For guitarist Tim Theriault, the best part of each performance is the hush just before an act takes the stage, and the crowd’s audible reaction when they realize the show is about to begin. It’s a moment that he’s savored at live concerts since he was a teenager, and one that he now gets to experience from the other side.

“My favorite moment of every night is the time when the lights go down and the crowd just goes, ‘Ahhh, here we go,’” Theriault said. “To have that happen to you is such a cooler feeling, because they’re waiting for you. It’s pretty cool.”

Theriault, a long-time Seacoast musician, is currently touring with Godsmack frontman Sully Erna in support of Erna’s solo album, “Avalon.” Also in the band is keyboardist Chris Decato, another active Seacoast alum. The group will perform at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Saturday, June 18. 

After helping Erna write and record the songs for his solo debut, which came out last September, Theriault and Decato are relishing the eastern U.S. tour. 

“Here we are,” Decato said. “We kind of fantasized about it as kids and certainly fantasized about it when we were finishing up the record and seeing it come together, and Sully was determined to make it happen.”

Decato sounded exhausted following a 16-hour bus ride from Chicago to Richmond, Va., but he was still buzzing from the energy generated by an enthusiastic crowd at the House of Blues the night before.

“Traveling is a lot of fun, and grisly and boring and smelly and horrible, but awesome and incredible all rolled into one,” Decato said. “It’s definitely been an amazing opportunity and I feel kind of blessed to be a part of it.”

Both Decato and Theriault have spent years gigging around the Seacoast and recording in area studios, but they’re now playing in front of large crowds—usually between 500 and 1,500 people, Theriault estimates. 

It was vocalist Lisa Guyer, a native of Laconia, who brought Theriault to Erna’s attention. Guyer has been friends with Erna since before his Godsmack days, and he wanted her to be a part of his first solo effort. As they searched for instrumentalists to fill out the band, Guyer recommended Theriault, who she’s known for about 10 years. Theriault, in turn, recruited Decato to play keys on the album.

Erna’s band has a total of eight members, with Chris Lester on acoustic guitar and bass, Irina Chirkova on cello, and Niall Gregory and David Stefanelli on drums and percussion. They gathered to get a feel for Erna’s vision and collaborate on songwriting sessions to develop the album’s 11 tracks. 

“First we all got together just to kind of see what it would sound like, because we kind of had an idea what he was going for, but we really didn’t know what it was gonna sound like until we all got in a room together,” Theriault said.

They later went into the studio and hammered through a quick recording process. Decato, owner of Decato Sound, has extensive recording experience, but this was his first time making an album that would be widely available at stores around the nation. 

“This was only slightly different in that it was something that was going to be in every Best Buy. It was gonna be in every Wal-Mart. And we knew that going in, and that was slightly hair raising,” he said.

The finished album represents a departure from Erna’s work with Godsmack. He formed the metal band in his hometown of Lawrence, Mass., in the mid 1990s, and it has since recorded several multi-platinum albums. But Erna’s musical interests stretch beyond heavy metal, and “Avalon” has a softer, more mystical sound. 

Decato said Erna had a clear picture of the sonic atmosphere he was aiming for, and he coaxed it out of his new band members.

“Sully is really, really good at hearing what it is that he wants,” Decato said. “We all kind of brought our own flavor to the table. Everybody had their strengths and that’s what the music played out. It just happened kind of organically in that way. What someone happened to be great at was what the song needed.”

The band attempts to replicate the songs as accurately as possible at live shows. Although the music is a far cry from Godsmack’s raucous metal, the response from audience members and reviewers, alike, has been overwhelmingly positive, Theriault said. 

“Even though this music isn’t like drinking beer and mosh pitting like with Godsmack, they were definitely into the music,” he said of the crowd in Richmond. “You could see them, you know, letting the music take them away.”

Decato offered a similar report on the House of Blues show in Chicago. 

“We really knocked it out. They loved it. They were screaming at us at the end,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun and I’m humbled and just feel so blessed.” 

On the same night that Erna and his crew were performing at Calvin Theatre in North Hampton, Mass., another band with local members was playing overseas at a festival in Venice, Italy. The Pretty Reckless, helmed by teen star Taylor Momsen, features Seacoast musicians Jamie Perkins on drums and Mark Damon on bass. Their combined success speaks to the wealth of talent on the Seacoast, with musicians who can keep pace with virtually any performer in the world.

“It’s so cool to see,” Decato said. “There are so many Seacoast musicians who are fully capable and could step into any of our shoes out here.”

Decato acknowledged that, in addition to having the skill needed to play at a high level, getting a big break largely comes down to luck and who you know. He advises aspiring musicians to make as many connections as possible.

“Just be as nice of a guy as you can be to everybody you meet and cross your fingers and stay in the woodshed and practice so when the time comes you can play the part,” he said.

Although they have seen numerous shows at the Casino Ballroom (both caught Dweezil Zappa last summer), neither Theriault nor Decato have ever performed there. They look forward to playing on the same stage where they’ve seen some of their idols, and it’s fitting that they’ll end the tour with a show so close to home.

Theriault and Decato will be around for the summer while Erna embarks on a two-month tour with Godsmack. But they hope to continue the “Avalon” tour with a western swing in the fall. In the meantime, though, they’re focused on the shows before them. 

“It’s a wild ride, for sure,” Decato said. “Livin’ the dream.”

Sully Erna and his band will perform at 8 p.m. on June 18 at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, 603-929-4100, www.casinoballroom.com. Tickets are $24 to $40.