*** DALLAS,TX. REVIEWS 4/24/08 *** - Page 2

sixstring · 04.25.08, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dad-O

Just got home. Another great show. We sat front row center. Everyone looked great and seemed very happy. Dave asked Eddie how he survived all that time on food an water alone. Later he said "is everybody happy, is everybody sober, close enough!" I am guessing he was referring to the break in the tour. Eddie had a bit of a cold. He blew his nose a few times and acted like is eyes were itching but he kept smiling all night. He does stay right in front of Alex 90% of the time. No Flying Eddies. Wolf keeps getting better and better. Alex was rock solid. Dave's voice was great. Eddie seemed to be pretty sharp. It was tough to here him well where we sat. Eddie's solo did have some very tasty licks that I had not heard. I don't think these guys are faking how well they are getting along and how much they are enjoying playing together. I saw Eddie and Dave interact much more than the last Dallas show. Eddie did play a new prototype Wolfgang during Jump that looked very cool. Dave changed his story to one about his dog named Detox. Very funny. Sorry to ramble but it's late and my head is pounding. All in all good show - worth the dough. Cheers!

Kewl - you pretty much hit all the big spots...once I get my thoughts together, I'll post a full review...SOOOOO freakin' tired this morning...

Wickett · 04.25.08, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rover

Van Halen
Thursday, April 24, at American Airlines Center
By Robert Wilonsky
Published: April 24, 2008

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-0...van-halen/full

Dallas always has been and always will be a Van Halen kind of town—or maybe four out of 10 Texxas Jams back in the 1970s and '80s don't mean much to you. I saw two of them; couldn't make the 1988 "Monster of Rock" adios. Something to do with Dokken and Scorpions on the bill. Fuck that noise. Still, I'll swear that those were some of the best rock concerts in the history of the electric guitar—something about being crushed beneath the crumbling wall of sound the band made back then, when Dave was still a Diamond in the rough and Eddie had most of his tongue.

Nearly 30 years later, the band's here twice, both times at the American Airlines Center, in the same annum: last January and this Saturday, following the band's March 3 cancellation due to Ed's mystery ailment. (Of course, also in Dallas on April 24 is the former Mrs. Eddie, Valerie Bertinelli, who'll be Losing It at the Borders Books and Music at Preston and Royal.) The setlist from the first go 'round hit all the highlights; the only thing the fetishists didn't hear was, oh, "D.O.A." maybe. Otherwise, it was a solid set of 26 oldies but, um, oldies kept potent by a band that's made its peace with each other and has embraced its legacy as arena pop stars only playing "heavy metal" till the next time Journey, Kansas and Aerosmith need a warm-up act at the Cotton Bowl.

----------------------------------------------------
Please Note..... I'm just Publishing the Dallas Observer Review -- Doesn't mean I agree with everthing that was said though...

FYI, it was just a preview.. I read this before the show..

WillTheyPlay? · 04.25.08, 05:40 AM

GREAT concert! First timer to a true (or at least 75% true) VH concert and I had a blast. We were cheap and had nose-bleed seats, but Eddie still sounded very crisp and on it for every song. If anything, we thought that there were times when Dave's vocals got a little too quiet to hear clearly, but overall the guys sounded fantastic. I had intentionally not gone out to find the set lists from the previous concerts so I would be surprised and was definitely happy with what they played.

Easily one of the best concerts I have been to!

VanRoth07 · 04.25.08, 06:11 AM

not sure if anyone mentioned it but Ed had on a blue shirt and white pants, he never took the shirt off this time, and i think if im not mistaken he had on a pair of red and white striped socks? Not sure about that but i think so,

VanRoth07 · 04.25.08, 06:22 AM

and one more thing, LOL, during the intro to Ice Cream Man Dave played a little bit of California Girls on the Accoustic guitar!!

tbuenger · 04.25.08, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanRoth07

and one more thing, LOL, during the intro to Ice Cream Man Dave played a little bit of California Girls on the Accoustic guitar!!

That's cool! See there was a setlist change!

sixstring · 04.25.08, 08:26 AM

Good LORD, what a fantastic show!

*DISCLAIMER* - I'm runnin' on FUMES as I type this so, if I ramble or this is a bit too stream-of-thought, I apoligize! LOL!

First let me say, I was on the fence about this whole tour from the get-go so I went in expecting the worst.
Man, was I wrong. All four of 'em were ON FIRE (no pun intended) - SERIOUSLY.
So, if you're debating on whether or not to go, GO. It's worth every penny.
With this band, you never know if it'll be the last time around (although after seeing & hearing it in person, I have a lot of hope for their future).

MAJOR props to Abe5150, Jimmy & Ben for hooking me up with an AMAZING ticket at the last minute (13th row I think, Wolfie's side).
You guys are the greatest - had an absolute ball hangin' with you guys.

Rolled into Big D right about 8:00 pm and finding a parking spot was a bit of a bitch and I can't BELIEVE the AA Center can get away with charging TWENTY FUCKING DOLLARS for parking...JEEZ. Oh, well...
After a bit of a hike back to the south side of the complex, met up with Abe & crew at the Victory Tavern - kewl joint but, again, WAY over-priced.

