THURSDAY

Arriving late to the party and missing out on many of the stellar bands that played earlier that day (which the crowd could be heard buzzing about in between sets and on their way out after day one wrapped up; everyone leaving with a new favorite), I did catch two of my personal favorites, Godsmack and Tool.

Godsmack

This writer has witnessed a plethora of Godsmack over the years (including a taped MTV special at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and an acoustic show in Akron, OH in 2004, it has been several years since I have seen the band live! Godsmack hasn’t missed a beat, literally or figuratively. Something that fans forget is that lead singer Sully Erna is also a drummer. He was Godsmack’s recording drummer for their first three albums. A staple at many Godsmack shows is a drum-off between Erna and official drummer Shannon Larking. This is always entertaining and even with a shortened set they still made the time to play “Batalla De Los Tambores.” The icing on the cake was Aerosmight’s Brad Whitford joining the band onstage to play a cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”. This was such a fun way to end their set. But before they left the screen behind them on stage brought up a graphic of all their albums and a giant “Thank You for 25 Years” (Which, FYI, makes them eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!)

Tool

Tool, one of this writer’s top five favorite bands of all time, never disappoints. My reservation was that at a festival, Maynard James Keenan & Co. don’t have the same time they would if it were their headlining show. This turned out to be advantageous to me as a fan. Tool had to get right to the point and have a no-nonsense setlist. Maynard who dresses in unpredictable outfits every night, went with the most traditional button-down and suit vest look. Drummer Danny Carey wore an Ohio State jersey, paying homage to Columbus’ prized university.

The energy was through the metaphorical roof. It was a beautiful night and the first of four days. Knowing that Tool is the appetizer for the weekend can make anyone excited for what’s yet to come. Tool stuck to songs from their last four albums (Even though that spans nearly 20 years). Aenima’s “Forty-Six & 2,” “Stinkfist,” and the ever-favorite but not always played “Pushit were set highlights. As someone who had a large motivator to attend this whole festival because of the opportunity to see Tool, I left a satisfied customer!

FRIDAY

After an incredibly unfortunate scooter accident that nearly derailed the remaining three days of Sonic Temple for this writer, a brave and expedited recovery was made just in time to make it to the venue for the evening’s headliner.

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age played their first show in three years, Frontman Josh Homme erroneously called it the fist show in give years, but it definitely did not fool this writer! QOTSA is the epitome of a rock ‘n’ roll band. No bullshit; just good songs. Everything else is secondary. This show was exactly what it needed to be and what everyone wanted. Homme pointed out how weird it was to be playing with the sun still up, which was exasperated but the heat emitted from it. The band Jumped right into “No One Knows.” Zero rust! Three years with no shows? I sure as hell think they had a rehearsal or two. Some of my personal favorites were “Little Sister,” and “Go With the Flow”. A song U forgot how much i loved was, “If I Had a Tail,” from …Like Clockwork that I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing live before. The band was the tightest I’d ever heard. Maybe it was the dinner hour that they were performing or the fact that they loved and missed being on stage together? Regardless it was one of the highlights of the weekend.