Orlando, Florida (November 22, 2023)
“Holy Shit! Let’s Go!” exclaimed Wolfgang Van Halen as he and his band mates in Mammoth WVH kicked off their performance. It’s the night of Thanksgiving eve at the House of Blues Orlando and the place has unfolded into a rock and roll extravaganza, with the dynamic Nita Strauss as the opening act for Mammoth WVH. The venue’s enchanting atmosphere, nestled within the realm of Disney World, and the thoughts of an impending four day weekend to recover from tonight’s show added a touch of magic to the festivities.
Having guitar wunderkind Nita Strauss as the opening act made this must see show that much better. When she finally hit the stage she was adorned in sequined mouse ears, as a nod to the venue being located on a Walt Disney World property, and this captivated the crowd instantly. The playful nod to the venue’s location was met with love and cheers, setting a whimsical tone. As the opening chords of “Summer Storm” filled the air, Strauss transitioned from the playful facade, removing the mouse ears halfway through the song, and unleashed a torrent of electrifying guitar riffs. “Our Most Desperate Hour” and “Mariana Trench” showcased her virtuosity, proving why she’s a force to be reckoned with in the guitar world.
Strauss, known for her solo material as well as being Alice Coopers guitarist released The Call Of The Void earlier this year that featured guest singers. To bring her latest album, The Call Of The Void, to life, she brought the talented Kasey Karlsen on tour. The crowd was treated to a powerful performance of “The Wolf You Feed,” and when it came to the iconic hit “Dead Inside,” Karlsen’s vocals soared, leaving the audience in awe.
Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived as Mammoth WVH took the stage. Under a cascade of swirling blue lights, Wolfgang Van Halen and his bandmates unleashed a musical storm upon the packed venue. As they took their appropriate spots on stage, drummer Garret Whitlock started pounding out thunderous beats on his kit and the rest of the band kicked in mere seconds later. As Wolfgang Van Halen stepped up to the mic he had a wonderous look on his face as he took in the sight of the packed venue. He and the band quickly launched into “Mammoth”. Right from the first note you could tell that Wolf and the band brought their A game and every bit of the performance was sonic bliss.
After the song was over, Wolf took to the mic and thanked the crowd for coming out on a Wednesday night and went on to say that this was going to be a special night as they were filming a video, which would explain the camera crew on stage catching all the action. He continued to say to everyone whether you like it or not you’re going to be in a Mammoth video forever. Of course the audience cheered in delight at the prospect of seeing themselves in their favorite bands video. The band quickly launched into “Right?” from their sophomore album Mammoth II. Of course the song was performed flawlessly, and Wolf’s blistering guitar solo was candy for the ears.
Before launching into “Miles Above Me”, Wolf told the audience about seeing bands such as Alter Bridge and Sevendust at this very venue, and how back in 2013 while here he launched his Instagram account The night continued on with songs such as “Like a Pastime”, “Optimist”, “Stone” and “I’m Alright”. Before playing “Think It Over” Wolf said to the crowd how he was blown away that so many people listened to his music. It was little touches like this that really connected the crowd to Wolf and this show.
He went on to say that the next song was his dads favorite song . What would happen next would be for many the highlight of the show. The band left the stage leaving Wolf alone at the mic, and his tech brought out his acoustic guitar. He told a story about how two of his band mates had to leave the tour due to emergencies and how tough it was playing all the guitar parts himself. So he thought it would make for a great moment to play the hit song “Distance” solo acoustically. With the audience anticipating hearing a special version of this touching song, Wolf looked out into the crowd and said here is “Wonderwall” and he played the first few chords which had everyone including himself laughing. He quickly stopped and said, ok it’s time to get the moment back and he played an incredibly beautiful and moving version on acoustic guitar. The magic of this moment was undeniable.
When the song was over the band joined him on stage. At that point he said ok, now we’re gonna play Wonderwall and the band quickly played a few bars as everyone was laughing and enjoying the moment. The next song to be played was “Waiting” which Wolf told everyone that this was thematically the follow up to “Distance” and what better time to play it than now. After that the next songs to be played were “You’re To Blame”, “Feel” and “Take A Bow”. They were very much in the theme of the night, well-crafted guitar driven songs with irresistible hooks and verses that had the audience completely roped into the show.
The concert reached its crescendo with the high-energy performances of “Another Celebration at the End of the World” and “Don’t Back Down.” Mammoth WVH left the stage, leaving the audience buzzing with the echoes of an unforgettable night.
This may have been one of the very best concerts to grace the stage of the House Of Blues Orlando. between the high octane guitar wizardry of Nita Strauss and the incredibly talented Wolfgang Van Halen and his band mates in Mammoth WVH playing some of the best rock music the radio has seen in ages, this was an incredible night of of pure, unadulterated rock bliss.
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House Of Blues Orlando: