On Saturday August 12, 2023, my buddy Del and I found ourselves rocking out at WVH Mammoth, Sevendust, and Alter Bridge at Foxwoods in CT. It was a solid show!

WVH (or Wolfgang Van Halen) Mammoth kicked ass. They opened the show. If you’re not familiar, yes, it’s the same Van Halen family you already know. Wolf is Eddie’s only son and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. When performing live, Mammoth is a full band and they sound great. But in the studio, everything you hear is Wolfgang himself. Very impressive. Some people claim that he’s using his father’s name to get ahead. However, it’s legit HIS last name as well. And while the name may have opened some doors, he has two kick ass albums out and you cannot deny the talent.

They opened with Mammoth from their first album and then moved on to Epiphany. I saw Mammoth two years ago when he opened for GNR, but he seemed much more relaxed this time. He chatted with the audience a lot, and did a lot of laughing each time they got a big applause as if he could not believe this is his life. He also moved around much more this time. The dude can really play that guitar too. He busted out quite a few solos and had at least one that was Eddie-esque using lots of two finger tapping. They played 45 minutes in total, and the set included their “hit” You’re to Blame and also Another Celebration at the End of the World off the new album Mammoth II which is a great tune! Check it out if you haven’t yet.

Sevendust was next. I saw Sevendust way back in 2000/2001 I think. They were the headliner then, but only after like 5 or 6 other bands played. It was back in the day where if the doors to the club opened at 6pm, then I was there by 4pm to be up front (General Admission!!). By the time they came on (likely around 11pm) I was annoyed. I don’t remember much about their set then except that I was pissed off by the time they came out and ended up not liking them. It was likely more about the overall experience then them. This time was better though.

They opened with Face to Face and then played Denial which I’d say is one of their bigger songs. They played a few more and then went into a new one from their latest album called Fence. This was a good song, but right in the middle of the song, someone sitting in our section practically shit themselves and the odor they left behind took away from the show. I was pissed as was the dude next to Del. Del himself was just laughing, but it wasn’t him (we both confess our nastiness and we were both innocent).

As their set went on, and the smell dissipated, they played Angel’s Son which was awesome. They then play Black, Everything and they ended the set with Shine. They did not play Enemy or Bitch though which I found surprising (unless I just totally spaced out, but I don’t think so). Sevendust was much heavier than either band and I’d argue that for this particular crowd, that maybe they should’ve been the headliner. A lot of people left after their set, and many were filtering out during Alter Bridge to not return.

Then it was time for Alter Bridge. They were the only band of the night I had yet to see. Although, I have seen Myles Kennedy like 4 times prior with Slash. Myles is the singer for Slash’s solo shows and I knew he was the singer for Alter Bridge as well. What I didn’t realize (shame on me) was that Myles is a bad ass guitar player as well! There’s no need for him to play guitar when he’s with Slash, so I was shocked to see how well he plays. Should I have been aware of this prior? I’m sure the real fans knew, but I’m a casual listener. Sorry all! But at least I was aware of Myle’s appearance in the movie Rock Star. Are you?

Alter Bridge opened with Silver Tongue, which I really wasn’t familiar with, but that’s ok. The real fans were I’m sure. After a few songs, they changed it up and had Mark Tremonti sing lead on Burn it Down. Silly song, but that’s fine. Then they went a little softer with Myles doing a solo acoustic song Watch Over You and then Mark and Myles did an acoustic song together called In Loving Memory. Once the softer stuff was done, Myles started plucking the strings on his guitar to the Beatles version of Blackbird before transitioning into their own song with the same title. Would I call it a cover? Nope! Maybe an homage? This was a great tune! The album version is like 8 minutes long and the live version was probably a bit longer. Tremonti and Kennedy go back and forth on lead guitar on this one, both playing some incredible solos. I was impressed.

Isolation, Metalingus, and Open Your Eyes closed out the main set. When they came back for the encore, they did Fable of the Silent Son which was another 8-minute-long song where they just rock out and showcase their skills. Outside of Dream Theater and other similar bands, the 8-minute-long songs are a rarity. They ended with Rise Today and it was time to get the hell out of there.

What’s interesting about Alter Bridge is that half the band is from the band Creed including lead guitars Mark Tremonti. He also has another band simply called Tremonti. Alter Bridge and Tremonti are great bands with some really great guitar work. But then Creed is one of the worst bands of all time. How can that be? I’d like to credit “singer” Scott Stapp from Creed for just being total garbage which meant Tremonti had to lower his skill set so that Stapp could perform his mediocrity. They still made a ton of money, but I hate them.

Anyway! Alter Bridge kicked ass, it was a great show, and plenty of fun was had. Lots of talent on the stage last night. Next up: Incubus and Badflower!