For the first time in more than a decade, Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth are back on stage together — and now we can finally watch it. The complete TEDxFargo conversation featuring Alex, Roth and acclaimed artist Robert Vargas has been released online. The 15-minute talk, titled "Beyond Boundaries: How Human Experience Informs Art and Music," was filmed July 30 at … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen
Van Halen’s ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ Returning to CD & Vinyl!
It's official: Van Halen's final studio album, A Different Kind of Truth, is finally coming back into print! Rhino will re-release the album on October 23, 2026, on CD and as a 2LP set pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. The vinyl edition comes in a double gatefold package, with new lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. A limited-edition clear vinyl … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Knighted in the Netherlands
Alex Van Halen has received one of his native country's highest honors. The legendary Van Halen drummer was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw) Tuesday in Nijmegen, the Dutch city where Alex and his brother Eddie spent much of their childhood before their family moved to America. Nijmegen mayor Hubert Bruls … [Read more...]
40 Years Ago Today: My First Van Halen Concert
Forty years ago today, on August 12, 1986, longtime Van Halen fan and drummer Kurt Ekstrom attended his first Van Halen concert — a night he still remembers vividly four decades later. Kurt has written numerous articles for Not So Modern Drummer and has appeared on the Drum History Podcast to discuss Alex Van Halen's drums and gear. With the 40th anniversary of that first … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Added to Alex Van Halen’s TEDxFargo Appearance This Thursday
UPDATE from Robert Vargas: The complete video will be posted on YouTube/TedxFargo platforms in a few weeks for the public to view. Three icons. One stage. One conversation you won't want to miss. David Lee Roth has been added to this Thursday's TEDxFargo event, where he'll join Alex Van Halen and artist Robert Vargas on stage. The event has been on fans' radar since … [Read more...]
The Mystery Behind Alex Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” Drum Intro
For 42 years, drummers have debated one of rock's greatest mysteries: What exactly is happening during the opening moments of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher"? Was it a Lamborghini engine? A hot rod? Electronic drums? Four bass drums? Layered parts? Or was it simply Alex being Alex? In a new Drumeo video titled "Alex Van Halen Fooled Everyone With This Drum Intro," drummer … [Read more...]
Steve Lukather Clarifies Alex Van Halen’s Upcoming Project: “These Are Finished Tracks With Ed And Al”
For months, fans have been speculating about the mysterious project that Alex Van Halen has been developing with longtime friend Steve Lukather. Now, Lukather has offered his clearest explanation yet of what the project actually is — and what it isn't. Speaking with Guitar Player, the Toto guitarist emphasized that the music is not a collection of unfinished scraps pieced … [Read more...]
A Look Back: Van Halen’s ‘OU812’ Released On This Day In 1988
"Oh, You Ate One Too!" Released 38 years ago today - May 24th, 1988! 'OU812' was the second Van Halen album to feature Sammy Hagar as lead singer. It reached number one on Billboard (the band's second consecutive #1), sold over 4 million copies in the US and featured six songs that landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and/or the Mainstream Rock Tracks! Hagar looked … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen: ‘We Did Call Mike’ Before Wolfgang Joined Van Halen
Alex Van Halen has revealed a surprising detail about the lineup shakeup that led to Wolfgang Van Halen joining Van Halen in 2006. During an interview from earlier this year with Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda, Alex said that he and Eddie Van Halen actually attempted to contact longtime bassist Michael Anthony before bringing Wolfgang into the band — but never heard … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday to a Drumming Legend!
Happy Birthday to Alex — the heartbeat of Van Halen! Born May 8, 1953 in Amsterdam, Holland, Alex helped build one of the greatest rock bands of all time alongside his younger brother, Eddie. From backyard party gigs in Pasadena to selling out arenas around the world, Alex’s drumming became a defining force behind the band’s sound. Fans often focus on Eddie’s guitar … [Read more...]
40 Years Ago: 5150 Takes Van Halen to No. 1
Dreams Realized On April 26, 1986, 5150 officially reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was anything but inevitable. By 1986, the band had already built one of the most powerful runs in rock. Six albums deep—all of them charting, and all of them shaping what Van Halen was. Yet none had taken that coveted top spot. Then everything changed. New lineup. New … [Read more...]
Van Halen ‘Live in New Haven 1986’ Coming to Vinyl & CD June 5
Van Halen fans are getting another shot at Live in New Haven 1986—this time as a widely available release. A crystal-clear vinyl edition of the album was released today as part of Record Store Day and quickly sold out at many independent record stores. Now, a standard black vinyl version is on the way, set for release on June 5, along with the first-ever standalone CD … [Read more...]