Ah, yes. Good things come to those who wait. Indeed, last night's Van Halen show that rocked U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, was both extremely good and well worth the wait.
Thank you's go to my twin brother Chad, and my lovely wife Tasha. I really did not expect to attend this historic reunion. However, Chad and Tasha made it all possible by surprising me with a ticket last year at Christmas.
Not only was I there, but also, Chad and I were mere rows from Ed and Diamond Dave. Best tickets I've ever had in my entire life. In fact, they were so good, Chad and I couldn't help but shoot each other smirks while walking all the way to the end of the staircase, past hundreds of people, and stepping onto the arena floor. I knew what he was thinking, as I was thinking the same thing: "Can you believe this?!" He also told me what he was thinking. Anyway, it was pretty sweet. Let me put it this way. Our seats were so good that we watched the entire show approximately 20 feet from Valerie Bertinelli ("One Day at a Time" star, Eddie's ex-wife, and Wolfgang's mom).
A few observations. First, Chad wanted to ask Valerie where Schneider was. I asked Chad if she actually went out with Donnie Osmond. How do you go from Eddie Van Halen, guitar hero, to Donnie Osmond? Donnie's hardly rock-n-roll, no matter what he says. Sorry. I digress.
Second, Eddie's performace was absolutely amazing. The guy's an innovator and a genius. Moreover, it looked as though he was genuinely having fun. His status as a rock legend and undisputed leader of this band was obvious, as his pedal board and mic sat squarely at center stage.
Third, Diamond David Lee Roth, at the young age of 53, looked ripped, sounded great, and moved surprisingly well. Although his jumps, leg kicks, and squeals aren't as high they were twenty years ago, they're still plenty good.
Fourth, props go to Wolfgang Van Halen. The teenager has some serious chops and more than held his own. It's clear that the apple did not fall far from the tree.
All and all it was a great show. Aside from certain times when Roth's vocals were drowned out by feedback (U.S. Bank is not the greatest place for acoustics), and the synthesizer tracking being off a little during "Jump", Van Halen put on a nearly flawless performance and showed that they "still got it." Fans slated to see future shows certainly will not be disappointed.
4 comments:
I agree, it was a truly amazing event. I must admit i have always been more of a Van Hagar fan. I remember growing up to Diamond Dave and the rest of the boys but the Hagar songs have always been my favorite, except for Jump and Panama, those are still 1 and 2. Tuesday night made me realize that David Lee Roth is the greatest front man of all time. I have been to alot of concerts and have never seen the energy produced, and maintained by Mr Roth. Bravo. I disagree with my brother on one point. I was a little disappointed by Eddie. It was amazing watching his hands move on the huge monitor behind the stage every time he played a fast riff. However, i think something is wrong with him. He looked slouched over and stayed in the same place for about 85 percent of the show. No more running down tables during Hot For Teacher or running from one end of the stage to the other. He absolutely looked like he was enjoying himself. Smiling the whole time and planting a huge kiss on his son's head after the show. I think he is sick. He is still amazing to watch and my #1 all time guitar player. It was a very fun night and i'm glad i expierienced it with my rock n roll loving bro.
I do agree with you Bottso that Eddie's lack of mobility is a little suspicous. He's probably got a bulging disc or something. I don't think, though, it's anything too serious.
In any event, I'm happy to say that seeing both VH marks (I don't count Mark III with Gary Sharon--former Extreme frontman) puts us one step closer to having seen all of our rock heroes. Next on my list: Dokken and Heart this summer.
I only hope Iron Maiden comes to the States some day so we can put another notch on our belts.
Wish I coulda been there. I was humming "Hot For Teacher" and then "Panama" as I knew you guys were entering the arena.
Funny post. I wanted to get tickets for this tour, but some lame ass reason that I can't remember now prevented me. Even in the 1980s Eddie always had that I'm-so-stoned grin on his face.
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