New Haven, Connecticut is mainly seen as the smaller market city that the prestigious Yale University calls home. Some might not know that steps from the university sit the legendary club known as Toad’s Place.
The rock club has housed legendary acts such as The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and Stevie Ray Vaughan. This time around, on Wednesday, March 5, Mammoth WVH returned to the legendary rock club. After releasing their sophomore record, Mammoth II on Aug. 4, 2024, the band is currently on their “Mammoth II Tour” supporting their newest album.
Before Mammoth WVH graced the almost 50-year stage, guitarist Nita Strauss of the Alice Cooper band warmed up the crowd with her solo act. Joining Strauss on stage was Christopher Dean on bass, Johnny Young on guitar, Katt Scarlett on keyboards, Kasey Karlsen on lead vocals and her fiancee, Josh Villalta on the drums.
Strauss provided amazing guitar skills throughout the opening set that dazzled the sold-out crowd. Being the in-house guitarist for the National League Football team, The Los Angeles Rams since 2020, Strauss has gained national attention for her guitar prowess and did not disappoint.
During Strauss’ nine-song setlist, she wowed the crowd with her signature sound which can be heard on her newest record, The Call of the Void. At one point in the show, Strauss took a minute between songs to recognize the legendary Toad’s Place. “Even out in California, we know about the legendary Toad’s Place and Pepe’s pizza!” brought a thunderous roar from the audience which was beginning to swell larger. With the band headbanging in unison, some of the Toad’s attendees joined in as the band did more than enough to warm the rainy New Haven crowd for Mammoth WVH.
The opening riff of AC/DC’s “Night Prowler” off of 1979’s Highway to Hell blasted over the PA system like thunder strike and the house lights dimmed. The anticipation for the Mammoth WVH’s second trip to Toad’s was palpable. Even with the house lights dimmed and fans packed wall to wall like a can of sardines, the headbanging again picked up while fans held their drinks and the rock horns up. As Mammoth jumped right into “I’m Alright” off the Mammoth II, as mentioned earlier, the band played a 15-song setlist that lasted just over an hour and a half.
Joining the ranks of Mammoth WVH is, Wolfgang Van Halen (son of the late, Eddie Van Halen) on guitar and lead vocals, Jon Jourdan on guitar, Ronnie Ficarro on bass, and Garrett Whitlock on the drums. Frank Sidoris tours as a third guitarist with the band but this time around he was on the road with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.
The crowd, which was of all ages, had smiles across their face like kids on Christmas for the entire set. Mammoth WVH performed at Toad’s two years ago on the double bill “Young Guns Tour” with Dirty Honey. Like the first time, Mammoth’s performance did not disappoint.
In between songs, Van Halen was smiling and playing along with the crowd. While he did not speak for a long time in between songs (certainly not as long as Paul Stanley of KISS), when he did though, he was laughing with his band and talking to members of the audience along the barricade.
At one point in the show, before the start of “Distance” off of 2021’s Mammoth WVH, the rest of the band, besides Van Halen exited the stage, for Van Halen to play an acoustic version of the song. With Oasis’ “Wonderwall” jokingly being played for a brief second at the start, the bone-chillingly beautiful rendition of the tune left lasting memories on the crowd. Typically during a Mammoth WVH performance, while the music is clear, at times with all the instruments you can’t fully grasp each individually. During “Distance,” you were able to fully grasp how great of a musician Van Halen is. His voice is amazing and his guitar skills are mind-blowing. It doesn’t take long to understand why he recorded every instrument track on the first two albums.
The energy of the entire band on stage kept the thrill alive in the audience which was entirely general admission. With Whitlock beating the daylights out of his drums, which kept each song moving forward, the rest of the band was in another gear. It’s easy to see how close of a tight-knit group they are. Each band member was able to feed off the other and bring out the best of the band.
With only two albums under the band’s belt, they were able to play multiple tracks from each of the first two albums. If you were hoping to hear some classic Van Halen, then this show isn’t the one for you. The band does not play anything Van Halen which is a great thing. Wolfgang is an excellent songwriter and overall great musician so it’s amazing to see what he has accomplished so far.
Mammoth WVH is one of the up-and-coming bands in rock music and the fan base is growing larger and larger every day. It’s only a matter of time until they sell out much bigger venues than Toad’s Place. There is very little to hate about this band. If you’re looking for a hungry band with excellent musicianship then this is the band for you.
With fans pilling out onto York Street, what was once a crowded venue turned into a crowded street. The cold and wet night did not keep fans away from standing outside the side door waiting to meet the band just minutes after they walked off the stage. With Toad’s Place dubbing themselves “The place that legends play,” fans exited the venue on Tuesday night knowing that they saw another rock legend in the making.
Nita Strauss Setlist: Summer Storm, Our Most Desperate Hour, Mariana Trench, Alegria, The Quest / Drum Solo, The Wolf You Feed, Through the Noise, Dead Inside, Victorious
Mammoth WVH Setlist: I’m Alright, Right?, Epiphany, Miles Above Me, Like a Pastime, Horribly Right, Optimist, Stone, Distance, Think It Over, Mammoth, You’re to Blame, Take a Bow, Another Celebration at the End of the World, Don’t Back Down
