the show was kickass tonight. I will give a more detailed review later. Why do you continue to post in these threads OLO when you are not at the show? Save your postings for the Enumclaw show please or I will tell Brett.
Decent show in Oakland... sold out crowd and pretty into the show...Roth sounded really good, his voice is holding up really well, he really nailed Little Dreamer. Seen four shows and this was his best. Wolfgang seems to be gaining more confidence with each show...but I'm still waiting him to repeat his great intro into So This is Love that he did in Fresno..maybe that was a one off. Alex was Alex, pretty steady. Ed overall played well, but as the show went on he seemed to get a little odd...During his solo he started out standing, playing the Little Guitars intro...then he held up a finger, stopped and went and sat down, then started again. He had some problems during the solo with his equipment and at one point mumbled something into the mic about an effect, almost like he was in his living room or at NAMM. During Jump he seemed to have problems with the monitors and yelled something into the mic. He was wearing a black headband, military camaflouge pants and it looked like he is growing his hair out. The guy seems a bit eccentric these days, kinda a bizarre night for Ed but he can still play and it's even cool to hear when things don't go exactly right.
My friend and I saw the VH shuttle arrive- they flew straight to the airport a block away and went straight to the venue. We got to chat with Eddie for a minute- my friend asked if he would be at NAMM- he said "no"...we asked him to sign an item and he said his thumb hurts and his ears hurt and he can barely hear- so we took that as a no.. he said he liked my friend's picture with him (a shot from NAMM) and told us to "buy the cds" (??????????)...
We saw Tre Cool from Green Day walk in to the show also.
The show was good- the venue (which is very big) seemed very crowded and the crowd seemed into it- rocking out and/ or dancing. We were just to WVH's right and had a great view (sure made a difference not being blocked by the box from the other side haha).... I counted less people getting ill in the crowd/ hallways than San Jose, so that's a plus. EVH had his Rambo like headband working, as described above. The 5 star folks looked like they had some great spots- I saw a guy catch a pick from EVH on the fly during Little Guitars- NICE CATCH if you are out there!! Not a whole lot of picks went out. 2 techs were flinging them at WVH at one point so there were a ton on the stage on his side. A guy in front of us had Michael Anthony Rocks written on his shirt. That was the only thing like that I saw in the 2 shows I saw.
No bother posting the setlist as its the same down to each word said in between songs and all- at least what I saw... still a good show regardless...I would have loved to see a VH logo behind the stage at some point...
My friend took lots of pics so hopefully we will see a couple here soon...
VH left IMMEDIATELY from the stage and took a police escort back to the airport, which is just on the other side of the freeway. DLR had his own bus- which he arrived in long after the VH family did- not sure if he flew back with the others.
It was pretty cool driving up the venue and remembering I saw these guys here a little over 27 yrs ago. IMO it was a great show and it was one of the best performances I`ve seen from Roth , he was simply on his game and had the crowd eating out of his hand. Ed had some really good moments and some momnets that didn`t go over to well but he was in great spirits and it`s obvious he`s sober. Al is Al , he`s always been solid and tonight was no different. Wolfie was great and is only gonna get better with time, still I couldn`t help thinking how cool it would`ve been with Mike up there. The whole vibe around the arena was positive , people drinking ,smoking and just having a good time.The place was packed and the crowd was on their feet shaking their asses for the majority of the time.
I wont go into to much detail as far as how well they played or if they were in good voice or not......it was just fun as hell seeing Roth back on stage with Eddie.....I never thought I would see it again, and it was a personal moment for me to, at least for a few hours, to be 17 again......overall, pretty good show......as well as could be expected for guys in their 50's.......
Great show, Roth was the highlight for me anyway. I thought it sounded pretty good but I was going back and forth with the hearos because it was fuuuckin loud. Still recovering today but still have that aftershow buzz going.. twas that good
Sorry for the late reply here, but the holidays were a mad rush and this is the first time I've been able to sit down and write about the show, so here goes...
Eddie Van Halen didn't make me pick up the guitar, however he was the overwhelming influence who made me realize that mastering the guitar was just about the coolest and most expressive thing anyone could ever do with their lives. His passion for the instrument poured out of my speakers and headphones and it was, quite literally, infectious. I haven't been able to put my guitar down and still can't stop smiling while I play. I've had many, many influences, but the man with the striped guitar and sheepish grin was primarily responsible for it.
Flash ahead to today. I bought tickets for my girlfriend and four other friends who all were excited to see Ed and Dave back together again. I was too young to see Roth with VH back in 1984 (I would have been 7), so this tour something I needed to experience regardless of my views on the current drama that is Van Halen.
The arena turned dark, then Ed opened up over the top of the roaring drum fills supported by a barrage of kick drums from Al; the crowd was on it's feet and fired up. For a moment, this gave me a fleeting feeling into what it might have felt like in 1983 comparing it to one of the myriad of boots that I own.
About halfway through "You Really Got Me," I made a conscious decision not to sit back as a critic, but to absorb the show as fan of kickass music that brings an energy that never apologizes for what it is. Throughout the night, as my mind was freed from my inner critic, I was transported back to those moments sitting on the edge of my bed with my guitar, trying to figure out just what on earth Ed was doing, much less, trying to execute what I could figure out.
