Indianapolis, Indiana
Photos by Laura Fox
Review by Laura Fox and Dave Fox
Mammoth WVH brought a straight-up hard rock show to the Murat Theater in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Februry 15. Currently touring in support of Alter Bridge’s Pawns and Kings tour, Mammoth WVH is technically the solo project of Wolfgang Van Halen (Wolf). Backed by seasoned musicians Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan on guitars, Ronnie Ficarro on bass and Garrett Whitlock on percussion, Wolf showed off his versatility and musicianship by performing lead vocals, guitar, and keyboards.
If you haven’t heard Mammoth WVH, you’re missing out on some good stuff. We caught some of their set a couple years ago when they were touring with Guns ‘N Roses, and we both loved it. The lyrics are relevant and well-written, the choruses are sing-able, and the overall vibe is kind of classic rock meets melodic metal. It’s music for dancing, head banging, and air-guitar-playing, and folks in the crowd were doing as much of that as they could from their seats.
Mammoth WVH;s self-title debut album was 100% Wolf: he wrote every word, sang every note, and played every instrument. That’s pretty damn impressive for a 31-year old, even one who is undisputed rock royalty. The video for “Don’t Back Down” (see below) gives a hint at how that all went together, and gives a glimpse into Wolf’s personality.
That personality came through during Wednesday night’s set. Although he wasn’t overly chatty, Wolf connected with the audience through his heartfelt vocals, plenty of eye contact, a little of his dry humor, and his confident, yet humble demeanor. He seemed truly grateful for every bit of well-earned applause.
Mammoth WVH will be on tour with Alter Bridge through April 1, then will join Metallica on their European tour beginning late April 2023. For tickets, as well as all things Mammoth WVH go to: https://www.mammothwvh.com/