The Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, played host to Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth on an unseasonably warm November Saturday night in the South. Returning to the city in support of their latest release, The End, Mammoth was joined by special guests Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge fame) and up-and-comers Return to Dust.
Converted into a music venue for the 1996 Olympics and located just a block from Centennial Olympic Park, The Tabernacle building is over 100 years old. In the early 1900s, it served as the Broughton Tabernacle Baptist Church, then home to an active congregation of more than 4,000 members. Having attended numerous shows here over the years across a variety of musical genres, I’ve always been impressed by the venue’s acoustics and intimate atmosphere despite its larger 2,600-person capacity and multiple balcony viewing tiers.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Gen Z rockers Return to Dust stormed onto the darkened stage at 7:30 p.m., launching into the title track from their debut EP (July 2023), Black Road. Currently on the road in support of their recently released second EP, Speak Like the Dead (August 2025), Return to Dust’s lineup – unchanged since their formation in 2022 – features Matty Bielawski (rhythm guitar/vocals), Graham Stanush (bass/vocals), Sebastian Gonzalez (lead guitar), and London Hudson (drums).
Self-described as “embodying the sound of shedding the weight of the past while embracing the promise of tomorrow,” the quartet, whose sound carries an undercurrent of 1990s grit reminiscent of Soundgarden or Alice In Chains, delivered an even more impressive live performance than when I last caught them here opening for Sevendust a little over a year ago.
Highlighting two bangers, “Shine” and “Bored,” from their new EP, Return to Dust also unleashed a chest-pounding, high-energy rendition of their latest single, “New Religion,” released barely two weeks ago as a teaser for the tour. I’ll repeat what I wrote before: the future is bright for Return to Dust, so catch them now before the venues get much larger.
Return to Dust
Matty Bielawski – Guitars, vocals
Sebastian Gonzalez – Lead guitar
London Hudson – Drums
Graham Stanush – Bass, vocals
Setlist:
1.) Black Road
2.) Shine
3.) New Religion
4.) Bored
5.) Belly Up
6.) When You Look at Me
Gracing the Tabernacle stage at 8:15 p.m. after a quick equipment change was 55-year-old musician Myles Kennedy, who rounded out his three-piece band with Tim Tournier (bass) and Zia Uddin (drums). Kennedy – arguably best known for fronting the band Alter Bridge – is currently on the road supporting his latest release and third solo studio album, The Art of Letting Go (October 2024). In fact, Kennedy delivered five consecutive songs from The Art of Letting Go to kick off his set, including the title track, “Nothing More to Gain,” my personal favorite “Miss You When You’re Gone,” as well as both “Behind the Veil” and “Mr. Downside.”
I’ve only seen Kennedy perform live once before (back in March 2022) while he was touring as part of Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, so having the opportunity to experience his solo work was an absolute treat. Kennedy’s performance came across as musically captivating yet layered with guitar-driven rock and roll conviction, all the while showcasing his impressive vocal range which danced between vulnerable warmth to venue-filling power.
Kennedy’s only departures from The Art of Letting Go were two tracks pulled from his prior release, The Ides of March (May 2021), in “Get Along” and “In Stride.” He then closed out his evening with the newer “Say What You Will.” Of note, Kennedy and Alter Bridge are also slated to release their eighth studio LP in early January 2026, so fans won’t have to wait long for new music from him.
Myles Kennedy Band
Myles Kennedy – Lead vocals, guitar
Tim Tournier – Bass
Zia Uddin – Drums
Setlist:
1.) The Art of Letting Go
2.) Nothing More to Gain
3.) Miss You When You’re Gone
4.) Behind the Veil
5.) Mr. Downside
6.) Get Along
7.) In Stride
8.) Say What You Will
As the clock crossed 9:15 p.m., the house lights dimmed, signaling the imminent arrival of Mammoth (the band having recently dropped the “WVH” from its name earlier this year). Barely weeks removed from the release of their third studio album, The End (October 24), the outfit led by Wolfgang Van Halen (son of the legendary Eddie Van Halen) on vocals and lead guitar, alongside Ronnie Ficaro (bass), Jon Jourdan (guitar), Frank Sidoris (guitar), and Garrett Whitlock (drums), launched immediately into high gear with the punchy new track “One of a Kind.” From the first note, the band demonstrated tight cohesion and raw energy, setting the tone for an energetic night that balanced Van Halen’s legendary pedigree with a modern, hard-rock edge.
If you haven’t listened to The End yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Reflecting on the last time I saw Mammoth live almost exactly two years ago, I’ll repeat what I said then: while Wolfgang Van Halen’s multi-instrumental talents and songwriting abilities are off the charts, seeing Mammoth live elevates their music to another level. Van Halen’s surprisingly melodic rock voice and instantly recognizable guitar tone reach straight into your musical soul, a fact made ever more evident as the band seamlessly wove new songs into their main setlist, including “The Spell,” “Same Old Song,” “Happy,” “All in Good Time,” and “I Really Wanna.”
Joking about finally having the opportunity for a larger production as a headliner with more time to play for the legacy fans, Van Halen reached back into the catalog, pulling out fan favorites they had also performed two years ago, including “Another Celebration at the End of the World,” “Epiphany,” and “Optimist.” While one of my personal favorites, “Miles Above Me,” was sadly absent, the band delivered a showstopper in the emotional ballad “Distance.” Accompanied by intimate home-movie footage of Van Halen’s father projected across the large stage screen, the performance transformed the Atlanta crowd into a more hushed, emotionally captivated audience, reminding everyone of the profound personal connection at the heart of the music.
Following their main set, Mammoth returned for a two-song encore that began with “Don’t Back Down,” pulled from their 2021 debut studio release. Fittingly aligned with the tour’s title, they closed the night with a resounding performance of “The End,” the powerful title track from their latest album, an exclamation point on an already electrifying evening.
Mammoth’s The End 2025 U.S. Tour, featuring special guests Myles Kennedy and Return to Dust, continues for another month, wrapping up on Sunday, December 7th, at the House of Blues Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
Mammoth
Wolfgang Van Halen – Vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano, bass guitar, drums, percussion
Frank Sidoris – Guitars, backing vocals
Jon Jourdan – Guitars, backing vocals
Ronnie Ficarro – Bass, backing vocals
Garrett Whitlock – Drums, percussion
Setlist:
1.) One of a Kind
2.) Another Celebration at the End of the World
3.) The Spell
4.) Epiphany
5.) Same Old Song
6.) Like a Pastime
7.) Optimist
8.) Stone
9.) Happy
10.) Mammoth
11.) Resolve
12.) Distance
13.) All in Good Time
14.) Take a Bow
15.) I Really Wanna
Encore
16.) Don’t Back Down
17.) The End
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.