Wolfgang Van Halen's journey as a musician has been far from ordinary. Wolfgang, the son of Eddie Van Halen, began playing the drums at the age of nine and was self-taught with only a few lessons given by his uncle. Some time later he switched to guitar and bass, and to put the icing on the cake, also knows how to play keyboards.
Fast forward to 2021, when Wolfgang released his debut album Mammoth WVH under the same name. Wolfgang played all the instruments on the album and wrote every song, showcasing his skills as both a songwriter and musician. So when asked to name his rock god during the "Rock God" segment of The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker, we can't help but think that it's gotta be someone out of this world.
Wolfgang chose Dave Grohl, who he already had the opportunity to perform with during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in September of last year. Wolfgang performed three Van Halen songs including "On Fire", "Hot For Teacher", and "Panama" with Grohl on bass, Josh Freese on drums and Justin Hawkins on vocals.
Dave Grohl, as Wolfgang Van Halen has done on his two albums with Mammoth WVH, recorded all the instruments on Foo Fighters' debut LP in 1995, after Nirvana had disbanded following Kurt Cobain's death. "He just inspires me endlessly, in songwriting and ability as a musician. I really admire how he came from Nirvana, and then after that sadly ended, how he was able to build his own thing with Foo Fighters. It's how I reflect a lot of my background, where I come from and what I've tried to do myself. So he's everything I aspire to be," Wolfgang said.
"I first became aware of it, oh my gosh, when I was… It was when 'In Your Honor' and 'Best Of You.' I remember that song always stuck in my head. It always stuck with me like he did everything. better, his songwriting and his singing. Yeah, I guess that's why I admire him so much. He really is everything I aspire to be, especially after getting to know him a bit and spending a bit of time with him. he… No there is nothing better than looking up to someone and realizing that he is everything and more. And he is that."
Mammoth WVH is set to hit the road with Nita Strauss this fall for a rather extensive North American tour. Get the full list of tour dates below, and get your tickets here.
11/4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
11/5 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
11/7 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
11/9 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
11/11 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation at the Intersection
11/13 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
11/14 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield
11/15 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live
11/17 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
11/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre
11/19 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
11/21 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
11/22 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House Of Blues
11/24 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Ballroom
11/25 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum
11/26 – Austin, TX – Emo's
11/28 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
11/29 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
11/30 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
12/2 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
12/3 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
12/4 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
12/7 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
12/8 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
12/9 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco
