MAMMOTH / 10 YEARS / JAMES AND THE COLD GUN – THE DOME
(Image credit: Getty Images)
By Ralph Beauchamp
The Dome at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre was the scene for the Mammoth The End Tour. Wolfgang Van Halen and crew brought two outstanding artists, 10 Years and James and the Cold Gun, for support. Even though it was a cold Sunday night, The Dome was totally packed. Mammoth is an act that draws very well in Connecticut. I’ve caught him several times in the past few years including his last time around when they headlined New Haven’s Toad’s Place. The venues continually get larger because Mammoth is destined to excel. Arenas are not far behind.
The opening act, James and the Cold Gun, hail from Wales. Their sound fuses new age grunge with neo punk grooves. The band consists of James Joseph (Vocals/Guitar), James Bill (Guitar/Vocals) Gaby Elise (Bass/Vocals) and Benny Mead (Drums). James and the Cold Gun deliver a live sound that feels both feral and tightly coiled, like a garage band that accidentally stumbled onto a large stage and decided to stay.
Their guitars arrive first—loud, fuzzy, and gloriously unpolished. The band stacks riffs that roar through the room with the grit of classic ’70s hard rock. The drums crash in with a punchy, almost reckless energy, while the bass rumbles underneath. The rhythm section keeps everything grounded even when the guitars threaten to run wild. Vocally, Joseph has a raspy urgency that cuts through the distortion. He gives the songs a raw, human edge that feels more shouted from the chest than polished in a studio.
Their seven song set was laden with tunes filled with explosive edges. They opened with “Split Second”, a Hometown Crew cover, that automatically aroused the early arrivers. “Twist The Knife” and “Fragile” turned more heads. Joseph’s vocal felt both dynamic and intimate. Bill’s guitar flared with intensity while Elise’s bass thundered. Mead on drums kept the momentum swirling. “Above The Lake” was a fan favorite and the band ended with two punkish tracks, “Cut The Brakes” and “Chewing Glass”.
The band was very appreciative of the attentive crowd. Joseph constantly addressed the crowd with accolades. He couldn’t believe this many people came out on a Sunday night. James and the Cold Gun are a band to watch. They are similar to bands like Return To Dust (who I predicted will crash the musical universe) and Superheaven who are creating a new grunge buzz.
10 Years came on next and right from the start the atmosphere in The Dome changed. The lighting was moodier while crowd emitted a distinct air of expectation. 10 Years is an alt metal band out of Knoxville, TN whose music delivers both excitement and reflection. The band is made up of Jesse Hasek (Vocals), Matt Wantland ( Rhythm Guitar) and Brian Vodinh (Lead Guitar). The touring members are Chad Grennor (Bass) and Brian Medeiros (Drums).
As the band hit the stage, the room filled quickly with thick layers of guitar tones that were equal parts brooding and expansive. 10 Years’ riffs rolled over the crowd like distant thunder. The band leaned into the emotional weight of their songs. 10 Years lets the slow-burn of their intros linger just long enough to build anticipation before the rhythm section explodes. The acoustics in The Dome amplified the depth of their sound. It allowed the guitars to shimmer while the bass and drums hit with a deep, resonate pulse.
10 Years played an exhilarating 10 song set filled with established hits and fan favorites. They opened with “Russian Roulette” which flowed into “Now Is the Time (Ravenous)”. The crowd was already feeling it. They were followed by two monster songs. “Fix Me” and “Novacaine” had the room singing along with the utmost delight. Their delayed-soaked melodies and crushing walls of distortion set a dynamic ebb and flow that kept the audience locked in. 10 Years closed strong. “Wasteland” and “Shoot It Out” turned the venue electric. A totally impressive set.
The crowd at The Dome surged forward as soon as Mammoth took the stage. The band is a choice act here in Connecticut. The band has adorned our stages multiple times in the past. Each time to a bigger venue and more adoring fans. Mammoth is the project of the one and only Wolfgang Van Halen and his musical prowess is unquestionable. In addition, his band is by far the cream of the crop. Besides Van Halen (Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Mammoth members are Frank Sidoris (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Jon Jourdan (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Ronnie Ficarro (Bass/Backing Vocals) and Garrett Whitlock (Drums).
Mammoth‘s sound is a polished but powerful mixture of hard rock and tight rhythms. The three guitar attack provides profound layers of atomic textures while the bass and drums deliver waves of addictive grooves. Throughout their set, Mammoth moved seamlessly between soaring choruses and adventurous verses. Vocally, Wolfgang Van Halen declared he was slightly under the weather with some sort of sinus issue but it was never a problem. His voice was fierce throughout the night. He held nothing back and the audience totally admired his tenacity.
The band came out to a “Night Prowler” from AC/DC intro and immediately went into “One of a Kind”. The room was already ablaze with excitement. The 14 song set hit every high note in Mammoth‘s illustrious catalogue. “The Spell”, “Stone” “Mammoth” and “Something New” all pelted the audience with unadulterated power. The crowd was cascading with intoxication. A real highlight was when Mammoth played “Distance” with a short film of Wolfgang as a child with his dad, Eddie Van Halen. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Mammoth closed out with rousing renditions of “Take A Bow” and “I Really Wanna” which had the room utterly pulverized. The two song encore of “Don’t Back Down” and “The End” was just the perfect ending. The performance carried a sense of genuine accomplishment. It was massive, brazen and clearly fueled a connection between band and audience. Mammoth‘s live sound proved to be monumental and extremely enjoyable. They delivered a show that was loud, confident and undoubtedly memorable. Everyone left happily spent.
Just a note on the staging. The animation displayed on the large screen backdrops was by itself worth the price of admission. Wolfgang mentioned that it was entirely created by a human and began to rail against the use of AI. Kudos to Wolfgang for taking a stand and kudos to Wayne Joyner for keeping me glued to the stage the whole evening. Super well done.
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