Turns out July 3 is an auspicious date for rock history, indeed seminal to the 27 Club. On this day, in 1971, Jim Morrison was found dead in a bath tub in a Paris hotel room. Jim was 27. On this day, in 1969, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones was found dead in his swimming pool. Brian was 27. They join the others who died at 27: Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.

But there is good, and that good involves none other than the Mighty Van Halen. On this day in 1988, after losing his voice mid-performance at the final Texxas Jam, Sammy Hagar promised the crowd to come back to Dallas and play for free. And for all those who say Van Halen doesn’t give us fans anything, well the fine folks of Dallas will disagree because Van Halen made good on that promised free show. Three years after Sammy’s July 4th-Eve promise at the last Texxas Jam, Van Halen came back to Dallas, playing for free one fine afternoon in December 1991 to a packed crowd. Judging from these videos, I would say the Dallas peeps liked it. After all, look at all the people there that … afternoon! Plus, I personally can vouch for Dallas’ love of Van Halen seeing as that’s my long-ago home town. Oh and love, love, love that neighborhood, “West End”; damn good times in my girl years right there where those people are packed in! Dallas, Texas. Seriously, what is it about hearing a rock star say the name of your home town? That’s so fun! Plus, wow, this makes me want to go play! Guitars are so fun!

And because this is kinda-sorta the Christmas of the summer, indeed this show was almost at Christmas, I’ll have a little post every day just like we had at Christmas. I hope you check in!

Entirety of 12-4-91 show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBSGvyJpun0

This thing rocks! So rock on, and Happy, or dare I say Merry, Fourth of July EVE!