Godsmack at White River: Pre-Show from the Lot

obert and Michele Forto record from the parking lot at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, on September 24, 2026, before walking in for Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots, and Dorothy on the Rise of Rock tour. This is not just another date on the calendar. Godsmack was Michele’s first hard rock concert and the first show she and Robert saw together — Red Rocks, Denver, 2000, on her 28th birthday at the KBPI Birthday Bash. They have seen the band more than a dozen times since, including Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Rockville, arenas around the country, and a rare night in Anchorage. They talk about the night a Louder Than Life rainout sent them from Louisville to Peoria the next day, the first time they saw Shinedown, and what they want from a three-act amphitheater bill instead of a festival sprint. Sully Erna and Robbie Merrill are still here. Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin are not. Sam Koltun is on guitar. Mike Mangini, formerly of Dream Theater, is on drums. Before the gates, they lock in three tests for the new lineup: urgency or autopilot, whether Voodoo and the drum battle still own the room, and whether Under Your Scars still stops the lawn before Bulletproof and I Stand Alone. Recorded on site at White River Amphitheater. Post-show recap coming after the last song. Subscribe to Rock n Coasters wherever you listen. Subscriber extras are on FirstPaw+ in Apple Podcasts.