Had a drink, a couple smokes, caught up with the guys as I hadn't seen them since the '04 show, then it was off to the arena.
Stopped by the merch stand to pick up a couple shirts and was pretty disappointed that they didn't have the white one I was looking for and the pink girl's shirt I bought for the better half was FIVE dollars more than mine and about half the fabric!

Walking down the steps to the floor of the arena was a TOTAL flashback to the '04 5-star thing as it was the EXACT same section as last time around. Weird...

Got to our seats about 15 minutes before VH hit the stage. I have to say it was way kewl to see the VH Logo Blimp floating around the arena in person.
Seen it a bunch in vids & pics but I have to say, I had a BIG chuckle seeing it first-hand.

Didn't get to catch the opening act, which I heard was great but I rushed just to get to the show so, c'est la vie...

I tried keeping up with the set list but was so caught up in the moment that I lost track, but I beleive it was pretty much unchanged from previous shows.

Ed played the Ivory Wolf proto for 90% of the show, with a change for "I'll Wait" & and the following song (I forget which song) to a couple REALLY kewl Art Series guitars (best paint jobs I've seen so far) and the obligatory change to the 'little guitar'.
He also had a really nice new natural quilt-top Wolf proto he used for "Jump" in the encore.
Wolf played the red, black & white-striped jazz bass for the whole show except for the change to the 'little' one, as well.
Alex's kit this time around is something to behold - pictures don't do it justice. It's overwhelmingly impressive in person.

They ALL PLAYED & SANG THEIR ASSES OFF.
I didn't hear a sour note all night, although it did seem to take them the first two and a half songs to 'gel' as a unit, but other than that, it was FLAWLESS.
Whatever they all did during the break payed off in spades.
They all seemed to be GENUINELY having a great time playing together. Nothing seemed fake about their interaction to me.
And on the same note, I have to say I was touched by how proud Ed is of Wolf.
There were moments they were singing backups on the same mic and you could see the admiration on Ed's face - it showed all the way to the back of the arena.

Wolf can PLAY & SING - no bullshit. While there were a very few moments I missed Mike, I TOTALLY have to give the kid credit.
And his stage presence has come a LONG way. He really is starting to let loose and have some fun up there.

NOTHING, except for the keys, sounded or looked piped-in and I was impressed by the sound of the key tracks, as well.
They sound a LOT fatter in person than they do in the boots I've heard so far.

Ed played as good as I've ever heard him - no joke.
The dude still has it and watching him do his thing last night actually gave me hope that there IS a future with new music for this band.
The only thing I really noticed lacking in his playing was the absence of the hummingbird picking.
He still has the same speed but uses a different technique - not bad, just different.
Solo was short but great.

My only two minor gripes with the show was A. Ed's tone (still a bit too nasal-sounding for my taste, but not terrible) and B. they had him WAY too far down in the mix.
Most of the show sounded like all vocals and drums and we had prime seats for great sound so it wasn't the venue.

This is the first time I've ever seen Dave do his thing in the flesh. He's GREAT - the consumate showman, if a bit cheeky at times, but you gotta love it.
His guitar intro to "Ice Cream Man" was very kewl - a sort of Chet Atkins-style fingerpick thing that I believe was a loose version of "California Girls" but I might be wrong.
I always knew he was a decent rhythm player and considered him more or less just a 'strummer' but didn't know he had chops like that.
His love for Texas really seemed genuine to me (as I think he has relatives here) and his story of Detox The Wonderdog was fucking hilarious.

Alex - the MACHINE. He RULES everytime. 'Nuff said except, as a stupid, random note, he's really starting to show his age.
There were a couple times I saw him on the big screen and thought, "creepy old Uncle Al"...LOL!

SOOO freakin' tired. Was out WAY past my bedtime and so grateful I made the drive home OK.
As much as I'm glad I got to witness this thing, I'm starting to think I'm getting too old for this stuff.
Ah, to be 25 again...*sigh*

That's about all I can think of for now. If I come up with something else, I'll add it later.

tbuenger · 04.25.08, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixstring

Good LORD, what a fantastic show!

*DISCLAIMER* - I'm runnin' on FUMES as I type this so, if I ramble or this is a bit too stream-of-thought, I apoligize! LOL!
........

That's about all I can think of for now. If I come up with something else, I'll add it later.

Awesome review! I felt like I was there! Come on, May 11th!

abe5150 · 04.25.08, 09:35 AM

Hey Bill (sixstring) -- Great detailed review, so I'll keep my review relatively short. Once again, it was great attending the concert with you and I'm glad you were able to come up to Dallas on such short notice.

As good as I thought the January show was, this was even better. Eddie's stint in Rehab did him well. He was absolutely on fire last night.

He was killing it...just killing it. I think there are 15,000 people from AAC in shock & awe of his performance. His performance was almost flawless. I got several goosebumps from Ed last night.

There are guys that are faster or better technically. It doesn't matter. When you combine it all -- stage presence, playing ability, melodies,
phrasing, note choice, solos, the emotion on his face, rhythm playing, FEEL -- he is the best classic rock guitarist on the planet. Clear-headed, sober, and in good spirits...he proved last night that he is still THE MAN.

