“Now, THIS is a f*cking rock show!”
That declaration wasn’t just shouted from the shadows of the crowd, it became the overarching theme for the entire night.
On all April Fools, Mammoth rolled into Cincinnati The End tour, taking over Bogart’s with support from 10 Years and James and the Cold Gun. The nights lineup was a perfectly well-rounded night of rock ’n’ roll, pulling from a range of subgenres.
All the way from Cardiff, Wales, and making their U.S. debut on this tour, James and the Cold Gun opened the night guns blazing, sporting Bengals gear and instantly winning over the crowd. Their sound was tinged of 90’s rock, absolutely pulling me in.
Alternative metal staples 10 Years followed, amping up the energy with a mix of deep cuts and fan favorites, including “Fix Me,” one of my personal favorites.
As AC/DC played, Wolf Van Halen took the stage with his full band, Frank Sidoris (guitar, backing vocals), Garrett Whitlock (drums), Jon Jourdan (guitar, backing vocals), and Ronnie Ficarro (bass, backing vocals).
Immediately after the first song, Wolf leveled with the audience. Still fighting off being sick, he paused early on to apologize for not being at 100%. Honestly, you wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t said anything.
Wolf and the band powered through a killer setlist, showcasing new material from The End while weaving in songs from their previous two albums. Then came “Stone,” introduced and bookended with piano, giving the track a cinematic edge that added a new layer of depth to it.
Mammoth is one of those bands that sounds EXACTLY how you expect them to based off their albums but I love that they take that extra step to give you something special during their live performances.
“Distance” stood out as one of the most powerful moments of the night, per usual. The way Wolf performs this song now is a true testament to his growth, both as a musician and as a grieving son. When Mammoth first played Bogart’s in 2021, “Distance” was fully acoustic. Wolf carried it well, but there was a noticeable fragility to it. Fast forward to 2026, and we’re seeing a stronger, more assured presence within Wolf. The arrangement now begins stripped down and gradually builds into a full-band crescendo, mirroring the emotional weight behind the song.
Rounding out the set was “I Really Wanna” and if you know the rest of those lyrics…”fuck with you..” it’s truly the perfect cheeky response to the constant requests to play Van Halen. The thing is, Wolf has always honored his roots, even while carving out his own path. It’s all there in the DNA if you’re listening closely. Once that guitar solo sets in? HELLOOO said fuckery.
All too soon, it was time for the encore, or as Wolf called it, “adult peek-a-boo.”
Wolf continued on alluding to maybe, could it be, playing some Van Halen? Maybe Panama??
“I always said never say never and I think tonight might be really fun… idk if im going to keep doing this, maybe it can be our little secret..but I think there are some people that deserve this and I think it’d be really fun….” he said, playing it up just enough to get everyone on edge.
As Wolf exclaimed “hit it”, the band starts playing Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and the crowd’s collective jaw dropped. Wolf went on to sing the vocals and fooled with the crowd a little more.
We rocked and then, well, we got rick ROLLED. A perfectly executed April Fools Joke. Watch the moment here.
While Mammoth’s The End Tour is almost at a close, you can catch them on tour with BUSH. Check out tour dates here.
SETLIST
One of a Kind • Another Celebration at the End of the World • The Spell
Epiphany • Stone • Happy • Resolve • Distance • Something New
Take a Bow • I Really Wanna
Encore
Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley cover)
Don’t Back Down • The End
*Click photos to enlarge
10 YEARS
JAMES AND THE COLD GUN
