oldfan77

Just got back home, we crashed at the venue last night after the show, had a room and went out after the show to eat and gamble some more. The place was packed, even for awhile after the show.

I like the venue at Mohegan as it seems alot more "intimate", for lack of a better term. Alot of people were shooting the shit before, during, and after the show, and two local Rock stations 104.7 and 106.9 were doing Van Halen promotional gigs outside of the arena prior to letting us in. They didn't open the doors until about 7:15, Van Halen hit the stage at 9:02, full show, ended at around 11:00.

Marley opened up and altho forgettable, I feel he did a decent job considering he obviously knew that in all honesty not one person was there to see him.

We were in section 119 uppers on Wolfs side in the front row so there was nothing in front of us except air all the way to the stage. It's nice to hang out on the rail and watch the blimps go by, hehe. Can see everything else going on too around the stage from that vantage point.

Show was phenomenal! Loud as hell, we had a rack of speakers pointing right at us and my ears are still ringing today, no shit! No earplugs, my wife and I are the stupid old school rocker types whose hearing is half gone anyway, so what the hell.... Voice is shot too today, gotta heal up before Worcester, lol...

Overall sound mix was a bit goofy at times, seemed like they had an issue from time to time with that, Dave kept putting a finger to his earbud and missed a few entry points, but all in all it was great. I have been to at least one show during every Van Halen area tour except for 3 over the last 30 years, and have seen all the early Dave shows too, dating back to 1977 at the Whisky, when I lived in CA. Yep, I miss Mike too, but I gotta say this version of VH definitely "brings it", and it was refreshing to see it! I have honestly never seen Ed and Al any tighter and crisper than they were last night, and that is saying something cause they are 30 years older now than their best prior performances!

No shit, Al is a friggin monster, I half expected him to be forced to take a decent break but he kept right on pounding, and I think he is just so underated it's insane. He holds everything together and has such a presence and timing...rock solid. His solo was superb.

Ed was 10 times what he was in 2004 IMO, and was "on" right from the get-go, easily on par with some of his early days' bests. Yeah he had guitar problems and yes I agree he should be wireless now, he almost tripped Dave up a coupla times with the cord in fact....but the man is once again back to true and top form, complete with "Flying Eddies" off the riser and everything, all at 50+ years old! Little Guitars was simply incredible, as were some of his other more pronounced riffs. I only caught a couple of misses during his solo when he got to noodling, but dunno if that was designed or not either. Incredible nonetheless. He is still, the man.

Wolfie held his own, I see great things to come for him, and there is no doubt about his bloodline. I kept saying to myself---daaammn, the kid is 16-17, what a future he has---imagine being 16-17 years old, and being able to play in Van Halen, nevermind having the worlds greatest rock guitarist as your Dad. His backup vocals were not Mikes, but then again, c'mon...he held his own, regardless of whether some of them were piped in or not.

Dave ----unfortunately I think he has lost the most of the three over the years IMO---I haven't seen him since 1984, back before he really became, uh, let's find a gentle word here--- "flamboyant", yeah, that's it, lol. I remember the Dave of old with swords and spinning high kicks, split kicks off the riser, bimbos under each arm, party-till ya puke then rally, etc, and he is now unfortunately an obvious shadow of that former self, too many miles as they say I figure. He brings too much of that Las Vegas "liberace" shit also IMHO and if I ever saw him with one of the outfits he was wearing last night with the stupid tophat and glimmering ass-jacket back in the day, I think I woulda had to go up and bust his balls. But I gotta say, even tho he definitely looked more than just a little gay to both my wife and I last night, (sorry, JMHO!) there is still that "magic" that happens when he sets foot on stage with Ed and Alex that is simply unfuckingdeniable. No-one can EVER take that away from any of them. Simply put, regardless of that little IMO persona glitch, it was one of the best Van Halen shows I've ever seen in all honesty, easily in the top 3 over the full 30 years. If anyone is on the fence out there about seeing this show, don't be. Holding out for Mikes' sake altho honorable is IMO a piss poor reason not to enjoy this, and I'm certainly glad I changed my mind. Grab some tickets and see this, it's worth every penny.

