Mammoth WVH Rocks The Depot in Salt Lake City
December 4, 2023
Two of rock’s most promising young acts descended upon Salt Lake City this past week for a show at The Depot. The talented Wolfgang Van Halen led his group Mammoth WVH to town and brought along a special guest, Nita Strauss, for a night of pure rock and roll.
Nita Strauss kicked off the evening bursting onto the stage like the hurricane she is kickstarting the night and setting the tone for the rest of the night and getting the fans worked up for an amazing night of music. Strauss showcased her magnetic stage presence and guitar skills by striding along the stage the whole show, never spending too much time in one spot. Her set included gust vocals from Kasey Karlsen, vocalist of Deadlands.
After the break and teardown fans were eagerly awaiting Mammoth WVH to take the stage and when they strode out the venue erupted into cheers that wouldn’t quiet down the rest of the night. They opened the evening with the eponymous track “Mammoth” to the delight of the crowd. The night would go on to feature guitar and drum solos that kept fans on their feet and cheering throughout the night like a classic rock show.
For me, witnessing Mammoth WVH for the third time in Salt Lake City, it was revealing to see an artist evolve with each of his performances. Wolfgang Van Halen has been the driving force behind his band along with sharing the stage with his late father’s band, but he has really been coming into his own as the front man of Mammoth. To say he inherited the musical gene is an understatement. Wolfgang’s exceptional musical talents have been highlighted on the band’s two albums as he has written and performed all the songs and instruments on their albums while recording, solidifying him as a top tier musician.
One of the highlights of the night that had the fans erupt into cheers was when Wolfgang addressed the crowd about his connection to Salt Lake City. Wolfgang described the city as a second home and performing here has always felt like a second home since his wife is from Salt Lake City. This led to the venue erupting and the proclaiming of Wolfgang as one of Salt Lake’s own.
The setlist featured a nice mix of fan favorites from his debut album and a mix of the new songs with the most touching song being “The Distance” which is a letter to his late father Eddie Van Halen and has become a crowd favorite. After the song things got going again before closing the night out with “Another Celebration at The End of the World” and “Don’t Back Down.”
Overall, the night was an incredible showcasing of two of ricks most promising up and coming acts. The exceptional talents of the two acts leaves an no doubt that rock music is in safe hands for the future with these two acts in the mix leading the way for the future.
