Official 4/21 Greensboro Meetup/Review Thread

[POJO_Risin]

Well...my son is ten...I wouldn't have taken him before...

He was flat out pissed that he didn't get to come to this show...so he's going to the next. But when I told him how loud it was...he was freaked out a bit...until I showed him the vid.

I was 13...and it was too fucking late...

And I love my kid...but no fucking way in hell I'm leaving the show early...and no fucking way in hell they are going to be fucking texting during the fucking show...

[POJO_Risin]

Hot for Teacher...

[Light Em' Up!]

That is great. Out of curiosity, for those of you with kids - how old would your kid have to be before you would consider taking them to a VH show?

I would take all three of my girls now for sure! They are 8, 11, 14. My oldest took in her first big concert (Def Leppard at 7). She LOVES the music. My youngest went and saw her step dad's gig when she was about 5. It was pretty loud for her, but she dealt. I know for a fact, all three of them will be pissed off beyond belief if they miss seeing Van Halen. These girls are the next generation of Van Halen, and I have NO problem supporting their desires to go see it!

[SNIPER]

I would take all three of my girls now for sure! They are 8, 11, 14. My oldest took in her first big concert (Def Leppard at 7). She LOVES the music. My youngest went and saw her step dad's gig when she was about 5. It was pretty loud for her, but she dealt. I know for a fact, all three of them will be pissed off beyond belief if they miss seeing Van Halen. These girls are the next generation of Van Halen, and I have NO problem supporting their desires to go see it!

Plus they all love ADKOT!

[Light Em' Up!]

Plus they all love ADKOT!

It's funny that in our house, all of us have our "favorites", but non of us have the same favorites. I love that the girls love Van Halen like we do. The oldest daughter's walls are covered with "vintage" Van Halen posters...reminds me of myself as a teen....guess this just proves that as parents we have done something right :-)

[Light Em' Up!]

Alright guys I couldn't resist anymore. Most of you can guess who I am. Carmine urged me to come back this morning and that's what pushed me to finally break the seven and a half year absence from this place. This is the username I use for most websites and I intend it to be symbolic of a slate wiped clean here. Last time I posted here I was 23. Now I'm 31. I'll defy anyone who says they were the same person at both of those ages. I'm not interested in arguing, personal attacks, politics, any thread derailment shit. All I want to do anymore is celebrate the mighty Van Halen. If there's nothing I can do or say that will convince you I'm anything but an asshole that's fine, just please don't derail the thread and ruin it for everyone else. I'm not taking the bait either.

So with that out of the way I'd like to say that the euphoria and good times of this outing have not yet worn off yet. Which is really good to combat a dreary, cold Monday morning here. As you know I took the road trip down to Greensboro, my first time there. I liked the fact that the Coliseum is one of the remaining buildings in this country that VH played 30 years ago, so I tried to absorb that and pretend I was alive and was seeing a concert in that era.

Met up with Carmine and Ginny as I had a month prior in Atlantic City. The three of us went on over to Fat Dog's which is conveniently located across the street from a sex shop and an African braiding salon, you know in case you need to take care of those things before the show. Carmine already laid out who showed up. I hadn't met any of you guys before (though I was emailing Sparkie prior to the show) and I just want to thank you all for a great time. So Carmine, Ginny, Pojo, Va Beach, Fairwrning, SparkieD & Tiki Tom, all of you were great and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out, drinking Yuenglings and eating those strange, not-so-Teriyaki wings

Also two more Roth Army members really wanted to carpool with me but at the last minute had some unfortunate circumstances that prevented them from going. So Zempi and VanHalener, I made it clear to everyone that you wanted to be there and we all felt bad you couldn't make it person, though you were there in spirit. I did audio record the entire show and put it up on Dime, and it's dedicated to you guys.

Ended up buying a fourth row seat on Eddie's side before the show at the box office. $99.50 done, would have paid $15 more had I bought it on Ticketmaster. Perfectly good seat if you don't want to pay for the floor. This was a terrific show, probably the best of the seven I've seen on this tour. Everyone was firing on all cylinders, including Dave. As soon as he and Eddie did an improvised jam during "Unchained," I felt this could be a special night. Dave's voice sounded clean and powerful, as good as he was in 2007-08 when he was the one holding that tour together. It would have been nice to get a setlist change (this was now the fourth night in a row doing the same setlist), but the performance was so precise, Dave was very much on top of his game and chock full of humorous Rothisms, I can't complain. Others have already commented about "Dance the Night Away" and it was really heartwarming. "Women in Love" was bizarre with the rant but whatever. One song that I don't think got enough attention was "Everybody Wants Some!!" The Rothisms in that were hilarious with the "Oh yeah" thing in the beginning, the "thunder and lightning" thing and then when Dave talked about 1982 and how good he looked. I thought the interaction between Dave and Ed was plentiful and genuine. They truly felt like a real band. As others said it was hot as hell in there but if Dave sings like THAT every night I'll gladly put up with it.

