Wolfmother at Irving Plaza

Andrew Stockdale

Three friends in Sydney, Australia, jammed informally for four years before they became Wolfmother in 2004. Wolfmother's success was rather immediate after the release of the band's debut album, and the band soon won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.  Personnel changes happened quickly, however, and the band briefly went on hiatus at least once as the one remaining original member, vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale, navigated his musical trajectory. Wolfmother presently consists of Stockdale and two former members of the Vines, bassist Brad Heald and drummer Hamish Rosser. The band's fourth and most recent album is 2016's Victorious.

Wolfmother was accompanied on this tour by a keyboardist, Lachy Doley, who helped mellow the band's pounding hard rock and gave credible substance to its early 1970s classic rock sound. At Irving Plaza tonight, Stockdale's high-pitched bluesy vocals and heavy guitar riffs embraced and embodied an early era when acid rock was king of the underground. Wolfmother recreated rather than refreshed the vintage vibe, adding few modern elements to  the mix. The set pivoted on early tracks, as Wolfmother played most of the band's self-titled debut album and only a couple of songs from the most recent collection. The songs were simply frameworks for Stockdale's guitar jams, however. Stockdale with his big hair, bluesy vocals, and lead guitar prowess commanded the spotlight, and powered by his band, offered the audience a good helping of heavy, raunchy hard rock.

Setlist:

1. Victorious
2. White Unicorn
3. Colossal
4. Woman
5. New Moon Rising
6. Apple Tree
7. Mind’s Eye
8. Dimension
9. California Queen
10. Vagabond
11. Pyramid
12. Gypsy Caravan

Encore:

1. Joker & the Thief