The longstanding friendships, musical similarities and collaborative connections between and among the trifecta of bands that rocked the Boeing Center At Tech Port on Sunday night were so abundant, it would’ve been easy to get so caught up in them that the performances became secondary.
OK, let’s be honest. Most in attendance were fixated on what was happening on stage. And with good reason.
Alter Bridge was headlining in support of last October’s seventh studio album Pawns & Kings. Sevendust was the middle band after releasing Truth Killer just four weeks earlier. Then there was Mammoth WVH, the concoction of Wolfgang Van Halen, opening up the evening in support of their sophomore album Mammoth II released only 16 days before the show and serving as their final night touring with the two veteran bands.
A crowd of approximately 1,500 in the 3,100 capacity Boeing would normally be considered a disappointing turnout. But those on hand chose this trifecta over some of metal’s heavyweights. After all, Pantera was headlining the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, while Metallica was on its second night in Arlington and being broadcast in movie theaters. For those so inclined, Trapt was headlining The Rec Room with local and tribute acts to boot.
So while all three bands delivered the goods for those concentrating on the music, some of the obvious, and not so obvious, degrees of separation on stage couldn’t help but not go unnoticed. At least by Alamo True Metal.
Such as (take a deep breath . . . ):
Wolfgang Van Halen played bass in Van Halen from 2008 until his legendary father’s death in 2020 with, of course, David Lee Roth as vocalist. Roth covered on 1986 solo album Eat ‘Em and Smile a cover song made famous by Frank Sinatra: “That’s Life.” . . . Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti released last year Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra, which includes his version of that tune, and he spoke about the album with ATM here. . . . Wolfie and his Mammoth WVH drummer Garrett Whitlock each spent time in Tremonti’s solo band Tremonti Project . . . Wolfie performed bass on the solo album of Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery. . . . Tremonti and Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy appear on Sevendust’s Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow, the former on “Hope” and the latter on “Sorrow.” . . . Tremonti also once shared with ATM that due to his friendship with a young Wolfie, he was invited to the 5150 Van Halen studio and was one of the first persons to hear Van Halen’s last studio album A Different Kind of Truth prior to its 2012 release.
You may exhale now.
There’s not much to be said about Alter Bridge and Sevendust that hasn’t been said in this space over the years, having covered many of their San Antonio visits. Both bands keep getting better and bringing it on each subsequent tour.
Sevendust was particularly loaded with energy as vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, guitarists John Connolly and Lowery, bassist Vince Hornsby and drummer Morgan Rose opened with traditional closer “Face to Face,” melting the faces of those up front in the process. The energy was so palpable, yours truly wiped out in the photo pit (albeit on a wet spot that was quickly mopped up by security). Watch the band in action via ATM’s Facebook Live footage of new track “Fence” and 2003 tune “Disgrace” here (no professional video was allowed of either artist; see setlist in 71-photo gallery).
Alter Bridge opened with new track “Silver Tongue” before rocking into older songs “Addicted to Pain” and “Ghosts of Days Gone By” (see setlist in photo gallery). Kennedy even acknowledged the preceding bands were tough acts to follow (not something most headliners would admit regardless of the openers), forcing Alter Bridge to step up its game every night.
Truthfully, Alter Bridge did that during the rocking tunes, but some of their mandatory songs to be played live are of the acoustic variety, such as “In Loving Memory” and “Watch Over You.”
But Alter Bridge dusted off debut-album track “Broken Wings” to go with One Day Remains mainstays such as “Metalingus.” Watch them in action via ATM Facebook Live footage of new tune “Sin After Sin” and first-album track “Burn It Down” here plus “Come to Life” and new song “Fable of the Silent Son” here. Listen to prior ATM interviews with Kennedy and drummer Scott Phillips here and here.
Alter Bridge was scheduled to end with traditional closer “Rise Today” by 11:05 p.m., but an 11 p.m. Sunday night curfew forced them to omit the track and end the show with “Open Your Eyes.” Then the quartet took a bow with picks being tossed and Phillips autographing items for fans up front (see photo gallery).
Due to their freshness as a band, Mammoth WVH was arguably the most intriguing artist to check out. Kennedy and Witherspoon each told their respective audiences that even though it was bittersweet to bid farewell to Mammoth on this night from the tour, they couldn’t be prouder of the fact Wolfie’s crew was about to embark on a trek with the aforementioned mighty Metallica.
If anyone showed up to the Boeing Center expecting WVH to wail on some riffs like his legendary father or to mention him by name after every other song, they would’ve been disappointed.
Wolfgang is respectfully doing his own thing. He played all of the instruments on the band’s self-titled debut album and is his band’s vocalist/guitarist. Along with Galveston native and guitarist Jon Jourdan, guitarist Frank Sidoris, bassist Ronnie Ficcaro and Whitlock on drums, Mammoth can be seen in action via ATM Facebook Live footage of “Distance” and “You’re To Blame.”
Wolfgang could’ve introduced the former with a lengthy diatribe about his father, and it all would’ve been justified. Instead, the more-than-budding musician deserves mad props for allowing the audience to listen to the lyrics carefully in a live setting and letting the music speak for itself.
Which is what Rock N’ Roll boils down to in the first place. And these three artists proved they’re as good as it gets to doing that — even when they don’t have much to prove anymore at all.
