Tag: dirtyhoneyphotos

March 30, 2020 – Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ

Review by Chris Yates // Photography by Estelle Massry

The Starland Ballroom was a great venue for an up and close personal experience of Young Guns Tour – a true co-headlining bill. Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey each played to a packed house from the moment the doors opened. The show attendance covered the spectrum from teens to 50+, and I even saw 2 three year olds (headphones and all) whose parents are allowing them a head start on soaking in some serious musical talent and some damn good Rock & Roll!

For those that don’t know, the name “ Mammoth” was the name of Van Halen before it became Van Halen, where Wolf’s father Eddie was also the lead singer. It’s special to him for obvious reasons and he always knew growing up that he would name his band Mammoth when the time came.

Well that time is NOW!… And frontman Wolfgang Van Halen delivered stellar vocals with a combination of smooth and powerful technical guitar playing.

It’s been a crazy week of Rock & Roll news with the passing of Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters Drummer extraordinaire) and you can tell emotions were high on stage. It was the band’s first performance as a trio as rhythm guitarist Jon Jourdan had to attend to a family emergency last minute. With the news of Hawkins, and I’m sure the loss of his father Eddie Van Halen (EVH) still fresh in his mind, one can sense the feelings flow through him as he played from the heart ♥️ while delivering in spades ♠️.

With emotions running high after the song “Distance”, Wolf spoke into the mic, “Well that’s a first” as what seemed to be a reference to a tear in his eye while on stage. Wolf plays and sings with emotion and has confident stage presence as he speaks to the crowd getting them engaged and pumped up for each song. Mammoth also gave a nod to Taylor and the Foo Fighters with a kick ass, thundering rendition of “My Hero”, which sounded perfect from the first guitar intro to the last vocal.

It felt like it was a special night to feel so close and only a degree away from Rock & Roll royalty. One can hear the influence EVH had on Wolf as some of the intro riffs to some select songs sounded like his late great farther. However, make no mistake, Wolf is carving his own path and one that allows for young Rock & Roll bands to follow.

Distance:

“No matter what the distance is, I will be with you

No matter what the distance is, you’ll be okay.”

Wolf was supported by his animated, high energy bassist Ronnie Ficarro who moved around stage reminding me of Flea from the Chili Peppers only with dark hair, and drummer Garrett Whitlock who played with energy, rhythm and motion.

SETLIST

Mammoth
Mr. Ed
Epiphany
Horribly Right
You’ll Be the One
Stone
I Don’t Know At All
Think It Over
You’re to Blame
Distance
My Hero
Don’t Back Down

Following Mammoth was Dirty Honey.

The first time I saw Dirty Honey was when they opened for The Black Crows last summer at the PNC Arts Center in NJ. This time around I would be experiencing them as they co/headlined in a smaller venue, so I was looking forward to seeing how they would perform.

Dirty Honey is from Los Angeles, was formed in 2017 and consists of singer Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone. Each member has a cool Rock & Roll fashion sense (actually reminding me of the Crows and Chris Robinson when they were of that age), accompanied by the swagger to match.

The band holds a unique spot in rock as the only unsigned rock band to hit #1 in Billboard’s 40-year history without label support. In addition, they also hit #1 on the mainstream rock charts and happened to land a spot on the list of the 66 best rock songs of the decade (that my friends is a huge accomplishment for such a young band).

Dirty Honey bursts loud rock chords, with a blues/rock vibe reminiscent of all the great Rock & Roll bands and LaBelle’s vocals delivered powerfully. However reminiscent, Dirty Honey delivers a sound that is missing from todays music. On guitar, Notto’s chord progressions were smooth and precise, a skill that evades even the most seasoned musicians. Smolian and Coverstone each received their moment in the spotlight, exuding confidence and “wowing” the crowd with their solos.

It was a great night of Rock & Roll, delivering a strong positive energy that was clearly well received from the audience. When the bands are having fun on stage, it’s noticeable and the vibe transcends to the audience, allowing the fun to flow throughout each and every fan.

I’ve felt there has been something missing from Rock & Roll throughout the past decade. Rock Bands, in their entirety, haven’t seemed glued together like The Stones, The Who or Led Zeppelin of old, or Guns & Roses and Pearl Jam for that matter. Seeing Mammoth and Dirty Honey has given me hope that these Young Guns are here to stay and here to deliver more riffs, excitement and hard hitting Rock & Roll, reviving what could be perceived as a presence being lost to pop, hip-hop and solo acts, or shows like American Idol & The Voice. I pray to the Rock Gods that these Young Guns recognize much success and that others they may influence and inspire follow their path.