Review by Christopher Tracy - ctracy6156@aol.com

Diamond Dave Rocks!! I just got back from Club 5 here in Jacksonville, and let me tell you, Dave and his band tore the fuckin' place down!! Club 5 is located in the historic Riverside district of West Jacksonville (home of Lynyrd Skynrd, 38 Special, Molley Hatchet, and Blackfoot) and the place was packed with fans that were ready for a trip to paradise with DLR!!

I was very impressed with the entire show; the band was tight, Dave's voice sounded great (he really knows how to work the crowd), and both the fans and Dave had a great time!!

I have been to all of Dave's solo tours and as far as a pure rock performance goes, this was the best show yet. His entire band is very good and hats off to Bart Walsh for a job well done. The set list was the same as the other shows listed on the VHND, but it was delivered with maximum intensity and enthusiasm!! Dave even mentioned during the show that this performance was being recorded (hopefully for a live CD down the line).

In summary, I feel very, very fortunate to have seen this show. It was fantastic. I hope that Dave and his band can translate this live energy onto their next disk.

DLR and his band gave the fans a great early Christmas present (a performance second to none).

Thanks Dave!!

The show was excellent!! If I didn't know better, I would have thought that I was at one of the original Van Halen concerts back in the early 80's. It was great to see Dave "back in the saddle" and doing the old VH stuff. It sounds so much better with him singing than anyone else. Let's hope there's a reunion!!

Saw DLR in Jax last night. The show was awesome, as usual. It was kind of surprising that they did all VH songs, except for Yankee Rose and Tobacco Road. I didn't mind a bit. I miss that stuff.

The band was great, Dave didn't miss a beat. His jumps off of the drum riser weren't as agile as in the past, but it was awesome. I was front row and center and really felt a part of the show. He was interacting w/ us. I got the hat he was wearing and my friend got his bandanna. They did Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher, Mean Street, So This Is Love, Yankee Rose, Panama, Little Guitars, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Atomic Punk, You Really Got Me, Everybody Wants Some, Runnin' With The Devil, Pretty Woman and a few more.

Man, my head is fried today. He didn't go on until 10:30. The ticket said 8:30, so I'm beat to say the least. We waited by the tour bus to get a picture or something. He came out w/ his body guard said hi and thanks, but went right in the tour bus, not even to sign one autograph. That bummed me out, because there was only 5 or 6 people waiting.

C'mon dave, we're your fans. Well, I know this isn't much of a review, but I'm tired and just wanted to say hi. All in all the show kicked ass. Dave still has it like never before. Don't miss this one.

Sold out show!! Club 5 was buzzing as everyone was totally fired up waiting for Diamond Dave. At 10:15, I asked a security guard what time the show was going to start and he said that the ticket demand from the walk-up crowd was going so great that Dave had to delay his start time so that all the fans could get in.

At 10:30, the house lights went down, the electricity in the audience went up and the DLR Band hit the stage, very loud and proud. Dave posed, smiled and threw 3 consecutive crescent kicks as the band blasted into “Hot for Teacher”. The band was so tight (the drummer really lays it down!) and Dave sings better than ever

Between me and my buddy, we have seen Dave 10 times with VH and 2 times solo. A few songs we particularly liked were “Runnin' With The Devil, Atomic Punk, and Everybody Wants Some“. Dave had the crowd in such a frenzy, that he had to cool us down with two 750-ml bottles of Jack Daniels.

What a show! Fifteen songs, kicks, splits, and two Russian toe jumps as well as Nasty-Ass, 1980’s style, bad boy rock and fucking roll. Great Show!

For me, the best part of the show was that I talked a few high school kids (I am a teacher) into attending the show if they wanted to see a real performance. (I feel sorry for these poor bastards who only know about Korn, Stale Bizkit, and Blink 182.) Two of the kids showed up and freaked out. At school the next day they wouldn’t stop talking about DLR. They told me they had never seen anything like that before. They even took one of the promo posters and brought it to hang up in my classroom. These kids are in a band and have a high profile at school and they had everyone asking me about the show. So Dave, c’mon back to J’Ville. We still love you and the love is beginning to grow. Or even better, get back with Eddie, Alex, and Michael and kick the whole world’s ass once again. The time is now! Well, off to St.Pete to see Dave kick some more Florida ass.

