WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JIM HELMECY

This one sold out pretty quickly, like in a few weeks. Now on any given night The Forge in Joliet, IL can hold somewhere between 950 to 1100 people. With its spacious open standing-room-only floor to its upper wrap-around horseshoe-like balcony, there wasn’t an empty corner in the house. Fans were lined up around the block for this one. People of all different ages packed the house, for what would be an amazing night of music.

We started the night with the “Shred Queen” Nita Strauss. Opening the night with “Summer Storm”, Nita went to work with her magical fingers. Slaying riff after riff, putting us all in a mesmerized trance of sorts. One of the fans at the barricade said “Damn this girl can play!”, and play she did. She shredded through the next two songs “Our Most Desperate Hour” and “Mariana Trench”, like a buzz saw. Nita surrounds herself with a very talented band also. Johnny Dean on rhythm guitar and Christopher Dean were giving us a wonderful back-and-forth duel during the opening numbers. Katt Scarlett is a wizard on the keyboard, along with Josh Villalta smashing the skins. Enter Kasey Karlson. Most of you might know Kasey from Instagram or TikTok, doing vocal covers, we know her as the frontwoman of Deadlands. Kasey has a superior range from her cleans right down to the dirty lows and growls. The perfect addition to this tour. Kasey got to showcase her abilities during the last 4 songs of the set, which were, “The Wolf You Feed”, “Through the Noise”, “Dead Inside”, and “Victorious”. Catching Nita Strauss play guitar is an “in awe” moment. I definitely would put her in a group with Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. This crowd was impressed by Nita’s skills. Honestly, her playing skills should come with a warning label while watching, “NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART”.

Son to the late great guitarist Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang is no stranger to the music world. Playing alongside his father from 2007 to 2020 in Van Halen. Wolfgang used the name Mammoth, which was his father’s earlier band with his uncle Alex, which then eventually evolved into what we know now as Van Halen. Working on this solo project while in Van Halen, Wolfgang hit full stride on moving forward after VH disbanded. Now with this being a solo project, Wolfgang was doing everything by himself, every instrument. Yes, he’s that talented. Releasing two albums in the last 2 years ( Mammoth WVH and Mammoth II), He’s been on a tear with chart-topping hits.

Saturday at The Forge was no exception, we knew who most of the fans were there to see. Opening the night with “I’m Alright”, the crowd started singing along instantly. Watching Wolfgang work the crowd is amazing, the next two songs “Right?” and “Epiphany” are when the crowd started getting into the set. Mammoth played an amazing 15-song set, which the crowd participation was through the roof the entire night. As fans of Mammoth, they got what they paid for and more. Some songs played on this set were, “Distance”, “Mammoth”, “Take A Bow”, and ending the night with “Don’t Back Down”. Another amazing weekend of shows for us here, not our “norm” hardcore/metalcore, mosh shows, but it was nice to relax and watch some amazing musicians do what they do best. This is a tour that is a must-see. Catch you on the next one peeps.

MAMMOTH WVH