Dave was GREAT, although it took him about 2 songs for his voice to warm up. After that, he singing was very, very good. Dave is always the coolest guy in the room and is a true Lead Singer Rock Star. As fan friendly and awesome as Sammy is, he can come across as cheesy. But Dave is a true Rock Star...one that you would be nervous to approach if you ever saw him. If that makes sense. The guy is incredible shape and makes most 20-year olds look bad, let alone 50-year old guys.

Alex was solid as usual, although his face is starting to look old as sixstring said.

Wolfie was very good. Other than the background vocals, he filled in well for Michael Anthony. Although he still doesn't move around enough.

Ed played with a youthful spirit and energy. He was in full command of his instrument, and I was blown away. One of the finest guitar performances I have ever heard. No exaggeration...it was magnificent.

Last night was not the best Van Halen concert I've been to...nothing can top the 2004 5-Star front-row experience.

But as a critique of the musical performance alone, last night was the finest Van Halen performance I have ever witnessed. I may not have seen Van Halen in their pre-1984 prime, but I have seen every Van Halen performance in Dallas for the past 20 years. The band was TIGHT, and as as overall performance it was the best I have ever heard.

Go see them while you can. As long as Ed plays like he did last night, you won't be disappointed.

tbuenger · 04.25.08, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abe5150

-- ...he proved last night that he is still THE MAN.

..., he can come across as cheesy. But Dave is a true Rock Star...one that you would be nervous to approach if you ever saw him. If that makes sense. The guy is incredible shape and makes most 20-year olds look bad, let alone 50-year old guys.
....

Last night was not the best Van Halen concert I've been to...nothing can top the 2004 5-Star front-row experience.

...

Abe,
Thanks for the review! Good stuff. Yeah, Dave comes across as cheesy, but I don't know if I'd recognize him is he wasn't.

I don't think I'd want it any other way.

Yeah, there's nothing like front and center like I had in Rapid City in 2004. I got 5-star for Duluth, GA on May 11th. I hope they're just as good!

drummr · 04.25.08, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbuenger

Abe,
Thanks for the review! Good stuff. Yeah, Dave comes across as cheesy, but I don't know if I'd recognize him is he wasn't.

I don't think I'd want it any other way.

Yeah, there's nothing like front and center like I had in Rapid City in 2004. I got 5-star for Duluth, GA on May 11th. I hope they're just as good!

I think Abe was talking about Sammy coming across as cheesy.

Thanks for all the reviews. I just hope that when the tour is over they will go into the studio and make some more great music...and then tour again. LOL. I was able to see three of the shows on this tour (Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle) but don't think they will be adding any more dates for this tour.

VanRoth07 · 04.25.08, 11:33 AM

when i was walkin into the arena i took my wallet keys cell phone and change and put it in that bucket, and the metal thing beeped, the guy looked at me like i was a terrorist, LOL, he said, that man over there wants to see you, he was a few feet away so i grabded my wallet and stuff and went over to him, put my wallet in my pocket, the security guy checked me out, and said, YOU WALKED IN HERE WITH ALL THAT IN YOUR POCKET? I said dude please you saw me take it out and then put it back in my pocket, did you really think i was gonna walk off and leave my shit sitting there for someone to steal? I wanted to say you fat fucker but i didnt cause this show meant to much to me, LOL, but i wasnt gonna let him push me around either, oh well, some people are such dicks, LOL, but its all good,

jomama · 04.25.08, 07:26 PM

they were bad ass

Eddie kicked ass

DLR come out looking like elvis and has put on some guns

The wolf kind of looked bored but was bad ass

Alex played bad ass

simplerhym · 04.25.08, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanRoth07

ok just got home, holy crap almighty!! It was great!! My fourth and final for this tour i guess unless they come again to Dallas, walked in about 7 pm, saw the shirts, YES, they have new merchandise!! Bought me a 1982 world tour style t shirt with the lion on front and tour dates on back!! Great show!! Dave said does Eddie look fan fuckin tastic tonight or what??!! And he played great!! Best ive heard him in a while, same setlist as the January show but yet a different show, Dave told some different stories tonight, he said all his best exs live in Texas, LOL, oh yea about Ryan Shaw, eh, the Marley guy was better, anyway, i think Eddie gained about 15 pounds, amazing how different he looked and acted from the January show, dont get me wrong, that show was great too, this one was just different, some chick handed Dave what was left of her beer Dave smiled and poured it out right in front of her, LOL, a friend of mine went and told me he thought it was good but wasnt impressed with Dave, hes no longer my friend, LOL, just kidding, Dave seemed real playful, Ed seemed like he was more serious tonight, i didnt see them hug tonight but they smiled at each other alot, a Dave didnt tell Wolfie to shut up either, LOL, Eddie didnt miss a note, seriously, if i think of anything else i will post later, im goin to bed now

please send me a PM---any tourbooks?

VanRoth07 · 04.26.08, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplerhym

please send me a PM---any tourbooks?

nope, no tourbooks, Rush had some, i wish VH did, that ticks me off, i wouldve bought one