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Covering Van Halen concert in Indy Wednesday night

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by swamp trash, Feb 21, 2012.

  1. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member


     
  2. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Thanks for posting that.



    How the hell did Diamond Dave ever front these guys? He is, well, awful live.
     
  3. swamp trash

    swamp trash Guest

    My review:

    INDIANAPOLIS - Van Halen still has it.
    Despite all the lead singer drama, the ousting of founding member and bassist Michael Anthony, cancer, hip replacements, ugly divorces and an almost total lack of relevancy since the mid-90's, the 30-year veterans are showing why they are still regarded as one of the greatest American bands in rock history.
    To be sure, Wednesday night's performance at Banker's Life Fieldhouse was not without its problems. At times, the band showed its age. Sloppiness was apparent on several of the night's older cuts such as 1979's "Dance the Night Away" where lead singer David Lee Roth struggled to convey the song's energy. The sound mix was a little thin and at times 20-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen's bass seemed to get lost in the musical fray.
    It may not have been perfect, but suddenly it was 1982 all over again. Edward Van Halen's trademark guitar tone and nimble fingers sent an almost palpable surge of adrenaline through the crowd during his solo spot. EVH showed why he is still one of the top purveyors of rock guitar, mixing slashing acrobatic solos and quiet interludes with some of the heaviest riffing seen live since the "Fair Warning" tour in 1981.
    The band pulled out all the stops, romping through several seldom-heard classics such as "Girl Gone Bad" and "Hear About It Later." Particularly crowd-pleasing was the stellar "Romeo Delight," a cut that recalled the band's foundation of unapologetic party music ("I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight/And I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze").
    Roth may have delved a little too much into his trademark Vegas lounge schtick, but the crowd seemed to be in on the joke and was rewarded with a fantastic solo acoustic performance on "Ice Cream Man" from the band's 1978 debut.
    The rhythm section was competent, if unspectacular. Wolfgang Van Halen is more than adequate on bass, providing a few new wrinkles to classic songs. However, the band clearly misses the high harmonies of predecessor Anthony, as illustrated during the previously mentioned "Dance."
    Surprisingly, cuts from the new album "A Different Kind of Truth" were among the most cheered performances of the night. A stellar rendition of new-old track "She's the Woman" was followed by the near-speed metal cacophony of "China Town" as highlights from the new album.
    No one is pretending that this is a group at its peak. As Roth so deftly pointed out several times during the concert, three-fourths of the band members are "pushing 60."
    But anyone who grew up with this music undoubtedly has fond memories of the band that undeniably changed the face of hard rock music. And that alone makes this tour worth checking out.
     
  4. BUMP ...

    Van Halen summer concert tour has been abruptly suspended.

     
  5. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Since the band now consists of a guitarist, his son, his brother and one other guy, you have to wonder how much "the band" can be "arguing like mad."

    If Diamond Dave gets too big for his britches, invite Hagar and Anthony back in, bump Wolfie off to rhythm guitar, and carry on.
     
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