After the show Carmine and Ginny were understandably exhausted and went back to the hotel. The rest of us recovened for a half hour at Fat Dog's to put a little bowtie on great night. I had a shitty drive home in rain and traffic but couldn't care less. I can't get enough of VH and these meetups and I'm glad the good times will keep coming through the summer months. I'm already excited about Cleveland.

Hey Lou! Just want to say "thanks" for all the updates that you have been providing for the shows. I am new to the Army, so I don't know about the past, but am glad you are here to partake in all of the glory surrounding the return of the Might Van Halen....

[loucap81]

Hey my pleasure. It's interesting, I heard that the Army got a LOT of new people like you, Momshell, etc. at the start of this year. In a way I also consider myself new here given all the changes this place has gone through since its inception over a decade ago. I mean there are familiar names for sure but also a lot that I don't recognize. It's all good and I'm all about moving forward just as =VH= are.

[twonabomber]

Its not as loud as last tour imo..I remember my brain rattled at points in 07,,not at all this year

in '07 we were on the floor in Montreal (12th row?) and i didn't think it was that loud. Lou's recording turned out way better than i thought it would, i thought we were going to get pummeled down there but it wasn't bad.

this year, lower bowl on Wolf's side wasn't bad in Buffalo. up in the rafters in Toronto i probably could have heard myself fart.

[IceCreamBlondie]

5. And last, but certainly not least, and this is from Dave, he LOVES the passion you fuckers bring !!

Dammit, that's AWESOME!

[Momshell]

I'm really torn about my boys coming to a show. I told them if they play Jones Beach maybe, since the shows there seem a little more mellow in the outdoors. My youngest is 4, so he's definitely too young, although he always requests VH by name in the car. His favorite for years has been Sunday Afternoon in the Park - no idea why?! He also requests HAIL, Unchained, and RWTD. My middle one is 7 and I think he wants to go - he's been 'playing' ATBL on his electric guitar since he's 4, and had a VH cake and themed (EVH stripes) cupcakes for his 5th birthday. That one's gonna be a rockstar, I just know it. But I don't think he'll go without his older brother, my almost-9 year old who likes VH (listens to Little Guitars on his ipod all the time) but is super cautious (1st born) and doesn't want to go to a show. Now that I saw Dave's reaction to that little girl, I might have to bribe one of my boys to come and sit in front with me so I can get Dave's attention! Is that wrong?!

[Momshell]

Hey my pleasure. It's interesting, I heard that the Army got a LOT of new people like you, Momshell, etc. at the start of this year. In a way I also consider myself new here given all the changes this place has gone through since its inception over a decade ago. I mean there are familiar names for sure but also a lot that I don't recognize. It's all good and I'm all about moving forward just as =VH= are.

Hey - it was great meeting you in AC and I know I speak for others as well in thanking you for your texts and updates throughout. Glad to have you back and looking forward to sharing our continued VH good fortunes 'moving forward'

[IceCreamBlondie]

Thank you EVERYONE for the updates on the shows, the meetups, the reviews, everything!!! You guys are GREAT!

[katina]

Now that I saw Dave's reaction to that little girl, I might have to bribe one of my boys to come and sit in front with me so I can get Dave's attention! Is that wrong?!

Wrong? NO, very understandable.

[perrin29]

I've been enjoying all the youtube clips from the tour but they seem inundated from day one by this "Davesuckslive" shithead. Guy is a troll of the worst fuckin' kind. For almost every video and for every positive comment left he (or she) puts up triple the negative dissing Dave or the Army. He joined in Feb and all he has done is bash VH/Dave. Motherfucker.

[DONNIEP]

I've been enjoying all the youtube clips from the tour but they seem inundated from day one by this "Davesuckslive" shithead. Guy is a troll of the worst fuckin' kind. For almost every video and for every positive comment left he (or she) puts up triple the negative dissing Dave or the Army. He joined in Feb and all he has done is bash VH/Dave. Motherfucker.

Perhaps you should put up a link so that this dude can receive a nice welcome to the neighborhood, Roth Army style