A packed out House of Blues saw the welcome return of Mammoth WVH as they kick off the Thanksgiving festivities.
When a show is scheduled on the night before Thanksgiving, you’d expect the crowd to be thin on the ground as people head out of town to be with family for the holidays. Typically, the city is like a ghost town, but not tonight. Even though it was an early starting show, the House of Blues was exceptionally full way before the opening act came on. By the time Return to Dust took to the stage, the place was so packed that people at the back had to strain to be able to see the stage.
From the moment the foursome began their set, their heavy Alice in Chains influence was abundantly noticeable. Their blend of grunge and alt-rock brought some major nostalgic vibes for a band who are so young. They have already toured with the likes of Sevendust, and now they are opening for Mammoth WVH. Not a band start for a band who have only been together for three years. Keep an ear out for these guys. You will be hearing a lot more from them over the coming years.
Myles Kennedy is one of the busiest men in the business. If he’s not touring or recording with Alter Bridge, or Slash and the Conspirators, he’s working hard on his solo material. On top of that, he has one of the best voices around, and is showing no signs of losing any range at all. He’s still hitting notes that seem impossible to replicate live, but he manages it, with ease, every time! This tour is in support of Kennedy’s The Art Letting Go album, which was released in October 2024, with six out of the eight songs performed coming from it.This tour sees Kennedy performing as a three-piece, with Tim Tournier on bass, and Zia Uddin on drums. This show was a hometown show for Tim, whose family were there in support and some even joined him on stage for the final bows. This lineup gives Kennedy’s music a fuller, plugged-in sound than the stripped back, acoustic tour he did in support of his first solo album. Two very different tours, each with their merits.
Wolf Van Halen is no stranger to Chicago, or indeed this very stage. The last time Mammoth WVH performed here at the House of Blues, it was as part of a co-headlining tour with Dirty Honey. Since then, he has also shared the stage with Myles Kennedy when Mammoth opened for Alter Bridge at The Riviera Theatre. This time, they were the headliner and they put on a performance that was every bit worthy of that pole position.Fans had turned up early, lining up outside the venue despite the freezing temperatures, to be part of the VIP experience before showtime. You know you’ve made it when people come out that early for you, ahead of the holiday weekend, and have banners made up for you. If anyone has seen these guys perform live, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Having seen them perform a number of times over the years, it is clear to see that they are going from strength to strength. As a band, they are a tight unit, completely in sync with one another. Frank Sidoris is a marvel to listen to and watch play, as he seems to get completely lost in the music, which is always a pleasure to witness. Garrett Whitlock must have been exhausted after this set, the way he was locked in and pounded his kit into submission.
As a whole, this set was one of their strongest we’ve seen to date. What makes this even more spectacular is the fact that Wolf was not long out of the hospital due to kidney stones. He was therefore performing, not only sleep deprived, but also still in pain as he said he refused to cancel the show. As much as the fans appreciated the dedication, here’s hoping he takes some time to get himself better.
The End Tour still has a handful of dates left to close out the year, so be sure to get yourself along to one of them if you can! If this date was anything to go by, you will need to be quick as tickets have got to be getting scarce.
