Official 6/16 Phoenix Meetup/Review Thread

[BenJammin]

Well at least there's some good comeradie with Phoenix members of RA... five full pages of comments vs only barely two on the 6/14 San Diego thread.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.examiner.com/review/conce...-for-van-halen

Concert review: Phoenix crowd still hot for Van Halen

Ted Hansen
Mesa Classic Rock Music Examiner

Many fathers envision the day when their son is old enough to join them in the family business. Getting the chance to work side by side with their offspring can be a source of pride. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen must be one pretty proud papa as he got to work alongside his son, bass player Wolfgang, as Van Halen performed a well-received, two hour set, to a sold out crowd at the US Airways Center on Saturday night, June 16, 2012. Throw in Wolfgang’s uncle Alex on drums and everyone’s adopted, depraved uncle David Lee Roth on vocals and it was an appropriate family gathering for a Father’s Day Eve.

The male bonding experience was evident by the bare bones stage. No ladies touch was present with a set that had two sets of 5150 amplifiers, two platforms, one for Alex’s drum kit and one where Wolfgang would find occasional solace, a pair of microphones on opposite sides of the stage for Eddie and Wolfgang when needed and a parquet dance floor placed in the middle so that Roth could soft shoe his way throughout songs.

Important to all male indoor experiences is a big screen television and the Van Halen family get together didn’t disappoint. The video screen in use this evening, located in the back part of the stage, was as David Lee Roth mentioned, the size screen you would see at a drive-in movie theater. For those in Wolfgang’s age group, that would be IMAX size. With a projection screen that size there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.

Eddie Van Halen’s bombastic opening chords to “Unchained” signaled the band’s arrival on stage and immediately the crowd was up on its feet and clapping along. The unmistakable pop of Alex’s drums accompanied by the younger Van Halen’s bass playing complemented Eddie nicely, invoking thoughts of a Van Halen of thirty plus years ago.

With Wolfgang’s opening bass to “Runnin’ With the Devil,” along with his high octave, on pitch harmonies throughout the night, Wolfgang proved to be a solid addition to the band. Instrumentally, Van Halen hasn’t sounded this good live in many, many years.

But after the show, I heard many audience members mutter, and I’m paraphrasing here, why did Van Halen pick David Lee Roth to replace David Lee Roth? Yes, Diamond Dave still has that million dollar carnival barker’s smile and charm that would make you end up buying him a car even if he was the car salesman. He shuffled and danced on his parquet floor and could even deliver on occasion his patented high leg kick. As an entertainer, age may have caused Roth to have lost a step, but he’s only replaced it with new steps. Watch him twirl a mike stand or two and he reminds you of a marching band leader gone wild. He still is captivating as a front man.

No, it wasn’t his antics or now, at age fifty seven, his somewhat creepy sounding flirting with the audience females (he is after all, our accepted depraved uncle) that bothered some. It was his vocals. Although no one else should be singing “Everybody Wants Some,” “Hot for Teacher,” or the Van Halen version of “Pretty Woman,” (which was Dave’s best song of the night), there were missed verses, high notes never reached and off meter timing. During “You Really Got Me,” he watched up close as Eddie and Wolfgang nailed the backing harmonies and declined to join in. To some, it was just Dave being Dave. To others, they expected more.

Perhaps this is why, despite the fact that ninety percent of the audience, from the front row to the rafters, remained standing throughout the entire show, yet seldom shot pumped fists into the air or feverishly clapped along to every song. To them, there was plenty to embrace about Van Halen but something was missing as well.

The evening’s set list was expectedly comprised of some new material off of their latest CD “A Different Kind of Truth,” and a healthy dose of old Van Halen. Even with a new song such as “Tattoo,” Eddie Van Halen showed why he is a guitar god with his effortless, yet impressive solos. With the enormous video screen behind the stage providing close ups of Eddie’s fingers during his seven minute guitar solo towards the end of the show, one couldn’t help but be in awe as to his creativity.

