Van Halen Rocks Hartford! (Video, Photos, Review)

Van Halen played the Xfinity Center Tuesday night in Hartford, CT. Video and photo galleries are below.

UPDATED 8/14/15 with Fan Review:

To All At VHND,

I took in the show last night with my brother in law who, got to see Van Halen blow Sabbath off the stage back in the day. We were fortunate to have two great seats in the fourth row on Eddie’s side which was fantastic! Not only did I get to see the man up close and get some great pics, but we were also surrounded by some very cool VH fans of all ages! We even got to see Matt Bruck floating around, talking with fans and posing for pics as well!

The excitement was electric and even though rain was in the forecast, it didn’t stop us at all or dampen the crowds enthusiasm one bit! I have to mention what a great act Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his band are. These guys are great live and they deliver a solid performance of some great blues/rock. You definitely see and hear how they pay homage to those blues masters who have come before! Simply, they tore it up!

Vh took the stage at 9:15p.m. and turned loose the best rock show I have seen this version of the band put on yet! The band members were all solid from Al, Eddie and Wolf! I miss MA like anyone does but Wolfgang delivers! He is solid all around from laying down the bottom end, throwing in little fills to his vocals! Roth did great in my opinion! I’ve played in bands for a long time and I like a good vocalist. Knowing Roth has limited range worried me going into this. Dave surprised me big time! He stayed in the pocket, he seems to have found his sweet spot if you will. Not overextending but pushing just enough! I did hear a few screams that reminded me of his old days! Dave did great and entertained the crowd as only he can.

The interaction within the band seemed fine. Smiles all around and good vibes throughout. During Roth’s monologue he mentioned his and EVH’s relationship and basically said if they can do it, world peace can’t be far off. He also talked about his youth and playing football and imparted some wisdom for the fans, most of whom brought their kids to see the band.

During Eddie’s solo I was reminded of why I play guitar and who started me on that path. Every time I see EVH play, I stop, listen and take in what he plays. Every note has something in it that cannot be described! Eddie was Eddie last night and it was great! I did catch a new riff I had never heard before last night…a new tune maybe? To Eddie I say thank you for sharing your gift and passing it on to so many of us who picked up the guitar because of you! Having said that…can you throw a brother a new Wolfgang and EVH5150ii? LOL

So, to the band I say thank you for putting this together for the fans. We love it! We had a blast! Thanks for the best rock show of the summer.

Rob H.

Farmington, CT

Concert Review from Masslive.com: Van Halen rocks at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford

HARTFORD _ The reports of David Lee Roth’s demise have been slightly exaggerated.

The “singer” fronted Van Halen at the Xfinity Theatre on Tuesday night, performing 25 songs over the course of a two hour and 15 minute set. It was fast and furious as the group walked out to “Light Up the Sky” and ripped through 19 songs before even slowing down to take a breath.

In some respects, David Lee Roth has had a tougher summer than Tom Brady. From Van Halen’s tour announcement performance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in the spring right through to the band’s stop in New Jersey on Monday night, Roth has been taking critical shrapnel about his reedy, declining vocals.

While it is true that he falls short on the high notes, there was little evidence during the Hartford stop that Roth isn’t capable of continuing to front this band and provide VH fans with a representative rock experience.

It doesn’t hurt that Roth is backed by “the best rock band in the business” as he would describe the ensemble of guitar god Eddie Van Halen, his son Wolfgang on bass, and brother Alex on drums. The trio certainly carried the day with a relentless and pummeling delivery.

Through “Running with the Devil,” and “Feel Your Love Tonite” the blistering power trio backed Roth as he flitted around the stage like a game show host rousting the studio audience for the grand prize giveaway.

Roth changed costumes more than Cher, with jackets that ranged from sequined to satin and flamboyant scarves that he twirled overhead. He soaked up the spotlight wherever it spilled over on the stage.

The pace was so frenetic that it seemed the band was either trying to wear Roth down or prove that the veterans could hang with Wolfgang, the 24 year-old bass player.

Roth never wavered and the band played on.

“Somebody Get Me a Doctor” from the band’s 1979 “Van Halen II” release saw Eddie Van Halen jamming side by side with his son while “Little Guitars” provided Van Halen and Roth, whose frosty relationship is legendary, an opportunity to play off each other.

If Roth faltered at all it was during “Dance the Night Away” as the upper register eluded him and he semi-talked his way through the chorus. He found his voice on “Hot for Teacher,” and then miss-stepped again on “In a Simple Rhyme” forgetting the words at the outset.

Eddie Van Halen utilized every knob, pedal, string, and switch available to him for his 9-minute solo which served as a precursor to the Kink’s cover “You Really Got Me.” The band finished up with “Panama” and skipped the formality of a stage-exit-return-for-encore by sliding right into “Jump.”

Kenny Wayne Shepherd opened the show with a 40 minute set.

The 3 concert photos above and first 6 below, as well as most videos below, are from “Sickman” from VHLinks, who’s pictured here with his family at the Hartford show. His son Alex is wearing the concert jersey that dad got at his very first Van Halen concert, back in 1984, in Hartford.

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