My Van Haleny experience.

Words cant describe it.

Too much to take in so little time.

Lets see… I’ll start with the weather. Epic evening at 66 F with a slight breeze made it perfect weather for a mid summer concert. It could have easily been too hot or too cold at the Shoreline. We got lucky.

Opening act was great. Made for nice entertainment while mingling and shopping. Kenny is a great act.

The most fun part for me during the opening was locating some friends I have made here at the nest. The energy was high everybody was clearly having fun.

The gear, stage, and lighting is intense! It’s no wonder why the prices of tickets are what they are. You wouldn’t believe how much state-of-the-art equipment is rigged, hung, secured, and in effect for these shows. Simply amazing to see it even when it is all at idle with the sun setting enough to see every detail that goes into the set-up before it got dark. Van Halen takes pride in their set-up and it shows.

The set list. They cover all four corners with this list for this tour. There’s something there for everybody. No let down what so ever.

My special treat was of course Drop Dead Legs. That one song was worth the price for me. It was everything I could have ever hoped for to hear it live with one single guitar track. Pure magic and the highlight of the show for me.

I’ll start with Alex. WOW!! His toms and kickers would shine clear and loud with dynamic tone. The cymbals were precisely mic’d and the snare sounded like typical AVH quality. He was precise and on fire as always. Consider it a gift to be in the same arena as that man. Solid as a rock.

To round out the rhythm section is the amazing Wolfgang Van Halen. His whole package is turning to fine fine wine compared to his shy 2007 launch. The man has come a long way in both his presence and talent. Being a bass player myself, I was particularly pleased with his sound as of late. Clear punchy, low and rumbly, and chording that fills gaps like I have never heard before. His pipes are maturing to a very pleasant harmony with both Eddie and David. No doubt about it. Ladies and Gentlemen, The future of Van Halen.

Dave. Dave was on fire! Energy, Stamina, Skill, Knowledge. He brought it all. Seamless entertainment. As far as his singing? I’ll use a line from a song he wrote.

They said he sang so good that the roof fell in
And he didn’t even stop the show
They don’t remember the place,
But they remember the face,
And now everybody wanna go. Woo!

His smile is contagious.

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie… That new guitar of his is something else. wifey and I were 10 rows up on his side (on purpose).. Of all the VH shows I have ever seen, this one was clearly his best in my opinion. All the numbers were hit effortlessly with ease. It’s like he just looks at the guitar and it makes beautiful sound. His connection with Alex proves it is in the blood. The solo had a bit of everything this time from one section to the next without over extending. By the eye contact he has with the audience, I could tell he was into it. No sign of just showing up to collect a check and run (like he is often accused of)… He doesn’t pull that stunt. He’s there because he enjoys it. I assume his gear is his new model of E-V-H amps and cabinets etc. Big step in quality from 2012 tour. and yes, I got a lump in my throat during the solo like always.

Do yourself a favor. GET TICKETS AND GET YOUR BUTT TO THE SHOW!!

Rock On!

Dees ees mai raybew. . .

If anyone still wonders why Van Halen is (one of only 2 bands, that I can easily recall) called, “The Mighty” – last night is why.

From opening lick to lights out – there was nothing about this show not to love.
Ed even threw in little licks, here and there, from other VH tunes – yes, even Hagar era. For example, the little bit of the intro to Get Up tossed into the intro to Hot for Teacher. He was, for lack of a better term. . . on fire!

Yes, Dave, I think that new strain of MMJ called *weird EVH guitar noise* is just what the doctor ordered. I think I smoked some last night, but I don’t remember =P

Oh – and for the tin-eared who continue to claim that Dave can’t sing? Yeah, piss off. Dave killed it. Even let loose with a few screams – one that caught me so by surprise (immediately before the solo in Panama, to be exact) – that was just so awesomely awesome – that I got a chill down the back of my neck and into my left shoulder. . . I looked like Quasimodo for about 6 seconds, til I got myself under control again. Sorry to burst your bubble, Dave can fucking SING, dammit!

Wolf was. . .Hrmm. I was concerned, after listening to some of the tour vids on youtube, that the bass would sound like mud. . . Live, is an entirely different story. Fat is one word that comes to mind – and I’m not talking about Wolf’s dimensions.
Thick, fat, and nasty. If anyone can hit the “Brown Note,” it’s Wolfgang Van Halen.

Vocally, I was less impressed (far from unimpressed, though) than I was in ‘012. . . he seemed to be really straining to hit some of the higher backing vocals – I now think that is the main reason for Dave “going out of his register,” trying to cover the harmonies.
Otherwise, he sounded great – his vocal power has definitely improved.

Al. . . is, by far, the most underrated drummer in the history of. . . well. . . History. Hammer of the Gods. ‘Nuff Said.

If you missed this show. . . well, let’s put it this way.
After the show in ‘012, I told everyone who’d listen (and some who wouldn’t) that it was the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced – considering the amazing things I’ve seen and done, that says a lot.
Shoreline was even better. . . not just “eh, it’s a bit better,” but, “Bloody fucking Hell, this shit is amazing!” better. I give it 10 out of 5 stars.

Was cool to see a couple of the friends I’ve made here, there – made the whole surreal experience more. . . real.

Oh. . . KWS was good background noise while waiting for the real show. . . I almost fell asleep.