CREED / DAUGHTRY / MAMMOTH WVH LIVE AT THE XFINITY HARTFORD
By Joe Perusse
Creed, Daughtry, and Mammoth WVH at the Xfinity Theatre – Hartford, CT
Creed’s Summer of ’99 Tour hit Hartford and packed the Xfinity Theatre to capacity. It was a sold-out crowd from the jump, and plenty of fans were in their seats early to catch Mammoth WVH open the night with “Another Celebration at the End of the World.” They wasted no time leaning into the energy, following up with “The Spell” off their upcoming album (due in October). “Like a Pastime,” “Take a Bow,” and “Don’t Back Down” kept the pace up, with the crowd clapping along and Garrett Whitlock absolutely crushing it on drums.
Mid-set, Wolfgang Van Halen paused to acknowledge the news that had hit hard during soundcheck—the passing of Ozzy Osbourne. “The elephant in the room,” he called it. The band, admitting they only had a few quick run-throughs, delivered a raw, emotional version of “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Phones were out everywhere, capturing a special moment that clearly meant something to both the band and the crowd. Mammoth closed strong with “The End,” the title track from the upcoming record. The full lineup—Frank Sidoris and Jonathan Jourdan on guitars, and Ronnie Ficarro on bass—brought a tight, heavy sound to kick the night off right.
Daughtry took the stage next and didn’t miss a beat. “The Reckoning” and “The Day I Die” came out swinging, with Anthony Ghazel’s drumming front and center. Chris Daughtry had the crowd singing in no time, especially when Elvio Fernandes started the keys for their Journey cover, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” That gave way to“Pieces,” a #1 hit from last year’s Shock to the System EP, before throwing it back to where it all began in 2006 with “It’s Not Over.”
Mid-set, Chris went solo with an acoustic take on “Away From the Sun,” a heartfelt nod to 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold, who had to bow out of the tour for health reasons. He stayed solo for “Home,” dedicating it to Ozzy, and the crowd responded—lighting up the lawn and the pit with cell phones in tribute. The band rejoined for “The Dam” and “Over You,” with Brian Cradduck on guitar and Marty O’Brien on bass. They wrapped things up with a smoke-filled performance of “Heavy Is the Crown,” followed by “Artificial,” the second #1 off the EP, closing their set with force.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for—Creed hit the stage with pyro blasts and kicked into “Bullets” and “Ode.” Scott Stapp came out strong, promising a night of physical and spiritual energy, and delivered exactly that. “Torn” followed, then “Are You Ready?” featuring a mandolin moment from touring guitarist Eric Friedman. “Never Die” was dedicated to Brad Arnold, and “My Own Prison” reminded everyone why Mark Tremonti remains one of rock’s most underrated guitarists—his co-lead vocals just added to the punch.
Stapp asked the crowd to visualize the lyrics on “Say I,” then took things deeper with “Faceless Man.” “What If” turned into a crowd participation moment with a guitar giveaway to the loudest fan—Henry—who got his own chant echoing across the venue. The unity was real during “One,” and fireworks lit up the night for “What’s This Life For.”
“With Arms Wide Open” was a cell-phone-light moment, and “Higher” closed the main set, with Scott Phillips tearing it up on drums with an extended solo. The encore? “One Last Breath” and “My Sacrifice”—the kind of hits that brought the crowd right back to the late ‘90s/early 2000s, full of nostalgia and fist-pumping energy. Brian Marshall held down the low end on bass all night, rounding out a band that sounded as good—maybe better—than ever.
A killer lineup. Three bands that knew exactly how to work the crowd. And as Wolfgang said to close Mammoth’s set: “Long live fucking Ozzy Osbourne.”
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2 thoughts on “CREED / DAUGHTRY / MAMMOTH WVH LIVE AT THE XFINITY HARTFORD”
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Dude. Brett Hestla is not the basses for Creed! Fix it!! Brian Marshall!!
Corrected. Thanks for the update.