Highlights for me: The way the entire band handled the dead guitar issue---very professional, never missed a beat!

Little guitars, RWTD, Panama, Unchained ATBL.

Lowlights: None really. Sound issues, maybe Dave's microphone dry hump that failed to impress.

See this show! Worcester here we come......

mike zack

First off it was my first trip Mohegen Sun in a few years and I really like how the place has grown. Winning a few hundred bucks at the blackjack table didn't hurt either! I enjoyed talking VH with a few hardcore fans before the show at the waterfall bar. Being 31 years old I think Im a little younger then most of the harcore fans. I have friends attending other shows with me but this show I was flying solo.

On to the show. I had section 5 row 2 right on the aisle. Saw about 3/4 of Marley's set. Not bad. I was amazed at how loud he was. I knew VH would be super loud.

His set ended. They sent the blimps out. Super cool. The lights dimmed and Eddie began his 2 hour assault on all our asses! Yep there was guitar issues during Doctor. I thought it was a major enough problem that they might have to stop the show completely but Al and Wolfie held it down until Eddie got it fixed. The big screen was very clear. Got some good close pics up it. Not ashamed to admit I pulled off a few "flying Eddie's" of my own because I had the whole aisle. My air guitar game was on all night! ha ha. The sound was very loud and it did get distorted at times but not enough to be a hinderence. Smaller venue then normel? Mohegen has bad accoustics?

Songs/Set List-I'll Wait and Cradle was better then expected. Unchained they could stand up there and play that song 25 times in a row and I would still pay to see it! The first hour of the show was just unbelivably faced paced. Hit after hit!

Alex-A ROCK! Drum solo basically the same idea as the last few tours but definately different sounding. I thought he was going to pass out at the end!

Wolfie-Really wailed on the bass. Backround vocals seemed good. Some piped in? Possibly but I honestly could care less about that. I think he is loosing up more and moving around a bit. He's only 16 folks!

Dave-Before the tour I knew if Eddie was sober we would be on fire but I did have my doubts about Dave. Well he delivered big time. Sang the songs, toastmaster general with class. I was very impressed with him on Little Dreamer.

Eddie-What a difference from 04. You can tell he's back on his game when he improvises during songs and it still sounds great. Thank God the sustainer is gone! His solo was good but a little short. Energy was 10 on a 10 scale. All over the place. If he didn't have that cord I think he would be all over the ramps. He seems very happy to be on stage with his son, brother, and Dave. Im glad we got our buddy back!

Hopefully they keep this going. Can't wait for Boston on 10/30 to do it all over again! I hope everyone had a great a time as I did!

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sickman

Well every one before me summed it up. Great show. One highlight before the show outside of the arena standing with my wife and son a photographer from Blender Magazine came up and asked to take pics of us for a story they are doing on VH and their fans. Wife had the EVH shirt with him from 1984 but was altered to be an off the shoulder type of shirt. My son and I wore the matching 1984 tour shirt. After the group shot of us he snapped about 12 more of my son by himself in various poses. Maybe they will use it maybe not. A lot of people were calling him Wolfie too. Little kid with long hair - 75 lbs.
Anyway on to the show. Had sec. 117 Wolfies side, I thought the sound was just fine. Wore my Hearos for most of it and even without them it sounded great. I was able to snap a few pics and as soon as I figure out how to attach them I will.

sickman

Here we go.

Attached Thumbnails

     

c2dzmm

nice

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tss37

The show was very good. Band sounded very tight. I sat in Section 2 in the ring. Background vocals were not piped in - they are real (may have some enhancement on 'ill wait' but absolutely false if people think they are not singing.

Now the band asked us to "judge them harshly", so I will:

1) Ed needs to lose the guitar cable and better utilize the stage - people came not only to hear the guitar licks but to try to capture the live moment with their guitar hero - get closer to the people - use the ramps

2) In today's internet / blog / youtube era, the band needs to mix it up. I sense about 1/3 of the audience already knew the setlist going in, and perhaps 50% of them knew most of the "schtick". As the tour goes on, I sense some of the excitement will wane. It is not hard to learn a few new songs during rehearsal. As for the lighting / choreography, that is simply a computer patch that they can swap in / out at any moment. They need to keep it exciting and to continue to drum up interest even from people who already went to early shows, as well as those attending multiple shows.

3) Shorten the drum / guitar solo - that is so early 80's and is boring in today's age.

4) A live show needs dynamics - I am a huge fan of the cvh classics, but hearing the hard rock tunes one after another at such high volume can be kind of numbing. You need to bring the audience up and down a little. Bear with me here. They do add dynanmics by listening to the crowd in Im the One, the drum solo and Ice cream man. They could do more. For example (and I know people will berate me here), perhaps all four of them come out on the ramp, ask the crowd to go quite and do the acoustic tune Could this be Magic (acoustic). I know you all think that is lame, but again, the show needs dynamics - something that alters the sound a bit and even the stage a bit.

5) Last and most important, we need a tad bit more of old Dave. Let's all be honest - classic van halen was as exciting as it was because of the combinaton of great music and a lead singer with an attitude. I agree with the other person's post that Dave is half of what he was and a little more flambouyant vs machismo (not that I care what his sexual preference is). However, I know he is 50+. But low 50's is not old. He is ripped and in better shape the most 30 year olds. That said, he needs to work the stage a little more. I understand he is singing so well and people don't want the vocals compromised with 'schtick'. Not asking for him to do a high split off the drum riser and risking injury to the chagrin of future concert goers. But a little more than the Vegas routine he is currently doing. Jump up an down or do those scissor kicks or something - heck even Ed jumps around more than Dave. Again, he asked for us to be harsh and I am - I am a huge DLR fan - I just know he can bring more than what he is currently giving us (Steve Tyler and Mick Jagger moved around a lot more in the low 50's and not as ripped as Dave).

tss37

two more points to my post above:

6) They need to maintain the PA volume - it got increasingly louder and muddled

7) They can't end the show with Jump. Perhaps have it as last song before the encore. Encore needs to be a powerful song where people can sing along to with fists in the air - like ATBL or Panama - you need to leave on a high note. Frankly, watching Dave hump a microphone in a white sailer hat with confettie dropping down us as the culmination of the concer, many in the audience got a little confused if we were at the right show, or perhaps made a wrong turn after the bathroom break

voivod

Definitely the low-point of the night...

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guitar5150

Frankly, watching Dave hump a microphone in a white sailer hat with confettie dropping down us as the culmination of the concer, many in the audience got a little confused if we were at the right show, or perhaps made a wrong turn after the bathroom break

LOL .. its was funny .. people kept asking if Dave was "straight".

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James

sickman

Yeah my wife kept lookin at me like What Gives when Dave would do something like that. At the end of the show I told her That's just Dave. Shit wouldn't you act a little goofy if you were on stage with VH doing all those classics.

DirtyWaterDoggie

I have seen the Mighty Van Halen (in every incarnation, including solo) over a dozen times in the past 23 years, and this show was easily in the top 3. It amazes me that these three "seasoned" 50+ rockers and 16 year old rookie can put on a 2 hour performance like that! The night was perfect, and unexpected (a buddy got tickets just a couple of hours before the show).
I do not remember ever hearing DLR sound this strong, the man is giving it his all, to nail his vocals rather than lean on his tired 1984 shtick. I for one appreciate the effort and the results.
Welcome back to the Edward Van Halen I have worshiped for years, what a night. The “technical difficulty” during Doctor really showcased the strength and professionalism of the rhythm section, Wolfie and Al held down the fort like it was planned. From our vantage point in Section 104, it looked like Ed’s main Wolf shit the bed. The only thing that was eventually replaced was the guitar.

