[Purple Haize]

Just got back from the concert up at JPJ. WOW great show. Fellow old timers can relate. Some casual observations:

1. The last VH concert I went to had a ton of Trans Ams in the parking lot. This time there were a lot of Mini Vans!
2. It is amazing what Botox and a face lift can do for you!! Eddie and DLR looked good though. DLR is freakin BUFF! DLR is a great showman. He and Eddie looked like they were genuinely having a good time up there. Of course the perpetual smile on DLR's face could just be the botox!
3. I always knew Eddie was a genius guitar player, but I guess as I have gotten older I can appreciate it more. He is truly amazing, listening to him doesnt do him justice you have to SEE him do what he does. I stated before that Stewart Copeland and Neal Pert are great drummers, EVH does to guitar what they do to drums.
4. They played for 2.5 hours which was great b/c they were trying to make up for the two previous cancellations!
5. Wolfgang is a perfect fit for the band. The crowd can focus on DLR and his dad and he doesn't/won't get caught up in the need for "face time" Plus, they do a good job working him into the act. i.e. "Have you seen Wolfie's grades?" "Hey Dave, give Wolfie a BreaK' "One Break coming up..."
6. Wolfgang is at the age where parent suddenly become an embarrasement and uncool. I wonder how he is reacting to seeing his "old man" being cool and thousands flocking to see him. It has to stunt his development!
7. I felt bad for the clean up crew. They encored with JUMP and rained confetti on the crowd
8. I am trying to find an excuse to see them Monday at the RBC center LOL
9. I would mention all of the hot chicks ranging in ages from 18-50 who were there with that line running up the back of their hose, but I know we are trying to self edit!!

[HenryGale]

Extremely jealous Haize!

BTW...love the new sigs....one of the best movies ever!

[PAmedic]

second person in 2 days that has raved about this show. Gonna have to try to see it.

[Purple Haize]

PA You need to. How far are you from Baltimore?? My route takes me about an hour from there and since they will be up there later in the month, I am sure I could make a slight detour. sort of a FF Old Foggies reunion!

[bigsmooth]

i sold my tix after the second cancellation....a haize vote for a good show makes me want to go try and see them at another venue.

[Purple Haize]

Baltimore MD is coming up. So are Atlanta and Hershey Atlantic City, Mohegan Sun, Chicago and Grand Rapids. How sad is it that i know that infor off the top of my head. Had Iknown SMOOTH I would have called I had an extra ticket and the seats were GREAT. Just off the floor in line with the speakers. Music youcould feel. I might be inclined to post a pic or two

[RubberMallet]

i saw them at the balance tour and i have the right here right now tour cd...

luconn remember the van halen balance shirt with the siamese twin kids on the teeter totter?...it was from that concert...

[Purple Haize]

Yeah but that wasn't the REAL VAN HALEN!!!
THis was a much better show! I was disappointed that they didn't have any concert posters for me to decorate MANLAND!!! I should have gotten a T Shirt and worn it to work the next day to show everyone how cool I (thought) I was!

[RubberMallet]

wasn't alive for real van halen. and they made some awesome songs during that era. i'm glad i at least got to see them then and not have my only chance to see them when they are old and insane...

[Sly Fox]

I'm a Van Hagar man myself. But the Diamond Dave era was indeed splendid.

[bigsmooth]

i will take DLR over hagar anyday, but they wer both good for the band.

[PAmedic]

Prefer Dave as well, about 1.5 hrs from AC, Baltimore and Hershey

[Purple Haize]

SLY You are a poopy head and quite frankly a pretender. NO true Van Halen like the Van Hagar experiment. DLR and the boys had a chemistryyou can't beat
'PA looks like you have options. Of course if you goto AC you will have the chance to see the band in the casino after the show!

[AZjonz]

I was really impressed that this tpoic hadn't got into the Roth v Hagar debate but it's not too late if everyone will concede that Hagar showed what DLR was...a crappy Vegas act that lucked out with a phenomenal guitarist and drummer. Any takers? Probably not. This thing has ruined frienships.

I saw them on the Balance tour in Tempe, AZ or was that Mesa? Wait, Mesa was Ozzy.

[RubberMallet]

azjons is pretty much correct.

while i like both the whole "if you think hagar is better than dlr than you are a poser" is to point now where you are actually made fun of for saying it..

hagar just happened to have to deal with the synthisized 80's while roth got the classic rock 70's...

[Purple Haize]

Wow, I am all about DLR. Here is the difference in my opinon. Hagar was obviously a better "singer" no doubt about that. Part of the reaons IMHO that they made the switch was b/c VH WANTED to go more synth, sort of building on the success of 1984, especially Jump and I'll Wait. Obviously not a strong suit for DLR. ANd the first couple of VHagar albums did VERY well so financially it was a great move. But they lost something when the lost DLR. DLR is/was/always will be a better showman then SH. ANd that is what made VH so much fun to watch and listen too. They just ROCKED. When the switched they became better "musicians" and there is nothing wrong with that.
Basically, IMHO, these are two different bands. Nothing wrong with that. I prefer the VAN HALEN part but do have some VAN HAGAR songs that I do like. OU812 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge were good albums. (Dreams is still one of my fav songs) I think you saw their sales decline because they didn't have the connection anymore that they had with DLR so people weren't packing the concerts.
A final thought I had, and one of the reasons I never REALLY warmed to Van Hagar was b/c I never could get over the feeling that Sammy was always a "Just Happy to Be Here" person and never became "one" with the band a al DLR. And maybe that is what the band needed, no more clashing of ego's. Which is why I said what I said about have Wolfie on the bass.
Plus on the Best of Both Worlds CD Hagar sang a couple of DLR/VH tunes and it just didn't sound right!

[adam42381]

Gary Cherone anybody?

[AZjonz]

Gary Cherone anybody?

Ah man! I forgot about that! I thought that was a "jump the shark" moment.

[Sly Fox]

Its obviously highly subjective. I caught VH on the OU812 tour one night and DLR when he had Steve Vai the very next night in the same building (Greensboro Coliseum). That VH concert remains my fave of the '80s and I had a blast watching Dave. But the latter felt more like a Vegas show than a concert. And Sammy was phenomenal covering the best of the first few albums.

And for the record I think you are shortchanging Sammy's solo career. He improved the band and had much better than average stage presence ... He just wasn't the Diamond Dave persona. Sammy's solo project he recorded during his VH years with Eddie playing bass remains among favorites of that decade.

[Purple Haize]

Yes there was "I can't Drive 55" but all Ihave to say is "1 -2-3 Lock Box!"

[givemethemic]

No Atlantic City...East Rutherford tomorrow night....But I will be in Atlantic City next weekend:) cha-ching