The Official Ft. Lauderdale 2/12 Meetup/Review Thread

[Va Beach VH Fan]

New date announced...


VA

[Dave's PA Rental]

So that's 44 of the 50 shows that they said they were doing...

Hmmmm...is that during February vacation? My brother lives in P. Beach Gardens...

[Hyman Roth]

WOOHOOO!!

http://e.photos.cx/ft_lauderdale-27a.jpg

http://e.photos.cx/titsorgtfo-63d.jpg

[VAiN]

Come on down!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone has any questions I'll gladly help you out... this is my town and I'm READY for VH!!!!!!

I say we do the pre-show at the SawGrass Mall, which is a HUGE mega mall with a handful of restaurants and bars (Game Works & Cheesecake Factory) in it and is located directly across the street from the Venue.. park at the mall, and walk 5 min to the show!

[chefcraig]

Remember a few months ago, when the City of Sunrise was trying to instigate a plan to collect a fee for merely walking across the parking lot for pedestrians? Did that ever go into effect? :confused:

[VAiN]

Originally posted by c.craig
Remember a few months ago, when the City of Sunrise was trying to instigate a plan to collect a fee for merely walking across the parking lot for pedestrians? Did that ever go into effect? :confused:

Yeah, that was beyond lame! It didn't fly, so we're good...

[VAiN]

The Bank Atlantic Center [LINK] (http://bankatlanticcenter.com) is located in Sunrise, Fl. The nearest major highways are SR595(east/west) and I-75(north/south).
Here are some hotels located near the venue [LINK] (http://www.sunny.org/listings/index.cfm?action=showSub&catID=4&subcatID=14)
The Sawgrass Mall is located directly across the street from the venue and is the best spot for the pre-show. The venue is approx. 20-45 minutes west of Fort Lauderdale Beach, and about 15-20 minutes from the Ft.Lauderdale/Hollywood Int'l Airport (FLL) depending on time of day/traffic.
Here are some hotels near the beach as well [LINK] (http://www.sunny.org/listings/index.cfm?action=showSub&catID=2&subcatID=5)
If you're looking to stay on the beach, get as close to A1A and Las Olas Blvd. as possible to have easy access to the 'strip' where the bars are.

Let me know if there are any questions, I'll be glad to help.

[chefcraig]

You know, it would be a good idea to point out to those opting to stay beachside to be advised that our East-West thorughfares leave much to be desired. For instance 595 or the convergence of lanes on Sunrise Blvd after Pine Island are quite the frustrating bottle-neck at normal rush hour times, let alone during an event.

One should put some well reasoned thought into one's route and also allow for cinsiderable delays.

[Hyman Roth]

Thanks for the links and driving advice. Can anyone tell me anything about this place? Its supposedly a hostel that charges $20.00 a night right near the beach. All I really need a room for is to lay my head down for a few hours each night and a shower. Otherwise, I saw some very reasonably priced 'regular' hotels.

http://www.fortlauderdalehostel.com/index.html

[chefcraig]

Honestly I've never heard of the joint, so I could not really give it a yes or no. Quite frankly, being a resident the notion never has come up.

Yet... I think that a good indication about the security of the place is answered in the FAQ on the site: If the question of drug use tolerance is actually asked and then spelled out in the brochure, chances are things may be a tad dicey, ya know?

There are certain areas of town you do NOT wish to stay in. For instance, pretty much everything between Federal Highway and State Road Seven in the immediate Ft. Lauderdale area is NOT to be what one would consider as good lodging. Sure it may have a shower, yet your car may be "modified" during your sleep.

Remember: If it sounds strangely reasonable (it will still be tourist season down here at the time of the show), then there just may be a significant catch. ;)

[Hyman Roth]

I hear ya' on the tolerance issue. I might need a door to lock, etc....while I am down there. ;)

Thanks for the tips.

