MAMMOTH WVH ... DESTINED FOR GREATNESS
Starland Ballroom was packed – and I mean PACKED – for an undeniably epic Mammoth WVH show on November 17th. Songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Wolfgang Van Halen – along with his scorching hot band - shredded the place with their own brand of rock that both honors and expands upon the classic rock and roll music icons before them have made.
Touring on their 2023 album - Mammoth II - they began with a trifecta of favorites: the frenetic new banger “Right?”, the beautifully melodic “Mammoth,” and the addicting pop-rock “Miles Above Me.” The 16-song set was masterfully built upon hits from their two albums with a tender acoustic set by Wolfie in the middle. He introduced “Think It Over” by saying playing it makes him so happy since it was his Dad’s favorite song. Mom Valerie Bertinelli beamed from the side of the stage. The encore was the cherry on top with “Another Celebration at the End of the World” and “Don’t Back Down.”
Wolfgang interacted with the crowd as a seasoned professional would, but came across as if he were friends with everyone in the room. He seemed generally overwhelmed by the size of the audience and reminisced about his last performance at Starland where he had to play several instruments to fill in for the band members who couldn’t make it. “This is absolutely the best crowd and reception we’ve had on tour so far,” he said as he air-hugged the audience.
It’s difficult to find words to describe how unbelievably good the music was that evening. Searing, heavy guitars, heart-thumping bass lines, stellar vocals and ferocious drumming would be a good start. The spectrum of genres this rock band covers is truly amazing. They vacillated from grungy and classic rock, to metal, and then to pop-rock and tender ballads.
It's been a long time since I've heard a band so tight and technically proficient. Wolfgang may be the leader but his bandmates aren't a backing band. They are all equal, necessary parts of Mammoth WVH ... with Wolfie's outstanding voice as the crowning glory.
After hearing Mammoth WVH perform live you realize there’s an indisputable fact that cannot be ignored. And that is, that this band is destined to become one of the all-time great ones.
