Playing his first New York City solo show, Mark Tremonti came across as a seasoned frontman. Leading his latest outfit, Tremonti, the guitarist for Creed and Alter Bridge was in the spotlight last night (Sept. 12) at NYC's Highline Ballroom, and his fans couldn't have been happier.

The debut Tremonti album, 'All I Was,' was released on July 17. Full of great thrash riffs and crushing rhythms, the band proved immediately that they were stepping out of their comfort zone to create a fresh sound for 2012. With Tremonti's live show, that fresh sound sounds even better.

Opening with the in-your-face 'Wish You Well,' the band played for over an hour at New York City's High Line Ballroom in the Meatpacking District, and focused only on tunes from the album. In fact, they played every track from 'All I Was,' including the first single  -- and obvious fan-favorite -- 'You Waste Your Time.'

While fans who attended the sold-out show might have expected a cover song here or there, they did experience something they could've never fully prepared for: Wolfgang Van Halen, current bassist of Van Halen and son of legendary shredder Eddie Van Halen, served as bassist for Tremonti's set. Wolfgang jumped onto the tour the night before in Coventry, R.I., to replace Brian Marshall, who had to drop off the trek due to personal reasons.

Looking as if he had played with the band since day one, Wolfgang never missed a note and seemed right at home playing with Tremonti. "Forty-eight hours ago, he had no idea he was going to do this show," Tremonti told the crowd. "In 24 hours he picked up the entire album." Even more exciting than the bassist's performance is the news that he'll be playing with Tremonti for the remainder of the tour. In a statement released today, Wolfgang said, "I am excited to be joining the band and playing this incredible music with some of my best friends in the business."

Opening for Tremonti were local guys Evan Russell Saffer followed by Charm City Devils, who tore through the crowd with hits like 'Unstoppable,' 'Let's Rock-N-Roll (Endless Road)' and their rock cover of 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' Charm City Devils no doubt set the stage for a night full of rock and roll, warming the crowd up for the main act.

For those in the rock world who questioned the power of Tremonti and his musical chops as a frontman, all doubts were put to rest as he and his incredibly tight band proved that they need not be considered a side-project; Tremonti are a full-on rock band with a solid album, killer live show and seemingly no limitations to what they can do.

Tremonti Set List, 9/12/12

'Wish You well'
'All I Was'
'You Waste Your Time'
'Giving Up'
'Leave It Alone'
'Proof'
'So You're Afraid'
'The Things I've Seen'
'Doesn't Matter'
'Decay'

Encore

'New Way Out'
'Brains'

Tremonti Photos:
loading...

 

loading...

 

loading...

 

loading...
Charm City Devils Photos:
loading...

 

loading...

 

loading...

 

loading...

 

loading...

More From KZCD-FM