Long story short, I had a great time as a lifelong fan of Van Halen. The critic in me knows that Eddie isn't, and will probably never be, the same again. His hands did look a bit arthritic, thus limiting the "wow" moments that used to come so frequently in the past, however I did get the feeling that Ed really cared about what he was playing for the most part. Roth sounded fantastic, Al was spectacular and Wolfgang was good (missed Mikey though).
Overall, it was a great show in helping me to realize just why, after all these damn years, I still give two shits about all these guys despite their flaws.
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"I don't want to know who you use, as long as they're not complete muppets." - Hatchet Harry
"I wasn't the class clown in high school, but I sat next to him in class.....and I studied him..." -Dr. Pearl
got back to brasil, spent the xmas with my son and after reading some reviews from the shows i've been to, i'd like to place a few words.
first... it's a van halen show, we all know that everything can happen. the fact that eddie might have been back to the boose or anything else doesn't tell me anything. in all past years we've seen performances from the band with all the four members drunk and stoned as they can get... barelly standing.
if eddie was under the influence, i don't care... what i do care is that i had a hell of a time in oakland (and on the 1st night in anaheim).
people waited 24 years to see dave and eddie on stage and keep complaining about things that eddie has been doing for the last 13 tours... fucking insane...
on the shows, i could think on just 2 things:
1st - dave and eddie are awesome together... they rule...
2nd - we got to addimit that we've lost 24 years of music and performances, that's the one thing we can be sorry. time won't go backwards and they're not 30 anymore.
the show was great... the band that made my musical life was there, i'm sorry to say that but michael weren't missed, i thought i would miss him so much, but dave and eddie together is just like magic.
they were interacting way more than i thought they would... i think this is hope for future music.
i'll say that again, if you saw it, do it again... if you don't, take a plane, boat, car, skate or whatever, just don't miss it!
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Air tickets from Sao Paulo to LA: US$1,050.00;
Car rental for 1 week: US$480.00;
7 nights in hotels: US$1,350.00;
Tickets for 2 shows, for you and yor wife: US$650.00;
The MIGHTY VAN HALEN live in front of your naked steamin' eyes: PRICELESS!!!
I dug my experience at the Oakland show immensely. My expectations were high, but knowing that there have been some glitches, anything that may have happened at the show, (EVH's pedal mishaps or whatever) didn't detract from the good times. Buddy of mine called the show "Incredible."
We were seated above EVH in the 2nd level until I hooked up with a buddy & swapped seats with them in the lower bowl for the 2nd part of the show (sound was better down there)...
The particulars which everybody touches on:
DLR sang it all, extremely well, and still has his swagger as a frontman. It was extremely cool to see his happy demeanor with the VH's on stage that nite. While it may all be show business, they did appear to be having a great time up there & were definitely grooving.
AVH: They guy's a human click track. Flawless and what's more, the shots of the big guy on the screen really showed him locked in, having a great time, and mouthing happily (bop bop bopping) along to the beat of the songs....
The Kid: From prior vid clips, he's definitely developing more of a repoire with Roth onstage & becoming more comfortable as the tour progresses (even barked a couple of things about Dave into his mike during the gig). Give him a chance, he ain't even out of high school & is touring with one of the greatest bands of all time with some huge shoes to fill. He holds his own & does have some chops.
Eddie: It was no quarter asked & no quarter given as far as I was concerned. Love the guy's band, love his playing, love his tunes, love his stage presence & given all of the crap the guy has had to deal with in the last several years with his band, health, and construction of his new Swimming Swamp in his backyard, I planned to give the guy a little leeway. It was just good to hear Romeo, Little Guits, So This Is.., HFT, et al FUCKING LIVE with DLR on vocs. Sloppy playing be damned. If you want it picture perfect, listen to the album.
LOVED the magic bus interlude, & the vocal/guitar trade-offs. No one can ever touch them in that dept. Always has been one of my fav parts of their live shows (boots/1984 tour).
Also, Dave made the show fun. He was relaxed & loose & while there wasn't any JD jack off, there was plenty of innuendo, which made it a real =VH= concert.
Happy Gnu Year, peeps!
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"Honey, my shirt got itself torn up. My shirt tore itself on that stripper's hand, and I need it to be sewed up for the show."
"No problem, Dave, no problem. Say hello to Fluffy."
"Fuck you, Fluffy."
"No, no, you're going to upset Fluffy."
"I ain't saying hello to no stuffed bear."
"You know, now that I think about it, it's going to take a little longer to sew up that shirt than I was thinking."
"Hi Fluffy, how you been?"
"Now that I'm thinking of it even more, it's going to take half the time, Double D, Diamond Dave! Would you hold Fluffy?"
"N--- yeah."
Last edited by Hecubus : 01.03.08 at 11:23 AM.
Reason: Because I fucking wanted to. Got a problem?
I will always remember Dave standing right next to Eddie singing in Eddies ear "I only want to be by your side" Very cool moment from the Oakland Show..
In 04 in the same building Sammy at the end of the Show was on top of the stage saying remember this one Oakland this was a hell of a show it was, but to see Eddie and Dave back together again Priceless
Reviews ONLY!!! Oakland CA
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