The world lost an absolute legend in 2020 when Eddie Van Halen sadly passed away. Perhaps none will miss him more than his son Wolfgang Van Halen. The talented musician had the absolute privilege of sharing the stage with his father for almost 15 years and wowed his father with his abilities. Eddie never left fans wondering how he felt about his son’s talents, always expressing how amazed he was with his son. Over the years, curious fans wondered how far the apple would fall from the tree, so to speak. It may turn out that the apple won’t fall at all. 

Wolfgang soon ventured into his own project, Mammoth WVH. The name lovingly derives from his father’s first band’s name. The first album was self-titled and featured Wolfgang playing every instrument. The album was met with glowing reviews that touted the diversity of the tracks. It soon became clear that Wolfgang was going to need to employ some talent to execute his music specifically for live shows and in 2022 the full band embarked on their first tour, co-headling with Dirty Honey on the “Young Guns Tour.” Wolfgang then returned to the studio and worked on a follow-up effort with Mammoth II. Released in the summer of 2023, the album again caught rock fans’ and pundits’ hearts and minds. 

Mammoth WVH later announced a new tour late in December for 2024. The first leg of the tour took the band from St. Louis mid-February through Albany, NY in early March. Close to the end of the first leg, the band made their way onto Long Island to stop at Huntington’s Paramount. The last time Mammoth WVH played the venue, it was to open for fellow rockers Alter Bridge. This time, Mammoth WVH would be the ones to headline and fans were ready for an amazing night. With only two bands on the bill and a late start time, the place was packed when the show was ready to begin.

Acting as support for Mammoth WVH was none other than Nita Strauss. Most popularly known for playing alongside Alice Cooper, Strauss’s solo project is gaining its own fair share of interest. Her first album, Controlled Chaos, topped the Billboard charts for “#1 Top New Artist,” among other accolades. Her follow-up 2023 effort, The Call of the Void, added one extra ingredient to the mix in the form of lyrics, sung by some of metal’s most prominent names. The previously mentioned Alice Cooper joined the likes of Disturbed’s David Draiman, Motionless in White’s Chris Motionless and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale among others giving Strauss’s band a literal voice. Of course, calling it a solo project might be a little unfair to the likes of her bandmates Johnny Young (Guitar), Christopher Dean (Bass), Katt Scarlett (Keyboards), and Struass’s fiance Josh Villalta on drums. Each member perfectly complements Strauss’s talents. 

Coming out to the epic thuds of the theme song from the Terminator franchise, Nita Strauss and her band surveyed the crowd before kicking into “The Summer Storm.” With the crowd warmed up, Nita suggested that she and the crowd all grab some cold cheese pizza after the show, a nod to Little Vincent’s down the block and their can’t-miss slices topped with fresh mozzarella. Strauss mostly let her guitar do the talking, though, as the band blistered through tracks including “Our Most Desperate Hour” and “Alegria.” Each track brought with it a metric ton worth of headbanging, including a few times the band choreographed together. The end of “The Quest” brought a drum solo from Villata. 

The set’s second half introduced another weapon in the band’s arsenal. Touring singer Kasey Karlsen joined the stage to lend her voice to a few of Strauss’s tracks. The Long Island stop of the tour acted as a homecoming for Karlsen, who was from nearby Bohemia, about a half-hour drive away from where the band was performing on this night. The band treated fans to “The Wolf You Feed” and “Dead Inside,” with Karlsen providing vocals that blew fans away. A high point of the night was Struass and Karlsen working in tandem during “Through the Noise,” a track which Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale provides the vocals for on The Call of The Void. The band triumphantly ended their night with “Victorious” after pumping up the crowd for Mammoth. Nita Strauss is one of those musicians who just has that undefinable “It” factor. It’s apparent in her stage presence. It’s evident in her music. It’s certainly obvious to her peers and on this night, like many others, it was apparent to a packed out venue enjoying every minute of her set.

Nita Strauss

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero

Mammoth WVH’s stage setup is very stripped down, allowing a fairly short time between acts to prepare for the headlining act. Shortly before the band’s start time, fans noticed that Wolfgang’s mother, Valerie Bertinelli, was in attendance on the balcony. Fans all turned their attention to her and gave her a huge ovation as she gratefully waved back. Soon, it was Mammoth’s time to shine. Dark green hues lit the stage. Guitarist Jon Jourdan, Bassist Ronnie Ficcaro, and Drummer Garrett Whitlock were the first to the stage, setting the beat as fans grew more excited. Wolfgang took center stage, and the band opened the night off right with “I’m Alright.” From “I’m Alright” to “Right,” fans cheered and sang along with each track. The band relished every second on stage as they brought fans back to the band’s original album with “Epiphany” and “Like a Past Time.” At the same time, newer tracks “Epiphany” and “Miles Above Me” were also given the spotlight treatment. While quite different from Strauss before him in terms of style, Mammoth wasn’t without their own brand of intricate guitar solos and rock-out moments. 

A little over halfway through the set, Wolfgang’s bandmates left the stage, giving the musician a chance to treat fans to a solo acoustic performance. Wolfgang jokingly played the first few notes of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” and quipped, “I’ll be the douche at this party with the acoustic guitar.” If fans of Oasis’s hit felt jilted by the comment, they were soon won back over with the intimate rendition of “Distance.” Things picked back up with “Think it Over” and “Mammoth” before the band soon closed out their main set with “Take a Bow.” Of course, you don’t grow up surrounded by music without learning how to wow a crowd with a great encore. The band was soon back out to blast through “Another Celebration at the End of the World” before saluting the fans and closing with “Don’t Back Down.”

Wolfgang Van Halen has a huge mountain to climb to reach the heights his father reached. Luckily for him, he has the tools and the talent to ascend to the top whilst forging his own path in the music industry. Wolfgang has already hinted at a third album, logically titled Mammoth III. Mammoth WVH and Nita Strauss wrapped up their tour later that week in Albany, NY on March 10th. The two then split ways, with Strauss now headlining her own tour with Diamante and Starbenders while Mammoth WVH returns to the road in May with Intervals taking on the supporting role. Either band is well worth the time to see live, but for those lucky to see it, seeing them together was extra special. 

Mammoth WVH

Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero