jrk5150

Excellent show. I'm with P-dog - more energy in Boston, better playing last night. I had balcony in Boston and floor last night, so it wasn't the seats, dude.

As far as Ed's solo - he was definitely doing different shit last night than he did last week. It didn't seem to me like it was the same solo. Even during cathedral, for the numbnuts saying he was screwing it up - he wasn't playing "cathedral", he was playing in that style, but not that melody for a good chunk of it. So, yeah, if you were looking to hear the notes and sequences of cathedral, you were going to be thinking he was fucking it up. That said, Ed has slowed down for sure, but you had to know that was coming eventually. He was still all over the place, running around, jumping, scissor kicks, off the drum riser, etc. More animated than I remember going back to LWAN in 1986. Good to see him having fun.

Maybe it was because I was closer, but Wolfie was playing the shit out of that bass. I also don't recall the cameras zooming in on his hands while playing in Boston, they did that a couple of times last night, and he was flying on it.

Still, I think VH from 1988 (didn't see them live prior to that) to 1998 was a tighter, cleaner sounding band than they are now. Although they're better now than in 2004, for sure.

I probably wouldn't pay money to see them again any time soon without new music. Maybe in a couple of years, but not soon. I wouldn't have gone to see them in 2005 or 2006 with Sam and no new music either - same old shit gets boring, and I've been listening to the songs they played last night for 20+ years now.

__________________
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There are chunks of pineapple clogging my toilet.
Never mind why.
Fuckin Mondays. Duke, asking "Why Can't I Put Drano in the Toilet??"

jasonbogen

[QUOTE=jrk5150;895851]
As far as Ed's solo - he was definitely doing different shit last night than he did last week. It didn't seem to me like it was the same solo. Even during cathedral, for the numbnuts saying he was screwing it up - he wasn't playing "cathedral", he was playing in that style, but not that melody for a good chunk of it. So, yeah, if you were looking to hear the notes and sequences of cathedral, you were going to be thinking he was fucking it up. QUOTE]

If you want to be an asshole about it calling names then fine, but if you can read and comprehend you would understand I was talking about him screwing up the technique. The volume swells were completely messed up. One of his signatures and he couldn't do it. I never said anything about his solo not being note for note. It's a solo, I don't expect it to be note for note everytime and that obviously was not my point. It actually looked like there was physically something wrong with him during the last quarter of the show. It shocked me and I came here to discuss it. It's not like I was personally attacking EVH. I was simply pointing out how off he was and giving examples. Geeze.

jrk5150

LOL - my bad dude, yours was one of several posts that got me annoyed, didn't mean to take it out directly on you. The point was is he was trying to do different shit with it, some worked, some didn't. This ISN'T the same old solo he's done in the past, but some seem to be thinking it is and remarking on where he's fucking up. He's not necessarily fucking it up, he's trying other shit than what is expected. I noticed him pushing hard during that part of his solo, which makes me think he was stretching quite a bit to get to something, and didn't really quite pull it off the way I'd guess he wanted to.

__________________
The poster formerly known as IED


There are chunks of pineapple clogging my toilet.
Never mind why.
Fuckin Mondays. Duke, asking "Why Can't I Put Drano in the Toilet??"

Stevolives

not saying it's true but lots of people that do certain physical things for many many years, be it building fences or steelwork, or playing guitar for that matter start getting arthritis sooner than ya might think. could be something like that? particularly in the hands, I've heard of this alot from pro pianists.... lots of times can just see a doc and get the right prescription and be fine... just a stab in the dark but ya really never know..

Ryerye

Finally got a chance to get on here. Here is my take on the show (my 6th VH show):

1. Eddie was ON. The only other time that I have heard live playing that good in any genre, any show, was Eddie back in '98. He was really keyed in on his playing and it was phenominal. Something else that struck me was his tone, which I think was his best in any VH show I have been to.

2. Alex is still the king behind the set. His solo was my favorite part of the show.

3. There were no sound issues. Very simple set up on the stage, and it was not ridiculously loud.

4. The guitar solo: You really should not expect the EVH solo of the past, where it went from 316 to Cathedral to Eruption, etc. He is improvising the entire solo every night now. If you take it in that respect, the solo is still pretty amazing. Just look at the jumbo screen and watch his fingers.

5. DLR was good, but it is a step down from what I expect from a VH show. Sammy in '04 was much, much better.

6. Wolfgang held his own, but VH is certainly missing the presence of Michael Anthony. I did not hear that strong foundation that Mikey gave and missed his powerful voice on backing vocals.

Bottom line, I want to see the brothers live as much as possible, but not at the current price of tickets. The show was good, but I miss the "mighty" VH.

JimmyG

I miss Mikey too ... but I like the kid ... what would it take to get all that right again ... this tour was probably in the planning stage 20 months ago, ... I think issues between the camps formed long ago ... it's too bad ... I accept Wolfgang if MA can't be there ... the kid's doing a great job ... he does hold his own for sure ... ... it is what it is ... but it would have been perfect if Mike was there ...

