By Rob Merritt
Freelance writer

DES MOINES - "We heard you missed us. We're back."

It may have merely been a line from "Hot For Teacher," the hit song from Van Halen's classic album "1984." When lead singer David Lee Roth said it during Van Halen's concert Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Arena, however, the crowd roared its approval over the double meaning.

The tour that brought Van Halen to Iowa marked the first time in more than 20 years that Roth has toured alongside his old bandmates, following a dramatic fallout in the mid-1980s. The sheer thrill of seeing "Diamond Dave" once again belting out "Dance The Night Away" -- in a reunion that both sides swore would never happen -- would have been enough to send the crowd of 9,800 home happy as it was.

A funny thing happened on the way to Des Moines, however: With Roth back in the fold, Van Halen has found a new spring in its step. Fellow concertgoers commented that the band was noticeably better than its last appearance in Iowa in 2004, when former singer Sammy Hagar was still with the group.

The band opened with its classic cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me," performing on a set that featured a gigantic video screen directly behind the band. It quickly became clear that while Roth may have aged, the man doesn't shy away from the high notes, he still throws in some high kicks and he still wears wonderfully gaudy costumes that change throughout the show.

The feud between Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen is well-documented, but there was no sign of it Wednesday. The two men exchanged smiles, wrapped arms around each other between songs and genuinely acted like they were loving every minute. Either a lot of fences have been mended, or the two have acting skills to match their musical chops.

Mind you, Eddie also had extra reason to be enjoying himself. After all, he was being joined onstage by his 16-year-old son Wolfgang, who had capably taken over bass duties from original member Michael Anthony.

The band avoided any Hagar-era material like "Right Now" and "Poundcake," refusing to play any song written after the mid-1980s. While some concertgoers might have missed that material, it meant the band got to dust off classics that it hadn't played live in decades.

The biggest response of the night came on "Panama," complete with audience singalong. Another was when Eddie Van Halen took center stage with an extended guitar solo that led right into the classic "Eruption." Brother Alex Van Halen also spent several minutes wowing the Iowa crowd with a dazzling drum solo. The band capped off the show with "Jump," a wild spectacle that ended with loads of confetti dropping all over the crowd.

Surprisingly, the band made zero mention of where it was that night. There were no comments about Iowa, and no reference to the snowstorm outside -- the one that some thought might lead to the concert's cancellation earlier in the day. For a guy known for his showmanship, it was surprising that Roth engaged in hardly any ad-libbed banter with the crowd at all.

Then again, one might argue that he didn't have to. The music that Van Halen brought to Iowa communicated one thing loud and clear: They are back. And as the crowd's cheers made clear: We had missed them, indeed

[Return to Current Headlines]