Van Halen parties by rockin' Staples Center

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Friday, 30 November 2007

Van Halen Tickets

Van Halen, for years the world's most popular American hard-rock band, is not ready to call it a day, and the foursome proved so Tuesday with an exciting, two-hour sold-out concert at Staples Center.

They've reunited with original singer David Lee Roth, who owned every inch of the massive arena stage, and a diverse, smiling crowd sang along with every chorus-heavy hit such as "Dance the Night Away," "Runnin' With the Devil" and, of course, "Jump."

This was Van Halen's mighty return to hometown Los Angeles, and the concert was a firm reminder of just how vital and influential the band has been through the years: Van Halen was among the first rock bands to headline Anaheim Stadium in the 1970s, and in the 1980s they headlined the Us Festival in Devore - perhaps the biggest rock show in California history - and the first Monsters of Rock tour at the Coliseum.

The Staples Center fest was not on such a grand scale, but there aren't many other acts that can fill arenas with all 22 songs at least 20 years old.

Roth, 53, might be rock's most charismatic front man, and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, 52, might be the genre's most talented and innovative guitarist. That's one heck of a combination - and to this day makes you wonder why Roth was missing for so many years after being replaced by Sammy Hagar, who was bad, and then Gary Cherone, who was worse.

But such drama is ancient history. This is a huge tour - Van Halen returns to Staples Center on Dec. 14 and plays the Honda Center in Anaheim on Dec. 18 and 20 - that began in September and could last longer than one year.

What continues to make Van Halen special? They're the ultimate party band, and that's quite a badge of honor, considering rock music is about having fun and feeling good.

Like always, Roth may miss a note here or there, but he never stops smiling. Perhaps he thinks he's a better singer than he really is, but that's part of his charm. On "And the Cradle will Rock," he was fully in charge of the room.

Eddie Van Halen is as technically proficient as ever, but, as always, he's a bit loose and has never had a problem focusing more on feel than fretwork. He divided his beloved "Eruption" solo into four parts, slipping in a piece here and there as he noodled about for 10 minutes or so, and the crowd hung on every note.

Then there's drummer Alex Van Halen, who spent two hours pounding away for all he's worth, plus new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's 16-year-old son, who has replaced Michael Anthony and isn't a bad backup singer.

The main principals are in their early 50s, but Van Halen is still a force, and in many ways they perform with the same vigor and enthusiasm as they did in the 1970s, starting out at backyard keg parties in Pasadena, as Roth recalled during a moment of reflection.

The hair is shorter, the wrinkles a bit deeper, but the collective soul intact. And as for the new generation with rock dreams of their own, they should have been in the front row taking notes.

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