Story and Photos by Javier Vicencio
It was one of those Texas summer evenings that seemed custom-built for rock and roll. Under clear skies at Toyota Music Factory, DOROTHY brought the swagger, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS delivered a heavy dose of ’90s nostalgia, and GODSMACK capped the night with enough firepower, percussion, and arena-sized anthems to rattle beer cups throughout the amphitheater.
DOROTHY
If anyone in the crowd arrived unfamiliar with DOROTHY, they didn’t stay that way for long.Singer-songwriter Dorothy Martin walked onstage and immediately owned the room. Armed with a powerhouse voice that can shift from soulful blues to full-throttle hard rock in a heartbeat, she and her band launched into “Down to the Bottom” and “Raise Hell,” setting the tone for the evening with riffs that echoed beneath the pavilion roof.
Martin’s stage presence is refreshingly straightforward. No elaborate props. No gimmicks. Just confidence, charisma, and songs that hit with the force of a speeding muscle car. A brief technical issue midway through the set provided one of the night’s funniest moments. While crew members worked through the problem, Martin kept the crowd entertained. “We’re done playing music—we’ll do a TED Talk instead!” she joked.
The downtime quickly turned into story time as she shared memories of listening to Marilyn Manson in high school with her cheerleading friend Jennifer, who happened to be in attendance.The band’s bluesy, riff-heavy sound felt perfectly suited for an outdoor summer show. As the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, DOROTHY delivered the kind of set that makes fans reach for their phones and immediately search, “When are they coming back?”
Setlist
• Down to the Bottom
• The Devil I Know
• Raise Hell
• After Midnight
• Bones
• Mud
• Rest in Peace
• Whiskey Fever
• Dark Nights
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
There remains something wonderfully surreal about seeing STONE TEMPLE PILOTS in 2026. At this point, their catalog has transcended nostalgia. These aren’t simply songs from the ’90s anymore—they’re rock standards. The kind of songs that somehow belong equally to Gen X fans who bought the CDs, millennials who discovered them on rock radio, and younger listeners who inherited them through playlists and family road trips. The band’s set pulled heavily from its classic first four albums, and the crowd happily sang along to nearly every word.
Guitarist Dean DeLeo and bassist Robert DeLeo looked like they were having the time of their lives, constantly exchanging smiles and feeding off one another’s energy. Their chemistry remains one of the band’s secret weapons. Meanwhile, vocalist Jeff Gutt continues to impress in a role that many once considered impossible. Filling Scott Weiland’s shoes was always going to invite scrutiny, but Gutt has wisely avoided imitation. Instead, he honors the songs while bringing his own personality and voice to the material—a balance that continues to win over audiences.
Highlights came early and often. “Vasoline,” “Big Empty,” and “Interstate Love Song” generated some of the biggest singalongs of the evening, while “Plush,” dedicated to Weiland, delivered an emotional moment that reminded everyone why these songs continue to endure. From start to finish, the set felt like a greatest-hits collection played at maximum volume.
By the time the band closed with “Sex Type Thing,” darkness had fully settled over the venue and the crowd was primed for the evening’s headliners.
Setlist
• Dead & Bloated
• Wicked Garden
• Vasoline
• Big Bang Baby
• Down
• Lounge Fly
• Big Empty
• Plush
• Interstate Love Song
• Crackerman
• Sex Type Thing
GODSMACK
The opening notes of “Surrender” hit, Sully Erna stormed onto the stage, and thousands of fists instantly shot into the air. From that moment forward, the band operated like a machine built exclusively for delivering rock anthems. “You and I,” “Straight Out of Line,” and “Awake” landed one after another like body shots from a heavyweight champion. No filler. No slowing down. Just hit after hit. What continues to separate GODSMACK from many of their peers is how effortlessly they balance sheer power with precision. The band sounded massive throughout the night without sacrificing clarity or intensity.
Guitarist Sam Koltun was particularly impressive. His guitar tone during “Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!” was absolutely monstrous, with riffs rolling across the amphitheater like an approaching thunderstorm. One of the night’s recurring themes was realizing just how many rock-radio staples GODSMACK has accumulated over the years. Every chorus seemed to trigger another wave of audience participation, especially during “Keep Away,” where thousands shouted the lyrics back at the stage with impressive enthusiasm. “Love-Hate-Sex-Pain” provided a brief emotional detour before the band transformed the venue during “Voodoo.” Bathed in eerie green lighting, the amphitheater suddenly felt less like a concert and more like a giant tribal ritual. The hypnotic groove pulled the crowd into a trance-like state.
The “Batalla de los Tambores” remains one of those over-the-top concert moments that should feel ridiculous after all these years—but somehow still works every single time. Erna and drummer Wade Murff traded percussion runs while rotating drum platforms rolled across the stage beneath flashing lights. The audience absolutely ate it up. “Whatever” reignited the party before GODSMACK delivered a surprisingly effective version of The Beatles’ “Come Together,” giving the classic track a darker, heavier edge while keeping its unmistakable swagger intact. The encore pushed things even further. “Under Your Scars” created one final emotional singalong before “Bulletproof” immediately cranked the energy back into the red zone.
Then came “I Stand Alone.” The opening riff triggered one of the loudest crowd reactions of the night. Phones shot into the air. Fists followed. Voices erupted from every corner of the venue. Some songs define an era. “I Stand Alone” remains one of them.
Godsmack Setlist
- Surrender
- You and I
- Straight Out of Line
- Awake
- When Legends Rise
- Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
- Keep Away
- Love-Hate-Sex-Pain
- Voodoo
- Batalla de los Tambores
- Whatever
- Come Together
Encore
- Under Your Scars
- Bulletproof
- I Stand Alone
As the final notes echoed through the Texas night, the evening had delivered everything rock fans could have wanted: nostalgia, volume, giant singalongs, and just enough chaos to make it memorable. Loud, unapologetic, and endlessly entertaining, it was a reminder that summer amphitheater rock shows are still one of life’s great pleasures.
