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I just meant if they were more successful with Sammy or even Cherone that there never may have been a return of Dave. So I am happy for the terrible sales of Balance & VH III since it helped set-up the mighty return of Roth.
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I just meant if they were more successful with Sammy or even Cherone that there never may have been a return of Dave. So I am happy for the terrible sales of Balance & VH III since it helped set-up the mighty return of Roth.“Great losses often bring only a numb shock. To truly plunge a victim into misery, you must overwhelm him with many small sufferings.” -
I will get the videos I have uploaded soon... I got home at 3 AM and was up at 7:15 for my daughter's last day of school activities. I just got lunch and am sitting down at my office desk. Sorry I am not more up on things.
I am still in awe from last night. The sound issue Molly Blue mentioned with Dave's voice... must be a location in the arena thing because on the floor center stage it was mixed perfectly. I think the you tubes we have seen thin out Dave's voice... he sounded great last night anyway.Comment
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Well these up0loads may take a while... damn!Comment
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Watching these videos makes me SO GLAD I took them... WHEN I get Ice Cream Man uploaded (or if someone beats me to it) I think the world can rest easy that there is zero trouble in paradise... you will see how much fun ALL of them are having. SO good to see.Comment
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Having never uploaded there before... is it normal for a medium sized movie to take an estimated 2 hours to upload? It may be the dang DSL at work... if nothing else I will upload tonight from home on the cable modem.
EDIT to mention I used an HD camcorder so maybe that is the reason for the larger files?? Newbie here...
EDIT again... screw it I am uploading from home after work. Sorry folks.. hopefully others will upload theirs in the meantime.Last edited by RedEye; 05-23-2012, 02:15 PM.Comment
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Van Halen ignites Sprint Center crowd
David Lee Roth is a little slower, but he brings the showmanship and Van Halen brothers bring the musical pyrotechnics.
BY TIMOTHY FINN
The Kansas City Star
A few days after it announced the postponement of dozens of shows on its tour, amid rumors that band members “hated each other,” according to Rolling Stone, Van Halen headlined a show at the Sprint Center. And everything appeared hunky-dory. There were plenty of smiles, hugs and even a kiss or two among the band during the two hour show, which was a rag-tag blend of sweet nostalgia, campy entertainment and arena-sized rock ’n’ roll.
In return, a crowd of more than 8,500 bestowed upon the band a steady shower of appreciation and unconditional love.
This is the second tour for this version of Van Halen, which features founding members David Lee Roth on vocals, brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen on guitar and drums, and Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son, on bass. He joined the band in 2007 for the Roth reunion tour, which came to the Sprint Center. Five years later, everyone is older, for better and worse.
Wolfgang, now 22, is a more steady presence in the band, though he still lacks the stage personae of founding bassist Michael Anthony. Alex is still a madman on the drums. Eddie Van Halen is still pyrotechnic on guitar. And Roth? He’s still a man out in his own orbit, part hammy game-show host, part comedian, part rock-star diva in leather and sequins. He can’t sing like he used to, he can’t leap and kick like he used to, he can’t remember all the lyrics, and he barely has the wind to cross the finish line of a two-hour show. Yet he gives the band what it also needs: personae and schtick.
Tuesday’s openers were Kool and the Gang, who are all about pairing showmanship with musicianship. Its 45-minute set was stocked with its best-known hits, like “Hollywood Swinging,” “Ladies Night,” “Get Down On It,” and “Celebration.” Throughout the set, there was plenty of dancing, on stage and in the crowd. During “Jungle Boogie,” the band’s trumpet player stopped, nailed a one-handed cartwheel and picked up his solo again.
Roth had nothing like that in his repertoire. Instead, most of the night he shuffled and danced like the tipsy uncle at a wedding — not nearly as suave as he thinks he is. If there is trouble within the band it likely starts with him. His weird interaction with a female he said was young enough to be his daughter was odd, if not borderline creepy. After he perceived that she was laughing at him, he gave her a lecture on how to sex-up her fishnet stockings. Later, he gave Wolfie a history lesson on the song “Panama.” (It’s about a stripper, not the country.)
They opened with “Unchained,” from the “Fair Warning” album, now more than 30 years old. The sound was not great at first. I was standing on the floor, not far from the soundboard, and Roth’s vocals were buried in the mix. It seemed to improve gradually as the night went on; at least it sounded better on the top of the first level, where I watched the last half of the show.
The band played before an enormous video screen that broadcast a mix of black-and-white live scenes from the stage and other pre-recorded footage — a good thing for the many people in the cheaper upper-level seats.
The set list included four songs from “A Different Kind of Truth,” released in February. The rest was a good mix of hits and favorites: “Everybody Wants Some,” “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Somebody Get Me A Doctor,” “Hot for Teacher.” The crowd gave most of them huge ovations, especially “Devil” and “Teacher,” but the songs that ignited the biggest responses were the pop tunes, such as “Dance the Night Away,” “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and “Jump.”
About halfway in, Alex Van Halen put on a brief drum solo with a Caribbean beat, like something out of a Jimmy Buffet concert.. Late in the show, Eddie put on a guitar clinic that went on a little too long for which Roth ordained him reigning world champion. And Wolfgang did yeoman’s work on bass and background vocals.
Roth’s performance was more uneven. He toyed with his vocal delivery on a few songs, half-scatting the beginning of “You Really Got Me,” for example; he dropped some lyrics (as he did in 2007). He also shared part of his life away from the band. After “Beautiful Girls,” he came out on stage alone, playing acoustic guitar as the video screen showed footage of Roth with his herding dogs, which he talked about fondly and proudly. Then he performed “Ice Cream Man” solo, until the band joined him and set the second half of the song on fire.