__________________
7/28/1981–LANDOVER, MD–CAPITAL CENTRE
10/11/1982–LANDOVER, MD–CAPITAL CENTRE
3/25/1984–LANDOVER, MD–CAPITAL CENTRE
8/8/1986–LANDOVER, MD–CAPITAL CENTRE–VH w/ HAGER
10/7/1986–LANDOVER, MD–CAPITAL CENTRE–DLR
6/10/1988–WASH., D.C.-RFK STADIUM (MONSTER OF ROCK)-VH w/HAGER
6/25/1990-COLUMBIA, MD-MERRIWEATHER POST-DLR
9/29/2007-GREENSBORO, NC-GREENSBORO COLISEUM
11/1/2007-WASH., D.C.-VERIZON CENTER
5/15/2008-BALTIMORE, MD-1ST MARINER ARENA

crazy levi

Eddie Van Halen does not play guitar like someone suffering from arthritis.

jeffbug

VH fans are the most critical, whining, judgemental people on the internet. Just be happy the band are on tour and out there playing live. Anything i better than the period of of a few years ago when they were doing nothing.

Cool Kid

First of all, I've been waiting to see this show (i.e. DLR and VH doing the original/best stuff) for 20 plus years. Well, to say that I had HIGH expectations is an understatement. In short, what I saw last night exceeded these expectations It was well worth the 20 year wait (and the cash I shelled out to see it)! Up front, I expected the music to be top notch, which it was. What really made it for me is that the whole show was a lot of "FUN". The band brought a TON of energy to this show and you can tell that they are really enjoying playing together. The interaction between dad and son (Eddie and Wolfie) was cool - the passing of the torch if you will. They had fun on stage and it showed. Seeing them jam and play off each other was a highlight. Same with Eddie and Dave, they got along great (or at least seemed to).

Overall, the show was way more entertaining than I thought it would be. Lots of little things come to mind like when Dave and Eddie had a motor cycle reving contest, or when they gave us a "history lesson" by playing a little of the Who's "Magic Bus" and Clapton's "Cross Roads" or when Dave forgot the words to the second verse of "Mean Street" and said "I forgot the (&*%^&%ing words!". I also loved Dave's little intro (5 minute story) on the acoustic to "Ice Cream Man", which gave him his chance to hold court. I loved that Wolfie had a RED SOX World Series Champion sticker glued to his bass guitar. I went nuts when Eddie brought out the red frankenstrat guitar (pure nostalgia for me). Oh yeah, let's not forget the sailor hat, the twirling of the baton, and the disco ball and DLR and running around with that HUGE red NH flag - pretty hilarious.

Musically, they all brought their A games. As a band they are real tight right now which was flippin sweet to see. Alex is a stud on drums - his drum solo was the best I've ever seen. That guy is easily the most underrated drummer in Rock. Dave was the man! Not over the top or ego driven like in the past. The "new" Dave toned down his shtick/act ( I guarantee that Eddie made this a condition of his return) therefore not casting a shadow over the legendary EVH. DLR was a total show man and his voice was way better than I could possibly imagine. For a guy who 10 years ago had no singing voice left, it was impressive. Dave is unique and I love his quirky personality. It's like Vegas meets the circus or something. Without a doubt, the guy still has stage presence. Overall score for DLR = GREAT.

The one who really delivered the goods was Eddie - he nailed it last night. Classic riffs and fills mixed with unbelievable solos combined with non stop energy. He was all over the stage doing his signature moves - CLASSIC. His 10 minute guitar solo was worth the price of admission! Solos can be hit or miss - this one in my opinion, was a HIT. First he sat at the front of the stage with his legs dangling and played 316. Next he played Cathedral from Diver Down which was unbelievable to hear (with that cello/violin like sound) and of course he wrapped it up with the daddy of all guitar solos, "Eruption". This guy is still in his prime as far as I'm concerned. Final score for EVH = A++.

Wolfie held his own. Pretty good for a 16 year old kid but who really pays attention the bassist anyway (except if it's John Entwistle). I didn't miss Michael Anthony at all. Let's be real - everyone is there to see Eddie shred and Dave sing as part of VH again. For the record, for guys in their 50's, they looks great and are in phenomenal shape. Eddie and Dave have abs. I have not had abs since the release of 1984. They are making me look bad! Chicks still dig these guys, although looking at the demographics make up of the crowd, I'd say it was 75% males in the 30-50 age group.

