By Tony Hicks
STAFF WRITER

Uh ... Wow.

Van Halen has apparently re-discovered its long-forgotten mojo. And then some.

In what has to be one of the most stunning turnarounds I've ever seen in concert, Van Halen managed to erase years of mediocrity and disappointment Tuesday night at Sacramento's Arco Arena.

Apparently the newly-determined Van Halen brothers decided to again vie for the title of planet's greatest arena rock band. Which proves a lot of people wrong, me included.

Many were skeptical of bringing back David Lee Roth, whose focus and voice Tuesday were both startlingly good. He's no longer the long-maned, acrobatic sex god who forgets the words. There were still glimpses of that Tuesday, but the new, more appreciative Dave has become your favorite, smiling, rock and roll uncle.

There was also skepticism around Edward Van Halen replacing bassist and backup vocalist extraordinaire Michael Anthony with his 16-year-son Wolfgang. The kid didn't miss a note Tuesday. They had him duck one or two of Anthony's more difficult vocal lines, but he was otherwise nails.

Playing those old classics and having his kid on stage has re-charged the most important person in the band, Eddie. A trip to rehab earlier this year didn't hurt. Tuesday he was focused, happy, and brilliant again. He even seemed to enjoy Roth, hardly the case even in the best of days. It was a blast watching the pair constantly broke off mid-song to match and challenge each other note-for-note in breaking down a song, before re- building it into a massive wall of sound.

Roth opened the show atop the stage, waving a giant red flag while Edward chunked out the riff to "You Really Got Me." Wolfgang showed his wares early, on "I'm the One" - a barnburner with challenging harmonies, for which dad rewarded him with a mid-song peck on the cheek (though they skipped the vocal break). After "Running with the Devil," they ripped through a perfect "Romeo Delight," during which Roth and Eddie broke off for a few seconds of the Who's "Magic Bus." "Oh, you get something for free tonight," Roth yelled, before getting a brief nipple twist from Wolfgang. Roth wailed on harmonica before "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" and, after another breakdown with Eddie, called "Are you having as much fun as we are?"

Yes, thank you. A seriously-heavy "Everybody Wants Some," featured Roth and Eddie challenging one another over who could sound most like a revving Harley. Alex Van Halen's machine gun drum solo led to Roth strutting out in a white bandleader's outfit for "Unchained" (don't ask - it somehow made sense). He looked at Wolfgang during the break "That suit is you, Wolf. You're gonna get some Sacramento love tonight for sure." The crowd shouted along with Wolfgang's "C'mon Dave, gimmie a break," response.

"Little Dreamer," was a great surprise, with awesome dynamics and Roth's unusually intense focus on his vocals. Other than a great story about what an ice cream truck should really be used for, preceding a giant version of "Ice Cream Man," Roth kept the between-song banter in a minimum.

Edward's refreshed attitude really showed during his solo, featuring a few new licks around the usual chunks of "Mean Street," "Spanish Fly," and "Eruption." It was an energized highlight this time, compared to the frazzled mess of the last tour.

After leaving the stage with "Ain't Talking About Love," Roth returned to wave the red flag while "1984" blared. Which, of course, became "Jump," featuring a lot of bouncing around from Eddie and Karate kicking from Roth.

Van Halen is definitely back ... for now. What happens from here is anyone guess, though if the new, moderately mature Uncle Dave and re-invigorated Edward can keep from killing each other, they might actually have a chance.

SET LIST:

You Really Got Me
I'm the One
Running With the Devil
Romeo Delight
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Beautiful Girls
Dance the Night Away
Atomic Punk
Everybody Wants Some
So This is Love?
Mean Street
Pretty Woman
Unchained
I'll Wait
And the Cradle Will Rock
Hot for Teacher
Little Dreamer
Little Guitars
Jamie's Cryin'
Ice Cream Man
Panama
Eruption
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
1984
Jump

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