Billed simply as the “Young Guns” tour, Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH unleashed an onslaught of fresh new music to a capacity crowd in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. It was if someone flipped a switch and miraculously transported the audience back to pre-pandemic times when all that mattered was the music. With fans from all over the southland in attendance, these two breakout bands blew the lid off the House of Blues on Tuesday night, signaling the return of live music and their own rapid ascent.
The Dirty Honey / Mammoth WVH show at the House of Blues was extraordinary. For many in attendance, it was the rebirth of rock and roll in a world that has unfortunately fell victim to a “one size fits all” cookie cutter approach to music. The “Young Guns” tour is so much more—it’ss a resurgence of a musical genre that forever holds a special place in my heart. Let’s dig in.
Opening up the show was a fresh new band out of Los Angeles called S8nt Elektric. With few expectations out of the gate, I wanted to see what these cats were all about as I had heard some very positive things about their sound and live performances. That said, I gave their set a whirl and walked away pleasantly surprised. They have an incredible stage presence, and seemed super-comfortable under the bright lights. I can’t wait to see where Briana, Niko, Eric, Jack, and London take their musical journey in the months and years to come. I really believe they’re gonna be special.
Next up was Mammoth WVH. Fronted by none other than Wolfgang Van Halen, this set had all the makings of an instant classic. Wolfie and company cranked out a solid 12-song set that had everyone (and I mean everyone) on their feet and rocking to the beat to songs “Horribly Right,” “Stone,” and “You’re to Blame.” I gravitated toward “Distance” and “Don’t Back Down,” along with a killer cover of the Alice in Chains classic, “Them Bones.” All in all, it was a solid set top-to-bottom and one that highlighted how incredibly talented Wolfgang is. Bottom line, this isn’t Van Halen, nor is it a feeble attempt to ride his dad’s coattails. Instead, it’s Wolfie standing tall, on his own, cranking out some incredible new music.
Closing Tuesday’s rock and roll resurgence, part two of the “Young Guns’” lineup, Dirty Honey. I’ve been singing this band’s praises for many years, and Tuesday’s performance highlighted just how far Marc LaBelle, Justin Smolian, Corey Coverstone, and John Notto have come in just a few short years. This show checked off all the boxes and then some, including an unmistakable sound, a unique on-stage persona, and the “it” factor (which separates the good bands from the great ones).
My favorites from the evening included “Heartbreaker,” “Tied Up,” and show closer “Rolling 7’s.” I even dug the Prince cover of “Let’s Go Crazy.” I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear “Fire Away” live, but understand that they can’t play everything during a shared co-headlining set. As I mentioned earlier, Dirty Honey is special and will be filling arenas and stadiums in the not-so-distant future.
MAMMOTH WVH
S8NT ELEKTRIC
