Van Halen, TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA 10/30/07Oct 31 '07 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Van Halen with Roth on vocals. Hell has officially frozen over. "Three quarters original, one quarter inevitable." That was how David Lee Roth described a reunited Van Halen at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston in last night. Some might consider it amazing they even made it to Boston, since the tour has been going on for more than a month now. After all, the band's history of acrimony with former singers is well known. They hadn't toured with Roth on vocals in 22 years. But the band were all smiles for the entire 130 minute performance last night. And what a performance it was. As the curtain blocking the stage was torn asunder, and Eddie Van Halen hit the first chords to You Really Got Me, the most obvious thing was David Lee Roth, on top of the large ramp that was part of the band's stage setup, waving a huge red flag back and forth. It was as if he was saying "hey look at me," which is, of course, part of Diamond Dave's appeal. But Diamond Dave was not in full view last night; for the most part he was content to strut the stage, smiling, waving at his fans. He is, after all, a lot older. But he remains the consummate showman, whether it's riding a big inflatable microphone towards the end of the show, or hamming it up with a pair of tamborines during Beautiful Girls. His voice was surprisingly youthful; sure, he had trouble hitting a couple of the more intense yells, but considering what I've heard about Roth over the years, I was pleasantly surprised by how well he sounded. The "one quarter inevitable" Roth referred to is, of course, Eddie's son Wolfgang, who has taken over for founding member Michael Anthony on bass. Many people were skeptical over this, especially given Anthony's huge role with backup vocals. But Wolfgang proved himself up for the task, capably replacing Anthony. And the crowd took to him too, as he climbed the ramp, stopped at the top, stood high over the other three members, and struck the series of single notes that signaled the arrival of Runnin' With the Devil. Meanwhile, Eddie seemed to be completely reenergized by playing songs that he hadn't played live in years. He cut loose and seemed to genuinely enjoy being on stage not just with his drumming brother Alex and son, but most importantly, with Dave. They were playful with each other, laughing, smiling. It was as if I had entered the twilight zone. He showed everyone in the building all over again why he had guitar god status bestowed on him. I'd say the only problem with the show is the drum solo and guitar solo sections. While watching Eddie wail can be interesting, it loses it's intensity after seven or eight minutes. And the drum solo seemed to be nothing more than an excuse for the audience to either pee or buy more beer. I wish Dave had been given more time to regale us with stories of days past, as he did before Ice Cream Man, where he talked about playing five shows in a single night, smoking joints, and his old girlfriend who always wanted to hear the Ice Cream song. Dave has that rare ability to completely galvanize an audience with his storytelling, and this was the only thing missing. I wish Dave had more time to tell stories. More than anything though, last night's show proved without a doubt that Van Halen is far FAR superior to Van Hagar. Here's hoping this is one reunion that lasts. Setlist for Van Halen at the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA, October 30, 2007 01. You Really Got Me (from Van Halen, 1978) 02. I'm the One (from Van Halen, 1978) 03. Runnin' With the Devil (from Van Halen, 1978) 04. Romeo Delight (from Women and Children First, 1980) 05. Somebody Get Me a Doctor (from Van Halen II, 1979) 06. Beautiful Girls (from Van Halen II, 1979) 07. Dance the Night Away (from Van Halen II, 1979) 08. Atomic Punk (from Van Halen, 1978) 09. Everybody Wants Some (from Women and Children First, 1980) 10. So This Is Love? (from Fair Warning, 1981) 11. Mean Street (from Fair Warning, 1981) 12. Pretty Woman (from Diver Down, 1982) 13. Drum Solo 14. Unchained (from Fair Warning, 1981) 15. I'll Wait (from 1984, 1984) 16. And the Cradle Will Rock (from Women and Children First, 1980) 17. Hot for Teacher (from 1984, 1984) 18. Little Dreamer (from Van Halen, 1978) 19. Little Guitars (from Diver Down, 1982) 20. Jamie's Cryin' (from Van Halen, 1978) 21. Ice Cream Man (from Van Halen, 1978) 22. Panama (from 1984, 1984) 23. Guitar Solo (incl. "Women in Love" intro, "Cathedral", "Eruption") 24. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (from Van Halen, 1978) Encore 25. 1984 (from 1984, 1984) 26. Jump (from 1984, 1984)  |
| Write the first comment on this review! |
