March 11, 2022 Concert Review by Christina Sanchez
I have been to many shows over my career, and I must say… hot damn! That show was “Slap yo mama good!” The Young Guns tour came roaring into San Diego with guns ablazen.’ Dirty Honey, Mammoth WVH, and surprise opener S8NT Elektric blew the roof off the House of Blues in San Diego on March 1st.
S8NT Elektric LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
I was pleasantly surprised to find a fresh new band named S8NT Elektric had been added to the lineup the night before. They are fronted by an energetic and charismatic female singer, Briana Carbajal, and Slash’s son, London Hudson, is on drums. The band is rounded out by Niko Tsangaris on lead guitar, Eric and Matt on rhythm guitar, and Jack Kleinman on bass. These young musicians were very comfortable under the spotlight and already had terrific stage presence. As they exited the stage, the sold-out crowd became increasingly eager for Mammoth WVH.
Mammoth WVH is fronted by the late, great, Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang. It made my heart happy to see Wolfgang playing his father’s guitar with his initials etched both in the guitar and the strap. He is obviously doing his father proud and keeping his legacy alive. I wasn’t too familiar with the band, but I fell in love with the songs “Epiphany,” “Don’t Back Down,” and “Distance.”
“Distance” is an incredibly emotional song written for his dad, and I highly recommend watching the deeply touching music video. One of my high points of the set was when they covered “Them Bones” by one of my favorite bands, Alice in Chains.
Mammoth WVH | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
No matter his last name, Wolfgang is an amazing musician and extremely talented. He is going to continue to do incredible music that will make him a successful musician on his own merit.
San Diego, California
Young Guns Tour
March 1, 2022
The show continued to build in excitement as Dirty Honey came out and commanded the stage. Singer Marc LaBelle truly has the voice of a generation; it is pure perfection, smooth as honey, if you will. They played most of the show at the edge of the stage, completely engaged with their fans the entire time. Guitarist Jon Notto and bassist Justin Smolian were super animated and kept the fans screaming for more.
DIRTY HONEY LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
They played favorites “California Dreamin,’” “The Wire,” “Gypsy,” and even their version of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.” The crowd loved “Another Last Time,” perhaps due to the video’s recent release. Dirty Honey finished up with their big hits “When I’m Gone” and “Rolling 7s.”
DIRTY HONEY LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
I met a lot of Dirty Honey fans that had traveled a dozen states to go to countless shows. This band has gained a massive following since last year’s tour with The Black Crowes, and I predict only more success for them in the future.
The Young Guns tour will spend March and April working its way throughout North America, so make sure you catch these phenomenal bands when you can!