The Sound: the mix started off shaky which made me nervous. It was tough to hear Dave clearly initially, very muddy, especially on Romeo's Delight (stinker #1). The bass was just right all night (good thing) except for "I'll wait" (stinker #2 – kind of a downer when mixed in with all the other kick arse tunes). Luckily, most of the sound issues were corrected by the fifth song. Out of the 26 song set list, I'd say that 4 songs sounded horrible as a result of the mix (Romeo's Delight, Unchained, I'll Wait and Hot for Teacher HFT = stinker #3). All the others ranged from good to great. Highlights for me would be "Dance the Night Away" (with a little vocal only 3 part harmony at the end), "Everybody Wants Some" (Dave's add libbing was great), Panama (kicked butt), Ice Cream Man, Little Guitars, "And the Cradle Will Rock" (kicked butt) and "aint talkin bout love" (kicked butt). Oh yeah, "Pretty Woman" and "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" were great too! Another bonus is that they added the doo-wop part back into "I'm the One" which I heard had been dropped after opening night. The whole set list cranked like a freight train with no stops.

For me, I friggin loved this show. I've read all the reviews from the other shows and this one has to be one of the top of the tour so far. I read where Eddie had a meltdown last Saturday night at the IZOD. He made up for it BIG TIME here in Worcester. Thanks to VH for putting on an AWESOME show.

From my buddy Johnny M. who was also at the show:

I loved the solos, especially the drum solo. Alex Van Halen is WAAAAAY
better than I thought! The entire show was kick-azz. David Lee was just
the right balance of showman and team-player. Eddie was a master, as always.
And even little Wolfgang didn't mess anything up and looked like he could take
the reigns someday and keep VH going.

The staging and lighting was awesome, very colorful and rock-n-roll'ish, without
being too much.

The sound was hit-or-miss in the beginning, but it got better as the show went on.

I also liked the huge video screen at the back of the stage, so you could see all the closeups.
Like, for instance, Eddie's sneakers (Chucks) matched the Frankenstrat!

The opening act was kind of lame, but at least it gave us something to listen to while
we waited in line at the food stands and bathroom, hahahaha

BrownM&M

Hey everyone, been lurking on here for a while, love the info on this forum so I figured I'd finally post.

I went to the Boston show and was so blown away, the next day I bought a ticket for Worcester. Both shows were amazing, way beyond my expectations and I hope they come around again on the second leg (if it happens).

I have to say though the Boston show was way tighter IMO, and I had better seats in Worcester(109 lower level). In Boston he nailed every part he played and the solo was sick. In Worcester Eddie was a little off during the second half of the show, especially the solo. I'm pretty sure he was a little drunk (takes one to know one! ). I could tell Wolfie wasn't too happy about it either but hey, who cares!? it's rock and roll and it by no means ruined that amazing show. He recovered very well and destroyed for the rest of the night.

I'm just glad to have gotten the chance to see Dave, Ed and Alex on the same stage again enjoying the shit out of what they are doing. Long live VH!!!

sickman

I put a few pics in the Photo Thread from this show.

BrownM&M

wow, nice pics! you had some sick seats, like the eddie arial shots.

sickman

I'll add more later if anyone is interested.

Steely

Just wanted to add that this was my favorite VH show I've been to.

I've been a longtime VH fan but they lost me right after they did the short-lived 2 song DLR reunion. So I was not expecting anything great this show especially since they're all past their prime.

I've seen them with Sammy 3 or 4 times and once with Cherone. I've always preferred the DLR era VH, so the setlist was a huge reason why I liked this show. But they played everything nice and up tempo.

Alex's solo was the best one I've seen from the shows I've been to.

Eddie's solo was the the worst solo I've seen from the shows I've been to.

I hope they do a new album, otherwise this show fulfilled my VH for me now that I got to see them with DLR and play this type of setlist.

__________________
"If at first you don't understand Van Halen's music, crank up the volume."
-Washington Post, April, 1980

Soon to be EX-fan

I've seen VH 9 times, 4 times with Dave (80,81,82,84) so like everyone else, I was really pumped to see this show.

Overall, they did not disappoint. It was clear Dave was concentrating on nailing the vocals (which he did), he was physically way more static on the stage than I've seen him in the past (Sam & Dave etc), but goddamn, that guy is in shape.

It's also clear Ed had a bad night. The band was mostly tight (I'm the One stands out as a particular favorite) but Ed had trouble with Little Guitars, Mean Streets and as others had pointed out, his solo..it was just plain 'ol not good (and yes, I play guitar). This isn't about speed or improvisation, he was clearly struggling with some of the playing (Women in Love intro) and definitely with volume swells in the upper frets and getting any kind of audible volume out of plucking at the trem springs or the strings behind the nut. I'm sure this solo will show up on You Tube, so before someone flames me, I'd only ask that you watch the Philly solo and then the Worcester solo, there is absolutely no comparison from a player or technical standpoint.

I'm actually one of the few that likes I'll Wait, but it really didn't work for me during this show...I would love to see them dump that and ATCWR and toss in The Full Bug, Hear About it Later or Girl Gone Bad.

And one last thing....am I the only one who swears Michael Anthony's voice could be heard during the chorus of Jamie's Cryin'?

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