Official 6/1 Los Angeles Meetup/Review Thread

[VAN HLN CA]

Can anyone familiar with the Staples Center area tell me if it'll be safe to walk to and from the concert from Little Tokyo? I plan on staying at the Miyako hotel and don't really want to pay for taxi. Or maybe does the train go to that area?

20 years ago you may have been putting your life on the line on such stroll. Anymore, especially last 5 years downtown L.A. Is the safest of the big 3, NY, Chi & LA, murder is at all time low in last decade and the 3 strikes really has thug life more in East LA and Watts, even those are much safer. Murder was as common as robbery 30-40 years ago but with DNA and the whole city on camera, honestly have never had a case of Any WTF's even with my kids in tow over last decade. 20 years back I would have carried my Glock but towns like San Bernardino and Pomona are 10x worse, even Hawaiin Gardens LOL....

[VAN HLN CA]

Or take the Metro Rail and get off at Staples Center...

JHale got it right, literally drop you off 100 yards from the corner of Staples!

[sadaist]

Can anyone familiar with the Staples Center area tell me if it'll be safe to walk to and from the concert from Little Tokyo? I plan on staying at the Miyako hotel and don't really want to pay for taxi. Or maybe does the train go to that area?

What I would do is walk TO the show. It is getting dark quite late right now so you will be walking in daylight. Take a cab AFTER the show back to the hotel at 11 pm. So you only gotta spring for a cab 1 time.

Have a good flight over and enjoy the show. ALOHA!

[VAN HLN CA]

Wed Morning, 2 days away!

Well here we go only 2 days till VH returns for Homecoming, pumped doesn't touch what it means to me. Wife insists on going to first show and she is a moderate fan at best, if she wasn't so amazing honestly doubt we'd made it this far, 20 years in Aug. She loves to rain on my VH parade and that's not OK but when I look at her it reminds me how in the hell did I find such blessing that for a SoCal hottie doesn't have the shit of 99.9% woman in her league; non superficial, doesn't care about materialism and unlike most 40 year olds can get away looking Fine without an ounce of makeup. Not bragging, just still makes any straight guy stop and women think she must be 20 years younger, they wanna eat her up. I know STFU...

Here's how the two shows will go. Fri 6/1 will be the one that is best precision show, probably of tour. They will make this critic proof with nothing but best efforts by all four. Dave will put out his best vocals yet and is helped by extra 4 days rest. It will be Perfect and probably not much off script activity. You can bet that even hater writers will print like last round Great Show, maybe 1 will be Red skewed, to be expected. Betting it will be THE SHOW! Then what is it San Jose and Oakland before coming home after Kings 2 home Cup games when you can expect 6/9 to be the fun show and hope cpl of surprises in set. They will be loose and like a handful going to both you'll see a big difference and a more belligerent tone all the way.

I really hate to say this but really think this may be last time they play here so wouldn't miss for the world and I am convinced it does have to to do with Dave having a procedure, we all know how it's helped other artists and for Dave if he gets his range opened up then we may have more to look forward to. Smoking is the worst culprit and for a guy so health conscious it surprises me he doesn't stop or do the ecig like Ed. It's hard to kick but it's fucking him up after all these years. Trouble with Never has to be Blood and Fire for one night at least. Please give us a couple swaps ala Sinners, Hang em and Girl Gone Bad and Out o Love instead of Cradle and hell even pulld Pretty Woman or You Really got me for Light up the Sky or Mean Streets in place of Cradle. Love em all but we're dying to hear songs not heard last tour and new disc has so many great ones it's a disservice to the Band and rest to not let SoundCheckd tunes like Honeybaby or go with As Is or Stay Frosty and watch people buy the disc instead of shirts. Trouble with Never is cool just not the right greatness that we can all enjoy, China town rocks but it's same old complaint this is a outstanding disc and we want to hear the great songs, unexpected show highlights could easily be DOA, Sinners, Take Your Whiskey or really throw us a loop and go Dirty Movies. Point is we want as much as we haven't heard as possible....

Fri have perfect seats 10 rows off the floor about 15 rows back to soak it all up, week after will be right in the front. Then Anaheim or SD will not really matter where as it will be cut loose time to party. All shows from last tour and these LA shows were soaked up sober to remember. Last time final show as VH in 1984, 5 feet from band, limo, fine ass gf but with me downing the Jack sadly don't remember tons of the night so usually don't indulge until after shows.

If these are the final LA shows the bittersweet truth is I can handle it now, after all the VH stress before 2007 truth be told really didn't beive we'd get 5 years capped with best disc imaginable. Seen them enough and about 15 Dave solo a DVD in Blu Ray is what can keep it all relevant as they get product with them at peak of playing, just wish this happened in '96 so we'd have 4 more tours and another album or two. Had I not been to Forum show 2/8 would have gone to Ky as I did Charlotte kick off in '07

At the end of the Day, yes Wolf and Eds wife are really how we have this and Mike always was the reason for restroom run, he was great with his backing vocals but I couldn't care less he's gone as I know the Wolf knew the real deal and made it All happen, so whatever the case my be, Dave not free reign, no such thing as old days VH backstage mayhem etc. it's all worth it and can't ever discount he and Jannie for getting this all where it is.

Bring it on, Fri will be amazing and we will all see what really happens post N.O.
This band is more than my favorite music, it is part of all the good in my life and always will be.....My Dad still says when are you going to outgrow this, he doesn't get the truth, it's in my blood so until it stops flowing it will never change! 2012 has been rough but all this VH has helped me through lots, Thank You VH!!!

TWO MORE DAYS, Fn A YEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!

[VAN HLN CA]

Sadist,
You doing LA or SD or both now that it's all said n done?

[Angel]

Anyone interested? He's got a new tweet now, "drastically reduced"
"@Topical_Optical: Also have 2 #VanHalen tix in LA - 3RD ROW!!! #StaplesCenter http://ow.ly/b8nFG"


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[devorzon]

Thanks for the tips guys, guess either walking or train would be a good option. Glad to here it's relatively safe. Can't wait for the show! Hope they give the hometown crowd something special, would love to hear Secrets, since i read somewhere they were supposedly doing that song during some soundchecks.

[IceCreamBlondie]

2 Days to go!!! YESSSS!!!!!!
Its gonna be a damn good time!

[loucap81]

Thanks for the tips guys, guess either walking or train would be a good option. Glad to here it's relatively safe. Can't wait for the show! Hope they give the hometown crowd something special, would love to hear Secrets, since i read somewhere they were supposedly doing that song during some soundchecks.

Secrets was on that "master setlist" in those YouTube videos shot by some rogue back in November. I don't know that anyone has actually heard it played in any capacity though. I'd love to hear that one too.

[Sweet Irony]

Me too!

[SNIPER]

There is nothing better to me than a VH show in L.A. where I was born and raised for 25 years. Stoked!!!

[Dan]

Spoke To Juice This Morning,He's Going To The Show With Blondie.

[chi-town324]

yea he told me he was going when we went to the chicago show..i think Ace is as well...wow

[sadaist]

There is nothing better to me than being with my woman at a VH show in L.A. where I was born and raised for 25 years and they play Light Up The Sky. Stoked!!!

Fixed.

[sadaist]

Sadist,
You doing LA or SD or both now that it's all said n done?

Won't be LA. Still time for SD. Hoping the wallet Gods smile upon me quickly. 2007 I got my tix day prior from ebay (or maybe Craigslist). Was really planning on that postponed leg to save me. Argh.