GREENSBORO -- It is rare for a rock band to fill an arena these days, but Van Halen sold out the Greensboro Coliseum and virtually tore the roof off Saturday night. Between the lines of this deliriously played and received concert, you could decipher a message: Big rock is back with a vengeance.

Unlike The Police's spotty reunion tour, Van Halen took the stage well- rehearsed and determined to impress. If the band members' energy, enthusiasm and apparent camaraderie are any indication, they ought to parlay this tour into a full-fledged renaissance. Heaven knows the anemic music scene could use some of Van Halen's old-school swagger and virtuosity.

For this tour, brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen hooked up with vocalist David Lee Roth for the first time since 1984 and replaced original bassist Michael Anthony with Eddie's teenage son, Wolfgang. With "Wolfie" on board, Van Halen seems less like a gang and more like a family.

Van Halen's rowdy persona has been further tempered by a reining in of Roth's formerly oversized ego. He remains a captivating showman, albeit less salacious (except for the occasional expletive) and more genial.

A huge, appreciative roar greeted Van Halen's arrival, and the crowd -- extending up to the farthest reaches of the coliseum -- remained on its feet clear through the encore, "Jump," two hours later.

At one point, the group stopped mid-song to drink in the crowd's frenzied cheering and revel in the minor miracle of their reunion, given all of the subplots that made it unlikely: the extended falling-out with Roth, both Van Halen brothers' problems with alcohol, Eddie's bout with lip cancer and recent rehab stint. There were hugs, huge smiles and -- the big screen doesn't lie -- a tear or two in Roth's eye.

Muscular and short-haired, attired only in rolled-up white pants and red tennis shoes, the shirtless Eddie performed like a grateful survivor making up for lost time. He played with blinding speed and exhibited a mastery over the instrument comparable to Jimi Hendrix and very few others.

Periodically Roth would scat-sing or make a noise, like the sound of a revving engine, and Eddie would mimic it perfectly. During a lengthy solo spot, he cut loose with blinding neoclassical runs and a cacophonous finale during which he rolled about the stage.

The group, particularly the volcanic core of the brothers Van Halen, were impossibly tight, barely pausing for breath as they tore through nearly two dozen tunes. A sleek, contemporary stage and massive video screen further enhanced the sense of occasion.

I've honestly never heard a band perform with such controlled fury as Van Halen during "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Ain't Talking About Love."

Actually, the entire concert was a sustained, glorious, high-energy blur -- just what the doctor ordered, in other words.

Alex Van Halen (on drums), Eddie Van Halen (left) and David Lee Roth perform Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Credit: Lynn Hey/News & Record

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