[DirtyDeeds]

Haha, I like how they say that they must be left immediately or police will be called. They actually give you an opportunity to get out of it. That's not good.

[VAiN]

Originally posted by Hyman Roth
Thanks for the links and driving advice. Can anyone tell me anything about this place? Its supposedly a hostel that charges $20.00 a night right near the beach. All I really need a room for is to lay my head down for a few hours each night and a shower. Otherwise, I saw some very reasonably priced 'regular' hotels.

http://www.fortlauderdalehostel.com/index.html


NO! That place is where you'll find crackheads and runaways... The happy artwork on the site is very misleading!

[hotdog@ a shake]

I'll b at this show ...

[WARF]

I'm buyin' tickets as soon as they go on sale!!

[hotdog@ a shake]

Hey fellow Classic Van Halen bros and sistaz ...

I'm going 2 the show in Ft. Lauderdale, but I want real good seats this time, not fuck n nose bleeds ...

Does this mean I have to buy VIP tickets ? How do all those fucks down in front actually get there ?

Any help would b greatly appreciated ...

[Hyman Roth]

Originally posted by WARF
I'm buyin' tickets as soon as they go on sale!!

http://e.photos.cx/orly-afc.jpg

[VAiN]

Originally posted by hotdog@ a shake
Hey fellow Classic Van Halen bros and sistaz ...

I'm going 2 the show in Ft. Lauderdale, but I want real good seats this time, not fuck n nose bleeds ...

Does this mean I have to buy VIP tickets ? How do all those fucks down in front actually get there ?

Any help would b greatly appreciated ...

Well... you have 2 options - 1. Jump on ticketmaster and click away as soon as they're on sale and keep pluggin till you find a section that you like, or 2. Use a broker like stubhub.com or ebay. I've had great success with both of those.

I'll be following this exact plan myself...

[gamaradiation2]

just a reminder tickets go on sale this saturday at 10 am.

[VAiN]

I'm in! Sect 108, row 10 with the isle seat! Woooo!!!!

[VAiN]

2 weeks, bitches!!! I can't wait!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Sticky, T minus one week.....

[ODShowtime]

Last summer I pretty much lived at the Crowne plaza right there by sawgrass. Not a bad hotel. It's a short walk to the arena and has a bar.

There are a shit load of bars in the mall right by the arena, as someone mentioned.

Just FYI.

[VAiN]

I'll be at GameWorks across the street from the venue, next to the movie theatre at Sawgrass enjoying 2-4-1 25oz. beers... Who will be joining me?

[VAiN]

I just got back from the show. This was my 4th show of the tour and overall, I'd say it was a very strong show. VH came out kicking some pretty serious ass. Eddie was playing a new version of the new Wolfgang. This one was like a dark grayish-blue. It sounded great and so did Eddie.
He was really sharp tonight up until ICM - he totally blew the solo for that song which was a bit of a let down for me. He just wasn't ready for it and kind of froze for a second... the silence was awkward. Also, no story to kick off ICM - Dave just launched into the song. It seems that the past couple of shows have been more business like... almost feeling rushed. I suppose to the average fan who hasn't seen or heard several shows you wouldn't notice.
Eddie's solo was also a bit of a let down.... he played through 316, and added a bit of 'Girl Gone Bad' in there, then onto Spanish Fly, but just the tapping part. Most of the solo consisted of tapping and Cathedral - which makes me think that Eddie may be having problems with his hands. It's been mentioned here before and now I'm more inclined to believe it. He just didn't do any of the fast runs that require a stretch.
But other then that, the show was excellent - Dave was awesome as always, Al killed it and Wolf played great as well. I just wish it didn't feel so rushed.
Some highlights for me were Romeo Delight, Everybody Wants Some and Hot For Teacher. Eddie nailed those songs and everything else up to ICM.
I'll also be catching them next time they hit Lauderdale on Feb 20.

