https://instagram.com/halestormrocks
www.youtube.com/user/HalestormRocks
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6om12Ev5ppgoMy3OYSoech?si=z_v41gF6QeGWlV4GnV_B2w
https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/artist/halestorm/3969358?mt=1&app=music
https://soundcloud.com/halestormrocks
Halestorm Setlist:
- Do Not Disturb
- Love Bites (So Do I)
- Black Vultures
- I Get Off
- Familiar Taste of Poison
- Amen
- Bass ~ Drum Solo
- Freak Like Me
- Chemicals
- Uncomfortable
- Here’s to Us
- I Miss the Misery
The time had come for Godsmack to take the stage after a four year absence in Southwest Florida. A high energy intro started playing and the anticipation kept growing as it played on. The intro stopped, then the curtain dropped and Shannon Larkin and his drum kit were spinning around and he didn’t miss a beat. The rest of the band joined him on stage and the crowd went wild as they went into “When Legends Rise”.
After they finished the heart pounding “1000hp” and “Someday” our time in the pit was up. There’s no better way to regroup as they played “Voodoo“!! We weren’t done yet because we were given permission to keep shooting, and we did just that as we rocked out through out the arena. As we made our way around, we saw plenty of people moving to the music everywhere we went. People that we ran into kept telling us how much they were enjoying it.
People were going absolutely nuts as Erna and Larkin began the classic drum battle known as “Batalla de los tambores” which they’ve been doing for many years. This is something that you must experience live as videos do not do this full justice!!
Another notable moment, actually there are many, is when the lights came down and Erna began to play “Under Your Scars“. The light during this song was from hundreds and hundreds of cell phones. Erna belted out the moving lyrics as he played on the piano. The Scars Foundation, created by Erna and Godsmack, is dedicated to providing resources and tools to educate and empower people on a global level that struggle with the burdens associated with metal health issues.
For more information on the Scars Foundation please visit: www.godsmack.com/scarsfoundation
This show was by far the best sounding, best use of lighting and pyrotechnics that I have been to all year. Godsmack went all out on this one and it showed!! Be sure to check the tour schedule and hit this when it comes to your area!!
Godsmack Members:
Sully Erna ~ Vocals/Guitar/Piano/Percussion, Tony Rombola ~ Guitar, Robbie Merrill ~ Bass, Shannon Larkin ~ Drums
Connect with Godsmack:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9rl8k6yymUeVzzXfFGWwA
https://open.spotify.com/user/8zha6kznq8rngtmrz0shyc3u0
Godsmack Setlist:
- When Legends Rise
- 1000hp
- Someday
- Voodoo
- Unforgettable
- Awake
- Take It to the Edge
- Something Different
- Keep Away
- Batalla de los tambores
- Whatever
- Encore:
- Under Your Scars
- Bulletproof
- I Stand Alone
Hertz Arena has been a long time fixture in Southwest Florida, it originally opened in 1998 and was known as Everblades Arena. The Hoffmann Family of Companies recently purchased the multipurpose arena and plans are already underway to upgrade the 8,284-seat, multi-purpose arena. The improvements will include enhanced sky-boxes, food services and installation of a state-of-the-art scoreboard. For more information you can visit their site at www.hertzarena.com. Make sure to check out their calendar of events!!