I cannot wait until Boston and Woostah! Oh yeah all the reviewers from previous shows were right, it was freakin’ LOUD. Thanks for the warning.

DaveRobertsSteal

Yeah,I was there,it was on!!! Really good. And like others had said,Ed was ripping and having a lot of fun. He has the body of a 1985 Marvin Hagler too!!! They were loud,but we all knew what we were getting into.They didn't fuck around either,it was one song after another,and every song,you are freaking out. Wolfie I thought was great,solid,but like someone else had posted not a loud personality,but clearly it is all about Dave and Ed. I thought the loudest thing of the night actually was when Dave played the harmonica into the mic.Wow!!! I may have lost fillings at that point,not to mention I thought he had it out to play "The Full Bug" but I guess there is next summer.........

powerfuryglory

I'm with you on this. I couldn't agree with you more- Dave's always said that he wanted to do with his body what Eddie was doing on the guitar. And right now, "2007 Dave" simply can't give that kind of effort. On the bright side, I think it's great that he's actually singing better than I've seen him sing since 1986's EEAS- and I couldn't believe how many screams he did this time around, but the bottom line is that he can't move around on stage anymore to "make the music look like it sounds." Eddie was definitely moving around way more than Dave. Nevertheless, Dave still put on a quality performance. I just wish he would run around more. To be honest though, it seems like most fans are forgiving of Dave's lack of energy/running around, and just happy that he's singing the songs (with accompanying screams) dead on.

In the same spirit of judging the band harshly, as they requested, here goes some more observations of the show at Mohegan Sun:

1. Cut down on the number of hugs and handshakes between Dave and Ed. They must've hugged 5 times during the show. Once would've been enough. We get it already...

I will admit though that the vibe between the two is good and REAL, based on the following interpretation- one of my favorite parts of the show was in the middle of "Jamie's Cryin'." Ed circled Dave once with his guitar, which should've been enough, but then Ed playfully circled Dave again, which cracked them both up (or atleast Ed laughed) because Dave didn't expect the second go-around. Ed proceeded to glide back over to his own microphone with Wolfie by his side to sing the background vocals together (with huge smiles on their faces).

2. Change the encore: switch "Aint Talkin Bout Love" or "Panama" with "1984/Jump."

3. Replace "I'll Wait" with "Secrets" or "Hear About it Later." It's an intimate/dramatic/soulful moment when Dave sings this to the crowd up front on the ramp. However, "I'll Wait" is just a weak single that screams 80s cheese.

4. Replace Dave's inflatable microphone with a death-defying feat of Dave flying above the crowd on one of the VH Goodyear Blimps!

HIGHLIGHTS

1. The improv jam session w/ Alex, Wolfie and Dave, when Ed was experiencing technical difficulties during "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" (and Dave's siren). They handled it very professionally, and brought in some much needed spontaneity to an otherwise very tightly-scripted set.

2. The transition from Alex's drum solo into "Unchained." Very powerful (or maybe "Unchained" just kicks ass no matter where you put)!

3. At the end of Ed's (shortened?) guitar solo, when he unexpectedly (IMO) addressed the crowd by saying something to the effect of "Thank you. We're back... with a whole new fuckin' band!"

dr.bullet

this is the first review of the tour where i'm starting to see people complain.....you want roth to do drum riser kicks ala the oakland vid? relax and stop complaining, it's van halen with david lee roth!!! it's not 1981, you're not 25 anymore and neither is band....by the way, it's van halen with david lee frickin' roth!

voivod

They may be untouchable on your pedestal, but not on some of ours...

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Remember when Ronald Reagan was President!? We also had Bob Hope and Johnny Cash still with us. Now we have Obama and no hope and no cash...