[Grant]

I wish I could make some of these Florida dates. I'm taking a holiday across the Caribbean for much of March going into early April, arriving in Miami on 7th March. Too bad the boys decided to take a break during that period. Hope y'alls going have an awesome time! :cool:

[rwc]

Is that blue-gray Wolfgang really a different guitar - it looks like Eddie painted the white guitar he had Sunday night in Atlanta.


Good review for this show... If you click around they have pictures too.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-0213vanhalen,0,2472152.story


SUNRISE - Gone so long -- banished, really -- David Lee Roth practically qualifies as Van Halen's new lead singer. And doesn't he know it. The huge smile tattooed on Roth's face on Tuesday night at sold-out BankAtlantic Center gave him the look of a disbelieving contestant, as if he'd just won the job on a reality show.

Van Halen proved it didn't need "Diamond Dave," their first frontman, to prosper and carry on as kings of radio rock. But his return, on a tour reprising the Roth/Van Halen years (1978-1985), gives this band a motivating kick in the backside and a reason to exist -- besides money -- that otherwise might not have presented itself.

There's a lot of music to be played and reclaimed -- songs that held up well enough with Roth's successor, Sammy Hagar, at the microphone but never sounded ideal. Hagar is a power vocalist; Roth more of a showman employing theatrics, timing and a bit of comedy. The first six albums depended on the sound of Roth sparring with the Van Halen brothers -- guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex -- and then-bassist Michael Anthony.



Related links
Van Halen at the BankAtlantic Center Photos
BLOG | Notes on Music: Van Halen in Sunrise - here's the set list
Roth's position in Van Halen might or might not be provisional, but if he doesn't own the job free and clear he certainly owned his performance on Tuesday in front of more than 15,000 people. With his voice sounding not-unpleasantly rough, and his vocals getting little or no sweetening from the soundboard, Roth sang, yelped, blustered, barked and crooned his way admirably through 23 songs in two hours of stage time.

Even his occasionally awestruck demeanor helped: Roth, 52, seems to be rediscovering what a fun band Van Halen is to be in. The mix of joy and relish he brought to being the frontman again was one of the concert's most appealing features.

And apparently, he doesn't want to muck it up. He was charming in the care he took when interacting with his bandmates, including new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's teen-aged son. It was as if Roth wondered how much horseplay was appropriate, how much he could presume on the old relationships.

The trio of Van Halens looked and sounded happy in any case to have Roth back in the fold. They performed with as much spirit and engagement as he did, from the slashing first strokes of "You Really Got Me" to a buoyant encore, two hours later, of "Jump." The new, familial rhythm section of Alex and his nephew attacked the band's pumped-up, pop-savvy rock songs expertly. "Unchained" contained the only miscue, insofar as something caused the youngest Van Halen's bass guitar to slip audibly out of tune.

The set contained just about anything a Roth-era Van Halen fan could have asked for. There were signature hits such as "Runnin' with the Devil" and "Hot for Teacher." There were "deep tracks" of the kind that separate casual fans from the devout, such as "Romeo Delight" and "Mean Street."

Eddie Van Halen's guitar work was the most essential ingredient in all of these, and he played as he always does -- like a race driver with the hood off the engine, the better to reach into the guts of the machinery to get every rev to its absolute peak and to put every ounce of power at his disposal. There's also a case to be made that having Roth as a spur made Eddie Van Halen that much sharper and faster around the course.

Van Halen plays the BankAtlantic Center again on February 20.

Sean Piccoli can be reached at spiccoli@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4832.

[VAiN]

Yeah, I do think it's a new guitar - he brought out the white one at the end of the show... The new one sounds great.
Great show overall, but I just feel that Eddie was having hand problems... he played great, but seemed to play it a little 'safe'.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2008-02/35559797.jpg


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2008-02/35559605.jpg


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2008-02/35559547.jpg

[rwc]

That guitar is the shit. Literally. Look closely under the pickup...

