Seeing Mammoth live makes one thing immediately clear. Whatever expectations follow Wolfgang Van Halen into a room, he dismantles them within the first few songs. Not by trying to outrun his last name, but by outworking it.
Mammoth hit the stage together with force and precision, sounding even better live than on record. From the start, it felt less like a frontman with a backing band and more like a unit built for motion and sound. Ronnie Ficarro spent much of the night hamming it up, sprinting to the edge of the stage, leaning into the crowd, never staying still for long. Microphones were placed around the stage so wherever the band landed, they could grab the next line without missing a beat. By the fourth song, Wolfgang was singing from near the drum kit, casually shifting the geography of the performance without breaking momentum.
Wolfgang has said he plays every instrument on Mammoth records simply because that’s how he hears the music. Writing, arranging, recording and performing all the parts himself isn’t a flex. It’s a window into how his brain works. Live, that clarity translates, but it never overshadows the rest of the band. Frank Sidoris and Jonathan Jourdan locked in on guitars, Ficarro drove the low end with a grin and Garrett Whitlock kept everything grounded from behind the kit.
Before launching into “Same Old Song,” one of the night’s early highlights, Wolfgang welcomed the crowd. The track wrestles with frustration and conformity, choosing something real over something familiar, and it landed hard. He joked that the next song was “about zombies, werewolves and shit,” but the chorus cut deeper than that, tapping into the weight of expectation that has followed him since childhood.
Midway through the set, Wolfgang paused to speak directly to the crowd. He made it clear that the visuals on screen were created by real artists. “AI sucks,” he said. “Use your fucking brains, folks.” The room erupted. It was a brief aside, but it spoke volumes about how intentional this project is.
“Stone,” from Mammoth’s first album, sat dead center in the set. Wolfgang opened alone on keys, giving the arrangement space to unfold before the rest of the band rejoined him. When security began moving quickly through the crowd mid-song, he stopped immediately, bringing the lights up to make sure no one was hurt. Once assured everything was fine, he jumped right back into the track without hesitation, picking up exactly where he left off and showing just how locked in this 34-year-old artist is.
Later came “Mammoth,” the self-titled track that feels almost autobiographical. It’s about refusing to be defined by other people’s expectations, something Wolfgang knows intimately. The band lined the front of the stage, Ronnie and Jonathan back to back, Wolfgang and Frank mirroring them, all sweat, smiles and motion as the song pushed forward.
“Resolved” made its first live appearance in four years, followed seamlessly by “Distance,” Wolfgang’s tribute to his father. Here, he truly allowed the song to breathe. He lingered in the quiet moments, letting the weight of the lyrics settle into the room. Knowing how guarded he has always been about his father, the emotion carried differently, heavy but controlled, shared without spectacle.
As the night moved toward its close, Wolfgang thanked the crowd, clearly humbled by the size of it. He admitted that seeing more than a thousand people at a Mammoth show once floored him. Now, it’s the norm. The encore leaned into humor and timing. A new album. A song called “The End.” Almost the end of the tour. The end of the night. So they played it.
Mammoth isn’t riding legacy. It’s building something of its own, loud, thoughtful and relentlessly human.
Myles Kennedy, Steady and Sure
Before Mammoth took the stage, the night unfolded in layers. Return to Dust opened with a brief set as the room filled, their sound drifting over a crowd still mingling and settling in. Myles Kennedy followed as the main opener, bringing the confidence of someone who’s spent decades on stages alongside some of rock’s most recognizable names. Known for his work with Alter Bridge and his long-standing collaborations with Slash, Kennedy delivered a measured, disciplined set that felt rooted in experience rather than spectacle. It was the kind of performance that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it, setting a steady foundation for the night ahead.
Setlists
Mammoth Setlist
One of a Kind
Another Celebration at the End of the World
The Spell
Epiphany
Same Old Song
Like a Pastime
Optimist
Stone
Happy
Mammoth
Resolve
Distance
All in Good Time
Take a Bow
I Really Wanna
Encore:
Don’t Back Down
The End
Myles Kennedy Set List
The Art of Letting Go
Nothing More to Gain
Miss You When You’re Gone
Behind the Veil
Mr. Downside
Get Along
In Stride
Say What You Will (Encore)
