You know the scene in Almost Famous where William says to Penny, “I have to go home”? Penny looks at him dead in the eyes and responds, “You ARE home.”
That’s how it feels to be at a Mammoth WVH show. HOME.
Sure, it’s got the grittiness of a rock show but it’s more than that… it’s the familiarity and gratitude you feel when Wolf talks to the crowd. It’s the warm and fuzzies or the goosebumps you feel when the music hits just right. It’s sinking into the groove of your favorite guitar solo. It’s the not feeling so alone when you notice everyone around you is singing along too.
On February 27th, Mammoth WVH brought home to the Egyptian Room at Indiana’s Old National Centre. Opening up the show, Nita Strauss and her band turn up the heat showcasing many songs off of her latest album, The Call of the Void. Nita is an absolute force on stage and impresses with her guitar play. Shortly after the first 3 songs, Kasey Karlsen joins the band adding her powerhouse vocals to the mix.
Mammoth WVH is up next with the lineup of Wolfgang Van Halen, Garrett Whitlock, Jon Jourdan, and Ronnie Ficarro. Blessing us with a setlist highlighting songs from both albums, the band journeyed off the written path and jammed a bit. Both Like A Past Time and Optimist got their own heavier additions, showcasing the bands personality and inspirations.
On the other side of the spectrum, Wolf knows how to slow things down and does it well. When Mammoth WVH first started touring, the full band would perform ‘Distance’ but since then, things have changed. After a few stints where the band was short a member, Wolf tried performing it acoustically on his own - the way it was written. It seemed to work so well that he decided he’d perform it acoustically whenever they headlined a tour.
Fast forward to today, we’ve got Wolf headlining a tour that’s filling rooms wall to wall. The band left the stage and Wolf emerged from the fog with his acoustic guitar telling us this exact story…only to start playing ‘Wonderwall’ followed by a quick “just kidding.” What a jokester.
The sound of a full band is always something to enjoy however, hearing Wolf’s voice paired with just an acoustic guitar really drives the heart and emotion of ‘Distance,” well, home.
The band came back out and the energy skyrocketed right back up. After touring together and playing one off shows since 2021, Mammoth WVH is like a well oiled machine. The show is the perfect ebb and flow of tempo.
Mammoth WVH’s headlining tour has a few dates left this month then picks up again in May and July. See them now. See them later. Whatever you do, go home and see Mammoth WVH. View dates and get tickets here.
*Click photos to enlarge
