Uproar Festival
August 29, 2014
Simpsonville, SC
Charter Ampitheatre
Concert Review by Joseph Hett

Godsmack Brings Horsepower To The Uproar Festival in Simpsonville

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival rolled into Simpsonville, SC on Friday headlined by Skillet, Seether and Godsmack. The capacity crowd had to endure a hot and very humid day until the sun went down and the pyro came out at night. The festival also served as a Birthday Bash for the new rock station in Greenville, SC – WTPT 93.3 The Planet.

Skillet took the stage on a mission to showcase their unique style of uplifting rock. And that’s exactly what they did during their 8-song set. A violin and cello player dressed in burgundy robes came out and started the intro to the haunting “Whispers In The Dark.”

John Cooper, who has the most recognizable vocals today, ran around the stage the entire time getting the crowd pumped up. He constantly spoke to the audience during the set, especially with “Sick Of It” – where he rattled off a list of things that the crowd could be sick of.

Drummer Jen Ledger was a monster – no pun intended – on drums all evening long. She also had several chances to chime in with her angelic vocals from behind the drum set.

During “Awake And Alive,” band members took turns riding a lift so they could tower over the masses.

Twisted Todd, from 93.3 The Planet, was a guest bass player for the song “Monster.” Todd was given five-star treatment by Cooper and the band.

They ended the set with “Rebirthing” – from 2006’s “Comatose” album. It was very uplifting for a band of that caliber to perform songs with positive messages. They lit up the place even though it was bright outside already.

Seether, the South African band, was up next as the sun was starting to set. The middle mic stand was decorated at the last minute with a pair of deer antlers, an interesting touch. They showcased their classics with the nine-song set.

They started up with 2003’s “Gasoline” and then went into “Rise Above This” – a song about suicide prevention.

They then presented more of a mellow portion of the show highlighted by “Fine Again.”

In-between songs, a track would play distorted, feedback guitar sounds while the band got ready for the next song in the set.

“Broken” was in an acoustic setup, minus the vocals of Amy Lee. Band members took turns harmonizing her original parts.

They closed out the set with the hits “Country Song,” “Fake It” and the jamming “Remedy.” They presented a more diverse sound and that paid off with the Simpsonville fans.

A video retrospective of Godsmack was presented before they took to the stage. It included the AC/DC tune “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You).” They dropped the video screen/curtain and went straight into the new hard-hitting “Generation Day.”

You could tell right out of the gate that Godsmack was going to deliver all of the in-your-face Drop-D tuning you could handle. They soldiered on with “Cryin’ Like A Bitch.”

Frontman Sully Erna said they were going to play classics from their catalog and stuff from their new album “1000HP.” He said, “If you don’t have it, you should get it. It’s a badass motherf—–.”

Up next were the new tunes “What’s Next” and “Locked And Loaded” – where fire balls shot up from the stage.

Erna made his way to the top of the riser for “Something Different” and mentioned that this song was probably going to be their next single.

They continued with the classics “Awake,” “Speak” and “Voodoo.”

The highlight of the night had to be “Batalla De Los Tambores.” A drum duel with drummer Shannon Larkin and Erna – also a drummer in his own right. They then paid homage to some classic rock tunes including some AC/DC, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and Rush.

A cart carrying about 15 beers in black solo cups was wheeled out onto the stage. It was time to play pitch and catch. Erna asked if there was a baseball team in the area, and he found out there wasn’t a team. The crowd’s catching ability was below Mendoza Line.

They closed out the set with the song “1000HP” while a confetti cannon blasted the audience.

For the encore, they came back out and cranked out “I Stand Alone” to close out the hour and a half set. Godsmack showed no signs of slowing down. They take extended breaks to recharge their batteries so they can come back and kick everybody’s ass.

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival was a major success in Simpsonville. Fans in the area are always dying for fresh tours to come around, and that’s exactly what they got. This is a must-see tour if you are into new headbanging hard rock.