The Dave comes to Jax and rocks. Yes it was loud and yes it started late, but we enjoyed the show. Roth is ever the showman and his stage presence was something that could be called overwhelming. The band was tight and they all seemed very comfortable working with the Dave, and the Dave was eager to share the limelight with them.

It was a great trip back in time for me. I went to see the Dave and to hear one of my generations rock stars, yes he is getting old and yes his voice and stage antics could have been perceived by some as not being as it was in days of years gone by, but it sure sounded great for me and at 39 I wish I could survive at least a week in his shoes I would rock my world and die exhausted but happy.

The Dave is clearly giving (as can be attested by the reviews of his shows this year) it his all and I take my hat off to him and thank him for entertaining me to the MAX. The show is a must see if you want to take a trip back in time to see the Dave's antics and hear the real Van Halen. I would love to see a reunion but that probaly will not happen as the Dave has a persona that every band needs to succeed but one that Eddie Van Halen is not clever enough to work with!

As for some of the last few negative posts, again put yourself in Dave's shoes. These venues are not set up for CD quality music, and for the show, he gives all he has not one thing less. Twenty years ago I did not have a computer to read posts on concert reviews but if I did then I'll bet money the shows a performer put on would all be the same. Give him a break. I do not see a group from the late 70's and early 80's having a sucessfull tour and album sales that equal the days gone by. The only exception is one of my favorites Aerosmith and they have not been comercially heard from during 99, but I think Van Halen could have a successful reunion and album and concert series, they just have to put differences aside and go out with a bang. Eddie must realize the time is closing fast and it is better to retire with a bang.

To David Lee Roth and the band, thanks for a great night and thanks for giving all your energy to make a great show in such a small club so memorable!

After reading the previous reviews for this show, there is not too much more to add. Actually, I got to hear the band's soundcheck, in which they played Unchained, which was unfortunately not on the set list, which was identical to the previous shows. I've seen Dave twice with VH and many, many times solo, but what was new for this show was him pulling down his pants during Yankee Rose and exposing his ass for all to see. Anyway, the show rocked.

I won ticets to go see David off the radio station and couldn't wait to see what had become of the man that I thought was the greatest person on earth many years ago. I saw Van Halen in Seattle in 1982, and saw David on his Skyscraper tour in '89. After getting over David leaving, I saw Van Halen with Sammy in Atlanta in '93. After Sammy left, I gave up on them. Gary was just a ridiculous choice for that band, and I wasn't surprised that it didn't work.

I've never been to Club 5, and what a dive. Who would even want to play there? A man that used to sell out coliseums has resorted to this now? The show was too late starting, and too loud. If you could hear him sing he's lost his vocal range, and what about all the howls and screams he used to do? I thought he looked pretty bad too. His hair is thin and fried, and he looked older than he should. His body wasn't bad, but the show was more like a Chip and Dale show where it seemed to be more about himself than the music. Where is the new music he and his band recorded?

I guess I just have the old Dave still in my mind, and you can't stay in the past. I'm just used to seeing the best frontman around, who is Steven Tyler. He's a lot older, and can rock the ass off better than anyone else. It was sad to me to see that David can barely do his jump off the drum riser. He got it on the second try. I'm just glad that I didn't pay to see this show. I'll only pay to someone that can put on a class act show with a class act stage set. This isn't the 70's with the booze everywhere, and every other word is a cuss word. A good band keeps up with the signs of the times, and still keeps up with the great rock'n roll.

Hot For Teacher
Panama
Little Guitars
Dance The Night Away Mean Street
Runnin' With The Devil
Eruption
You Really Got Me
So This Is Love?
(Oh) Pretty Woman
Little Dreamer
Atomic Punk
Ice Cream Man
Everybody Wants Some
Yankee Rose
Tobacco Road
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Jump

DLR Solo: 02
Van Halen: 16

Total: 18

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