Van Halen
Concord Pavilion
Concord, CA
July 07, 1998

Set List - Click here!

Review by Jay Hoffman - jhoffman@wsgr.com

Ohh, the memories. Suddenly I'm transported back to the days of big hair and mocassin boots. I am blown away by the fact that I first saw this band play over 16 years ago, and they look and sound as young as ever.

I was never a closet VH fan. I littered the walls of my bedroom with every clip and article I could possible find on the guys. A scholar of all things Van Halen, a connoiseur of the palatably devestating power of the music these gentleman concocted. And much to my surprise, after all these years nothing has changed. It is true that in everyone's life there are constants. They may come and go, and sometimes you forget how powerful they are to you and your life, but still they remain. Van Halen is one of those constants in my life.

The quality of last nights performance was impeccable, motivating an aging crowd of rockers to near hysteria at times. This only seemed to inspire the band more. The music was big, the lights were big, the guitar was big, Gary was big, everything was big just like the Van Halen we've always come to love. Larger than life! A spectacle for the eyes and ears. A feast for the hunger of pure, honest, fun power rock and roll.

Take the reigns and do yourself a favor. Go see the next Van Halen show. Drive hundreds of miles if you have to, get a prescription from your doctor if necessary, just go to the god-dammed concert. Take your kids! Write the experience down in your journals, tell your grandchildren about it. This band will continue to change and mold lives with their music. I can't begin to tell you how many of my fondest memories were made with Van Halen in the tapedeck. The best part is, those memories are still being made!!! Last night party was one of them!

What a great show! I was at the Mountain View (Shoreline Ampitheater) two nights ago, and I'm not sure which one I like better. They were both incredible!

At Shoreline, Eddie only did one elephant call just before coming onstage, but nobody seemed to catch it - I don't think anybody knew what it was. Tonight, when he did the first one, the crowd instantly went nuts! Everyone knew what was happening, and having heard the positive response, Eddie did a few more! Moments later, of course, he led into Unchained to open the show... A thrilling moment at both shows!

The Concord crowd seemed more responsive to the new (VH3) songs. They really seemed to like A Year To The Day and Fire In The Hole. Of course, both crowds really appreciated hearing the old stuff. My personal pick for highlight of the show was when Michael Anthony sang lead in Somebody Get Me A Doctor. A close second was the (obligatory?) tit shot from a very nice looking female audience member. :)

Overall, it was a really fun, entertaining, and great sounding show. Individually, I'd say:

• Eddie was flawless! In fact, I think he played even better tonight than he did Sunday at Shoreline. His solo tonight was incredible. He really worked the crowd tonight. It seems like he's really enjoying himself.
• Alex was great! I liked his solo better at Shoreline, but tonights was extremely loud and sounded (and felt) superb.
• Michael was just a lot of fun! His playing sounded great, his onstage antics were entertaining, and his singing on Somebody Get Me A Doctor really added a whole lot of energy to the show! No way will they ever get rid of him!
• Gary sounded good, but I don't think he is a good fit at all. First of all, I don't like the way he avoids hitting the high notes. Just attack 'em! Second, his onstage antics are strange and distracting. He prances around like a little fag, grabbing and rubbing his ass, and bending over at every opportunity. CUT IT OUT! Nobody wants to see you grabbing your ass! And third, what the fuck is he wearing? That "suit" thing he wore both nights -- tight black jacket and pants, orange-ish brown shirt -- looks more like something a modern-rock (the Cure?) artist might wear. It just doesn't fit in with the whole Van Halen look. He looks totally out of place. I can't believe this guy thinks he's a proper front-man lead-singer of a rock band. Despite all of this, I'd go see this show again in a minute!

Well, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

I didn't know what to expect with Gary as the new front person so I tried to be objective. However I have to say in all honesty that Sammy was the best and after the second song I was reminded of just how great the red rocker was with VH.

Gary wasn't bad, but he wasn't that good either. I didn't like the way he danced around the stage like a homosexual with very feminine characteristics and jestures. This guy should gain some weight and jam with the crowd not dance for the crowd. His vocals were just Ok. He sang the new material better than the old. He didn't get the crowd that excited not like the front people before him.

As for the rest of the band, they were just like what I expected. They still had the VH flare and carisma that I have always seen/heard. I didn't expect to hear Mike on lead vocals. He did Ok but I wouldn't miss his voice.

The audio at Concord was terrible. The music was distorted most of the time. It wasn't crisp and clean like when I saw Boston there last year. The video was great.

The opener, Monster Magnet, they suck. They started to give me a headache and I had to get up and go somewhere because I was afraid that they were going to ruin the rest of the concert for me. They were the worst part of the concert.

In closing let me just say that I saw Sammy solo after the break-up and he wasn't that great without VH. I miss VH with SH. This concert was good but it was a big disappointment compared to previous shows. Don't pay a lot of money (like I did) to see the show and don't miss a days pay (work); it is not worth it.

First off, just let me say anyone who misses out on this tour - I feel sorry for ya!!! What a performance!!! Eddie's playing NEVER ceases to amaze me. Alex plays like a man possessed - his drum solo was utterly amazing. Good ole' Mikey - his singing of "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" was totally incredible!!! And let's just say Gary is a crazy man - he fits in perfectly with the rest of the boys.

The four of them put on one Hell of a show here tonight at the Concord Pavilion. Anybody concerned with slow ticket sales is just dreaming. It was standing room only tonight. This was the second time seeing VAN HALEN for me, and after tonight's performance, there will without a doubt be many more to come.

I have been a HUGE fan since Dave, I loved Sammy, and now with Gary, VAN HALEN still proves they have what it takes to ROCK YOUR ASS OFF!!!

Well last night, after what seemed like forever, I got to see the new Van Halen.