There was a rumor flying around that Sammy Hagar, who replaced Roth in 1985, was in the Sprint Center on Tuesday. It sounds more like a hoax or a case of mistaken identity. Hagar has already chimed in on the show postponements: “They’re hard people to get along with, those brothers. I predicted this was going to happen.”
If Hagar had been in the house on Tuesday, however, he’d have realized that (a) everyone is getting along well enough to make it through a show every night; and (b) Roth is the guy most Van Halen fans prefer, by a long shot, despite the flaws in his game.
All that was most evident during the finale. As soon as the keyboard intro to “Jump” was piped in, the place went a little crazy. Eddie jumped around like his favorite team had just won the World Series and Roth looked like a guy taking a victory lap. By song’s end he was waving a checkered flag, standing in a blizzard of confetti. It was the perfect ending to an entertaining night, moral implied. Life’s too short for grudges and regrets. Might as well jump and dance while you still can.Eat Us And Smile - The Originals
"I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth
"We are part of the, not just the culture, but the geography. Van Halen music goes along with like fries with the burger." - David Lee RothComment
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Yet ANOTHER Moron.Comment
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Its the Kansas City Star... you really shouldn't expect more.
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Okay, a few other comments on comments that have been made.
I didn't see Sammy, Michael Anthony, or the Rock at this show, but then I guess none of them would have been sitting in the cheap upper level seats where I was...
As for no palm trees in Kansas City, did anyone check Dave's dressing room? I didn't - I wasn't invited.
The only part of the review in the Kansas City Star you should pay any attention to was the part about an arena full of people giving unconditional love to the band. There were a lot of old people like me... people older than me... and a hell of a lot more people younger than me that I really would have expected. I had a single guy seated on either side of me *YEAH* and both of them appeared to be in their early 20's *BOO* and they were having a wonderful time. And as for Ed guitar solo being too long, that dude needs to switch to reviewing restaurants or something. Eddie was on fire! As for the crowd coming alive at JUMP, it wasn't the crowd... it was the stage...something to do with all the confetti blowing around. The crowd was alive all night. But it was a grand finale and it was supposed to leave you feeling as if you had just witnessed something spectacular, and it did. As for Dave's "creepy" exchange with the young gal... a) thats part of the show and b) I really feel like he toned it down a little... For instance... in Ice Cream man, I believe that line used to be strawberry and dick...
Dave's performance was uneven and he toyed with his vocals... duh... has there ever been a time when hasn't toyed with his vocals. Take one thing from this... its live and you know it. I'm not going to pretend none of us isn't getting any older. I said earlier I cannot say at the other shows how he sounded, but last nights show was fine F-F-I-N-E Fine.. I could say a lot more about hoping Dave knows when its time to quit... but this a Dave site... and I been in enough hot water here already so I will leave it be. BUT I will emphasize... with all honesty and sincerity... there was no SHAME in last nights performance from beginning to end, it rocked.
Alex and Wolfgang...sorry I am not saying more about you. If I had been closer and I could honestly comment about your stage presence I would. If I were a master drummer, maybe I could give a better critique... the lights on the drums during Alex's solo was cool... I could see those. I am pretty sure Wolfgang is coming along just perfectly - the kids 22 years old and has shared the stage with Eddie Van Halen... Alex Van Halen... David Lee Roth... and Sammy Hagar... and hes only just begun... I got my eye on ya kid...and my prayers are with you... Rock on little buddy... Rock on.
So lets see... I seen Van Halen live - stood right beside the speakers, Van Hagar live in the golden rings, DLR Band live midrange seats...and now Van Halen live from the cheap seats and from all of this I have learned one thing. When you go to a Van Halen concert you don't just hear it, you don't just see it, you feel it...and last night I was still feeling it.
P.S. Sorry no You tubes from me... all I got is a cheap disposable cell phone. I did get pictures of the empty seats while Kool and Gang was playing (which promptly filled when Van Halen took the stage) and the protesters outside if anyone wants to see those.
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I didn't see Sammy, Michael Anthony, or the Rock at this show, but then I guess none of them would have been sitting in the cheap upper level seats where I was...
there is no WAY hagar is going to a Proper van halen gig ....his tiny ego couldnt take it ...
There is no way your gonna go see your ex wifes wedding especially if you know she is gonna get fucked properly by the main man
fuck your fucking framingComment
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thank goodness for the edit button...couldn't stand the thought of someone having to give up drinking while posting!I didn't see Sammy, Michael Anthony, or the Rock at this show, but then I guess none of them would have been sitting in the cheap upper level seats where I was...
there is no WAY hagar is going to a Proper van halen gig ....his tiny ego couldnt take it ...
There is no way your gonna go see your ex wifes wedding especially if you know she is gonna get fucked properly by the main man
and that reminds me... talking about Dave's schtick and being creepy... I ALSO went and saw Sammy and Michael when they were in KC and Dave's spiel was not as bad as Sammy's wherein he made reference to the van hagar songs being about sex and about using sex toys...I actually left that show before the end... Its one thing to take a band about getting drunk, getting laid and having a rock and roll good time and hitting on some little bitty bit dressed like she wants to get laid... and destroying songs about hopes and dreams and love.
And I have it on good authority that David attended at least one of the Van Hagar shows...
if his ego can take it, Sammy's can. Shit, they each made the other a boat load of money just by taking the stage with Eddie.
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