As the sun set on a glorious early summer day on the Jersey Shore, the Wolfmother faithful starting filling into the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. For those who don't know its history, The Pony is a breeding ground for rock royalty with legendary artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi getting their start there. Tonight however, it was Wolfmother's time to shine on that iconic stage. As the crowd was settling in, Maryland rockers Lionize took the stage and got everyone warmed up for the night's main attraction. There band killed with a unique mixture of rock, funk, and reggae that left the crowd wanting more as their set came to a crashing end. Lionize's originality was appreciated and well received by the raucous crowd, firing an opening salvo to what would ultimately be a show for the ages for those lucky enough to be in attendance on Tuesday night.
After a short break, Wolfmother finally made their way to the Stone Pony stage. The crowd went bonkers as they kicked off their performance with 2016 hit, "Victorious". This Australian rock band (founded in 2004) have been blowing people away with their unique style for years and this show was no exception. Behind the incredible vocals and guitar work of the band's founding father, Andrew Stockdale, Wolfmother took fans on a magical mystical ride that challenged the mind and invigorated the soul throughout their stellar 13-song set. Although the band has gone through some lineup changes over the years (and which band hasn't?), the one that took the stage on Tuesday was simply out of this world. Hamish Rosser (Drums), Leo Munoz (Keys), and Brad Heald (Bass) put on a clinic for the near-capacity crowd and fired on all cylinders throughout their performance. As always, Andrew's extraordinary vocals and rock star swagger were on full display and captivated a now rabid crowd.
As the show progressed, Wolfmother whipped the crowd into a frenzy with all the big hits from their catalog. Seeing this was my first time catching them live, I was thoroughly impressed as they tore down the roof with classics such as "California Queen", "Woman", "White Unicorn", and one of my all-time favorites, "New Moon Rising". Another thing I loved was seeing Stockdale and the band interacting with the Stone Pony audience. Whether it be clapping along to an amazing beat or Andrew having fans sing along with him to one of their classics, everyone in attendance loved it with Wolfmother feeding off the crowd's electricity all night long.
Wolfmother has gone through a lot of up's and down's as a band, but they are still alive and kicking after all these years. Andrew Stockdale's magnificent songwriting and infectious rock star presence still draws crowds looking for straight up Rock And Roll. The bands line up right now is solid and provides live performances that are jam-packed with tons energy and excitement. In a world where many bands fall flat performing live, Wolfmother kicks it up a notch and delivers when it counts. I'd highly recommend catching one of their live shows if they roll through your town - definitely worth the price of admission!