The opening band was a sick joke, but aren't they always? One of the roadies screamed into the mic, THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN!!! And we were off. Screw the non-believers, THEY ROCKED.

The band were all smiles as Unchained thundered thru the sound system. The boys were all smiles, and Big Al looked like he was having fun. We were 7th row, and you can tell when a band goes thru the motions.

Gary was the best, what a great frontman. Eddie's playing was flawless. And Big Al was at the top of his game. Mikey's vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor were great. This was way better than another bass solo. Thanks guys, I knew you wouldn't let me down.

First of all, let me just say that I've have been a Van Halen fan since the beginning and I have always enjoyed the band with David and with Sammy (both album wise and in concert). Sadly to say, I was a little disappointed in Gary.

I know he has some big shoes to fill, but overall, I really didn't care to much for him. And it didn't help that he played in Sammy Hagars backyard (he's from the bay area) and yes, I saw numerious individuals flipping off Gary when he started singing Sammy's songs.

Okay, the show. The highpoints, Eddie! That's it in a nutshell, that's the only reason I went to the show, to see the man and his guitar. It was also great to see Eddie jumping around again (hopefully he wouldn't hurt his hip again). It was also enjoyable to see the band play some of the older stuff.

Okay, now the low points. Besides gary acting a little on the weird side (what's up with him playing with his butthole on "Fire In The Hole"???), the lighting design was weak (I always remembered seeing Van Halen with the best light show) and the live video was horrible (you guys can afford better cameramen!). And what's up with playing "Josephina" for an encore after getting the audience up and dancing with "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"???

But all in all, I still LOVE Van Halen no matter who sings for them. Just make sure to make better albums in the future.

Van Halen still rocks, and Eddie is a living legend. Oh ya, I like Michael and Alex too! Not too hip on Gary tho...

It's been a while since I've seen VH, so I was looking forward to last night's show in Concord very much. There were some moments of greatness during the show, but overall, I would have to rate it "good."

Needless to say, the highlight of the show was Eddie. He simply tore it up song after song. He looked genuinely happy playing, and even threw in a couple of classic leaps. He once again proved himself to be in the elite as far as guitar players go.

Likewise, I was impressed with Mike Anthony. His playing was great, and his singing was as good, if not better, than Gary's. I especially liked his vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor.

Alex put on a decent display on the drums, but I was not blown away or anything. He was wearing a neckbrace, so maybe he was hampered a bit.

As far as Gary goes. . . I liked his singing for the most part. He adapted some of Dave's style on the old stuff, and a little Sammy for the Sammy stuff. In all though, I thought he sounded too Sammy-esque, and was hoping for something more distinctive. The problem with Gary is that he didn't seem to fit in well with the rest of the band. Here is this world class band, with a high school-like frontman. He ran around like a fool, tripping over his own feet and falling down all over the place. It was distracting. I will give him kudos, however, in that he wasn't afraid to pull out the old VH tunes. They must have hit seven or eight of them, and all kicked butt. Closing the show with Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love (w/a Symptom of the Universe tease at the end) was a great move.

To sum up, a solid performance with good song selections. Worth checking out if they come to your town. When all's said and done, though, I wish Dave was up there instead.

The Band was great, still don't care to much for Gary though. They did some of the new album stuff, "Fire In The Hole" , "One I Want", "Without You" and later in the set "Year To The Day".

The Dave ERA was O.K., while the music still kicks ass, it just wasn't the same. And I'm sorry folks but Gary can't touch Sammy with a 10 foot pole. The new stuff Gary did was fine, and they played most of the songs I like from the new album, except "Dirty Water Dog". The Encore was just one song, "Josephina" - probably because everyone in our section was chanting "SAMMY, SAMMY".

We were in the upper box section 207 just left of center, and I swear all I could hear was "SAMMY". The Concord Pavilion was a nice venue. I went to the Shoreline a few years back and it wasn't as nice. There were lots of screens, every seat had a good view. Van Halen can still blow you away, even if noone sang and they just played. It's still the best damn music to enjoy......

Van Halen played to a 3/4 full house last night with energy, wizardry and power. Eddie's guitar work sounded extremely thick and crunchy, Mike's bass lines were much more up front in the mix than in years past, Alex's drum kit was the loudest part of the show and Gary pranced around singing with energy and passion.

I am more of a Dave era fan, and the setlist was the one with Dreams instead of Feel Your Love Tonight and Dance The Night Away so that was a minor bummer and they also only played for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Are these guys getting older or what? At least 2 hours of music should be the minimum and MORE Dave era songs!

The new material was received well and played crisply. The highlights strictly from a sound and playing standpoint were Romeo Delight and Mean Street, especially the beginning of Mean Street. All other songs sounded very well done too! Guitar solo was very very short, drum solo was really good!!

Overall a great show, just play longer!!!

One word....." SMOKIN' ". I've seen every tour since Diver Down, and I have never heard them sound so good with such a "stripped down" setup. On stage it looked like Ed had three half-stacks, that's it! Mike had maybe four of his Ampeg cabs and Alex, he sat behind the smallest setup I think he's ever taken on tour. What did this minimalist approach accomplish? The meanest sound and the most focused show I think I've seen to date!

Still hung-up on Sammy or Dave? GET OVER IT! This is a new band, with renewed vigor and spirit. Any apprehension Gary may have had, vanished when a banner saying "CHERONE #1" popped up during unchained. From there on it was his audience and definitely his night.

I can't say enough about the set list. Opening with Unchained immediately got the short-hairs sticking straight up, and the croud was AFU (ALL FIRED UP) the whole time. There was no lull in the show at all.

Bottom line: I cant wait to watch VH3 evolve....they are going to do nothing but put out better and better albums. You can look for me at the shows too. I'll be the one in the front row with a huge smile on my face!