Roth provided the other band members a break when he took to the stage alone, first explaining, via video behind him, of his herding dog life and then breaking into “Ice Cream Man.” Well rested, the Van Halens joined in for the frenzied end to the song and continued on the same pace with “Panama.”

Without need to leave the stage only to return for one last expected encore, Van Halen remained and finished up with a rousing version of “Jump.” Confetti blew into the air and then rained down onto the crowd and just like any good get together, it was time for somebody else to clean up the mess made by the Van Halen clan. But they’re all invited back next year, even Uncle Dave.

Set List: Unchained | Runnin’ With The Devil | She’s The Woman | Romeo Delight | Tattoo | Everybody Wants Some | Somebody Get Me A Doctor | China Town | Hear About It Later | Oh, Pretty Woman | Alex Van Halen Drum Solo | You Really Got Me | The Trouble With Never | Dance The Night Away | I’ll Wait | And The Cradle Will Rock | Hot For Teacher | Women In Love | Beautiful Girls | Ice Cream Man | Panama | Eddie Van Halen Guitar Solo | Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love | Jump

[Momshell]

Pretty Woman....pretty sure he's singing this to Momshell :-)

Thanks sister!! Don't I wish!

[78/84 guy]

There are more screams on this show than all the others combined...

Funny I didn't see your post until I scrolled down but was thinking the same thing . Dave was in rare form (at least for this tour on E.B.W.S.) I think his voice might not be back all the way yet, but the Roth we all love is !! Think you might be in for a great show Elvis. Saw them a month ago. Dave was good & the band was scary good !

[Carloscda]

EWS and SGMAD

Nice unpredicted simultaneous spins @9:07 by Dave & ED during SGMD, ended right on beat...

[IceCreamBlondie]

This thread made my day!

Dan, I'm SO GLAD your wish came true!!! (nevermind the pants!)

Kudos to Pete's Brother & all for making it happen!

Awesome reviews, awesome clips....great great great!!!

[jvmaz77]

Holy shit Dave's calves looked good, man you knew it was going to be a great show.

The lack of the constant scarf is a good sign he is feeling good. Seems to be gaining some strength. Looking forward to New Orleans

Despite the dust storm, it was still 100+ for the high, and the arena was fucking warm inside. No scarf needed for Dave.

[Dan]

Despite the dust storm, it was still 100+ for the high, and the arena was fucking warm inside. No scarf needed for Dave.

Holy Shit it was Hot.

[jvmaz77]

Some new vids I just found from Phoenix...pretty close angles with main focus on Al and Eddie, and good sound. HD available.

And the Cradle Will Rock!! (just realized Dave sings a line from 'Smoke on the Water' the end.


You Really Got Me and Trouble With Never


China Town


Unchained


Hear About it Later (amazing to hear this live)



Crank it up! Jason

[DavidLeeNatra]

what the hell does ed's gesture mean at 3:00 in You really got me???

[jhale667]

Just got off the phone with my 80s drummer's kid (now teching for Tesla), who went to this show since he was in town and had the night off...he was raving about how good they were ("It was amazing. The band was killer, and Dave was on point. SO glad I went!" ). Good to see the next generation's gonna have some rabid VH fans!

[Angel]

Just got off the phone with my 80s drummer's kid (now teching for Tesla), who went to this show since he was in town and had the night off...he was raving about how good they were ("It was amazing. The band was killer, and Dave was on point. SO glad I went!" ). Good to see the next generation's gonna have some rabid VH fans!

I was checking out tweets today. Lots of young ones raving about last nights gig. Makes me feel old though.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

dan left. i'm sad

[Angel]

dan left. i'm sad

Pants off?

[gbranton]

Just got off the phone with my 80s drummer's kid (now teching for Tesla)

I absofuckingfuckingfuckinglutely love that band!!! They are coming to Biloxi in July and I've got tickets. Right now they are doing a cool thing where you can go online and reserve (pay for) a fully mixed and mastered on the fly copy of that night's show and pick it up after the show.