Van Halen - The Review

I was pretty lucky to have been in Charlotte on September 27, 2007.  That was the very first show Van Halen performed with David Lee Roth in 23 years, and it was special.  There was electric chemistry, affection, and the band was in stellar form.

Fast forward to April 21, 2012 and VH is back on the road.  Diamond Dave is now 57, and Eddie's son Wolfgang is now 21 (can you believe he was only 16 when they toured last time)?  Having seen both shows, here are my takeaways:

1. DAVE NEEDS TO TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH.

I know, telling David Lee Roth to take it down a notch is like telling a lion to be a vegetarian.  The vocal difference between the first and second halves of the show Saturday night was staggering.  The opening number ("Unchained") was clean, tight, and his vocals were pristine.  By the latter part of the show when the band tore through hits like "Hot For Teacher" and "Panama", he was straining. The guys at the soundboard cranked the guitars up so loud to compensate, it muddled and distorted the whole sound.

Strangely, it seemed Dave was starting songs an octave or two higher than he needed to - in the middle of a long world tour, DLR would be best served to start lower and save his voice.

2. YOU WON'T MISS MICHAEL ANTHONY.

So maybe it wasn't fair for Eddie to kick out the original bassist in favor of his son.   But the name of the band isn't "Anthony", and the ascent of Wolfgang Van Halen was inevitable from the time he was born.  The good news is, Wolf is really good.  He's far more confident on stage this time around, and his harmonies with dad leave nothing to be desired.  The kid's got the goods.

3. EDDIE IS SOBER

You can tell from the picture above that Eddie Van Halen has gained some weight (he was always bone thin), and he doesn't take his shirt off once during the show (which he used to do every show).  His sobriety has resulted in a positive lack of drama this tour, and he plays with an air of satisfaction and enjoyment not seen before.

4. THAT VIDEO SCREEN!

You have to see it to believe it, but the massive HD screen that spans the stage is the coolest I've ever seen. The band uses it to great effect - like instantly playing Roth's high kicks back in slow motion, getting up close shots of Eddie's guitar tapping technique, and a terrific angle of Alex's drum solo.

All in all, it was a great night and completely worthwhile.

Foster
Radio 96.1