Van Halen Reunion Concert

Amos' Epics
The 2nd show of the 2007 reunion tour with David Lee Roth on vocals and Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. I am a long time fan. VH was the first big concert I attended. When I was 15 years old, I rode the bus to Hampton VA and my sister Susan picked me up at the bus station and got me to the Hampton Rhodes Colliseum that evening. Clara and I saw them again at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre during the Sammy years. I think I have all the VH / Roth era CDs except 1984.
Greensboro Colliseum seemed to be full except for the seats right behind the stage. Our seats were high but we had binocs and the big screen helped even though part of the PA was obstructing the view.
Killer Show!
The song list:
1) You Really Got Me
2) I'm The One - One of my favorites of the evening and one of my favorite VH songs period. They did a great job on this one.
3) Running With The Devil - People were still singing this one in the parking lot after the show.
4) Romeo Delight
5) Sombody Get Me A Doctor - DLR played a harmonica and bull horn at the beginning of this one. It was great.
6) Beautiful Girls - most excellent
7) Dance The Night Away - and Eddie did w/ DLR at the beginning ofthis song. They seemed to be getting along well.
8) Atomic Punk - Another of my favorites of the evening. They were tight. I dont think DLR improvised as much on this one and they nailed it tight as a band.
9) Everybody Wants Some!! -
10) So This Is Love -
11) Mean Street - Dave and Wolfie sing together in same mic and harmonize well.
12) Oh, Pretty Women - Dave and Wolfie sing most of the song together (duet). It sounds really good - they harmonize together well on it. A positive surprise to me since this is not one of my favorite songs on the playlist.
Drum Solo - a good time to sit and take a load off. By the last third of the solo most everyone had stood back up and were stomping or clapping. Go Alex!
13) Unchained - Dave had some big chains.
14) I'll Wait - By far my least favorite tune of the evening. Also my least favorite song on the play list from my least favorite album of the DLR era. Three words I dont like to hear about a live show, especially a VH show: Prerecorded keyboard track. It they need to play a sap song like this one cant they afford to pay a keyboard player?
15) And The Cradle Will Rock - Kicked Ass! HAVE YOU SEEN WOLFIES' GRADES?
16) Hot For Teacher - Tappty tap tap... Killer
17) Little Dreamer -
18) Little Guitars - Pulled out Frankenstein. Up to now, Peavey Wolfgang.
19) Jamies Crying - Excellent! Better than I could have imagined.
20) Ice Cream Man - DLR reminiscing. Cool break for story time.
21) Panama - Great
GTR Solo - Back with the Peavey. Started out with some nice finger slide stuff with a spanish feel then eased into some great volume knob Cathedral like stuff. Meld into some eruption to amazing display of tap harmonics. He is a master of amplification and tone! The maestro was in the house.
22) Aint Talkin Bout Love - YES
23) Jump - For the encore? It actually worked. The disco ball and confetti pulled it off. Stunning ending to a great show. By this point I didnt dwell on the prerecorded keyboard track.
Great show. They still have it and so far everyone seems to be getting along well. Eddies sound was impecable, of course and he seemed to be in good physical shape. EVH was thin, trim, and ripping. DLR had a good vocal sound. He's not hitting everything just like the albums or jumping as high as he used to but who can expect him to after all these years - he is still getting in plenty of kicks and seems to be in great physical shape for a 52 yer old. DLR is a "one of a kind" original- his vocals just fit the brown gtr sound. His mic stand and pipe swinging was very impressive. Wolfie and EVH's backup vocals were right on time and on key every song - Deuce. Drums sounded good but there is a little but of muddiness in the low bass end. Maybe Wolfies bass was too cranked or maybe an inadequate bass end in the PA: Maybe the only thing that "could have been better", otherwise an exceptional show.