:-D

[Jim Shetterlini]

Earlier this year he had a wrap around his left wrist, one that is similar to others I have seen people where for nerve or tendon problems.

[VAiN]

Originally posted by Jim Shetterlini
Earlier this year he had a wrap around his left wrist, one that is similar to others I have seen people where for nerve or tendon problems.

Oh yeah! Good point... I forgot about that. Like I said, he did play very clean and focused - he just didn't seem to push it...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Excellent review....

http://www.bocaratonnews.com/news/local/755-van-halen-rocks-south-florida.php

Van Halen Rocks South Florida
Published February 15th, 2008

Eddie Van Halen Rules!

Little did I realize what a guitar monster Ed is. Let’s cut to the chase: Eddie Van Halen impressed me more with his technique than any guitarist since 1968, when I had the privilege of seeing the Jimi Hendrix Experience in Tampa.

Of course there was a lot more to the Hendrix mystique, but as a technical player, Van Halen is every bit as accomplished and inventive.

Don’t take my word for it. You have a second chance to see the reunited Van Halen live at 8 p.m. Tuesday at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

I generally avoid BankAtlantic because it is such a rip-off ($20 parking, $8 beer) and a hassle to get to, unless you take the Sawgrass Expressway.

Every so often it’s worth it. Van Halen is an example. The program is an unabashed “greatest hits’ package, starting with VH’s rendition of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.”

Bad boy “Diamond Dave” is back in the band’s good graces as lead shouter, and bassist Michael Anthony is out in favor of Ed Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang.

Wolfgang is just 16 but he’s learning the ropes and contributes to vocals with his dad. It rather heartwarming to see such an affectionate father-son act.

David Lee Roth got shortchanged on the vocal mix. The band plays at a (literally) deafening volume, and at times Roth was almost inaudible, and at other times Ed and Wolfgang overpowered him.

But you don’t go to Van Halen for pleasant harmonies; you go for raw power and bombastic glitz. Normally I don’t go for extended drum and guitar solos, but when you have Alex Van Halen, one of the best, most powerful drummers in rock, you don’t mind.

“Hot For Teacher” is my favorite VH number. I’ve long been amazed at how Alex keeps up the energy through the punishing dual-bass-drum pedaling. Seeing him do it live is even more impressive.
“We’re playing nothing but the hits,” said Roth playfully. “The top of the pops.”

If you know VH, you know those 24 hits by heart, and Roth was encouraging audience sing-a-longs.
Roth is in top physical condition, with six-pack abs. There is no flab on Eddie van Halen either, as his shirtless stance proves.

For me the most impressive display was Ed alone on stage, playing every inch, nook and cranny of his custom-built guitar, plugged into a wall of custom-made amplifiers with an EVH logo. Van Halen plucks and hammers with all ten fingers and even uses a drumstick to strike the strings and fret board. Ed even played himself by pulling out the guitar chord plug, ramming into his cheek, grinning like Goofy.

Before the concert began I spotted a fellow Boca musician, “Famous” Frank Ward and his son Patrick. Seated next to the Wards was an elderly couple.

“Hey Frank, did you bring your dad?,” I yelled.

“No,” he replied. “That’s Manny. He’s been a customer of mine for 20 years. This morning he came in for tires. He said, `I didn’t realize you played music.’ He asked if I had heard of a group called Van Halen. I said of course. He said `David Lee Roth is my nephew. Want to go to the concert? The only catch is you have to take me and my wife along.”

Tickets are still available at $49.50, $79.50 and $149.50.

[Douglas T.]

Originally posted by VAiN
Most of the solo consisted of tapping and Cathedral - which makes me think that Eddie may be having problems with his hands.

He has been wearing this bandage at a few shows!<br>

Originally posted by Bobby Van Halen
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w79/titaniumballhead/DSC04199a.jpg

[Douglas T.]

He could have just wore a blister on his hand and was protecting it!