Band Mastodon Honors Late Brent Hinds in Emotional First Performance
The metal world stood still on August 22, 2025, as Mastodon took the stage at Alaska’s State Fair. This was their first performance since losing their former guitarist Brent Hinds just two days prior. Hinds was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident which occurred in Atlanta, Georgia. What followed was an emotionally raw and beautiful tribute, proving that even amid past conflict, brotherhood runs deeper than disagreement.
Mastodon: The Burden of Loss Meets the Healing Power of Music
Drummer Brann Dailor delivered words that cut like a knife. His voice carried the weight of 25 years of shared experiences as he addressed the elephant (the mastodon) in the room – the tragic motorcycle accident that claimed Hinds‘ life at just 51 years old.
We lost somebody very special to us yesterday…Brent Hinds, 25 years with us as our guitar player, one of the most creative, beautiful people that we’ve ever come across in this world, tragically [has] left us.
The moment captured everything incredible and heartbreaking about the music industry. Here was a band, dealing with their own private grief, choosing to honor their fallen brother in the most public way possible – through the music they had created together.
When Creative Differences Don’t Define the Legacy
Anyone who had been following Mastodon’s recent history knew this tribute was even more meaningful. Brent had left the band earlier in 2025, and their parting hadn’t been entirely smooth. Just a few weeks before his death, Hinds had criticized his former bandmates on social media, alleging he was “kicked out” rather than reaching a mutual agreement.
But Dailor’s tribute showed something that friends, families, and music fans alike can understand – sometimes the people who challenge us the most are also the ones we care about most deeply. “We had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship,” he acknowledged honestly. “It’s not always perfect, it’s not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end. And we really loved each other.”
The Brotherhood That Transcends Everything
What made Dailor’s speech so powerful was its raw honesty. He didn’t try to sanitize their relationship or pretend that everything had been perfect. Instead, he painted a picture of real friendship – messy, complicated, but ultimately unbreakable.
We formed this band together and traveled the world together…Slept in a van together, laid our heads down on beds of kitty litter, got way too drunk to remember anything the next day about a thousand, million times over and over again.
These weren’t the polished memories of a press release. This was the real stuff of friendship – the uncomfortable van rides, the terrible accommodations, the nights they probably wish they could forget but somehow treasure anyway.
How Mastodon Will Keep Hinds’ Spirit Alive
As any musician knows, the best tributes aren’t just words – they’re actions. Dailor made it clear that Hinds’ creative legacy would positively live on through their music. “We will continue to play Brent’s beautiful, beautiful music that he helped us make,” he promised.
Mastodon, a prog-metal band, writes intricate compositions; this music ensures each band member fire on all cylinders. Every time they perform songs that Hinds helped to create, they’re not just playing music – they’re keeping a part of their friend alive.
The Healing Power of Music Performance
Even though the band was devastated, Mastodon on chose to take the stage in Alaska. Sometimes the only way to process grief is to go through it – by returning to the medium that brought you joy and partnership in the first place. Music and art are both processes that are integral to healing.
What This Means for Mastodon’s Future
The prog-metal powerhouse has always been about pushing boundaries and exploring complex emotional territories – themes that will undoubtedly take on new meaning moving forward. The fans who saw their Alaska performance, (in person or  through fan-captured footage online), the message was clear: sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is keep going, especially when it’s the very last thing you feel like doing.
Dailor’s closing words – “So that was for Brent, okay?” – weren’t just about one performance. They were a promise that every future Mastodon show would carry a piece of their lost brother Brent with them.
