After four years paying their dues playing the Southern California rock scene, Van Halen hit the road. It was just three weeks after the release of their self-titled debut album that the band kicked off its first world tour. Stop #1 was the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on March 3, 1978. The move from the typical clubs the band was used to playing to the Aragon was … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony’s Granddaughter Watches ‘Jump’ Video
You may be cool, but you're not "Michael Anthony's granddaughter recognizing 'Papa' in the JUMP video" cool! However your day is going, it's about to get better. In a video posted by Michael Anthony yesterday, Michael's adorable granddaughter Nina watches Van Halen's classic "Jump" video. Guess who she recognizes? Along with the video on Instagram, Michael added, "My … [Read more...]
Eddie Trunk Frustrated Over Lack of News on 40th Anniversary of Van Halen’s Debut Album
When the 40th anniversary of Van Halen's debut album rolled around last week, rock historian Eddie Trunk could not hide his frustration over the fact that the band didn't do anything, or at least give some indication about future plans. (Although, the next day, on the actual anniversary, both Michael Anthony and Eddie acknowledged the anniversary on social media). Listen to … [Read more...]
‘Atomic Punk’ Play Through
Watch the video above for a killer cover of Van Halen's "Atomic Punk"! "40 years ago in 1978, Van Halen released their first album and it shook the Rock World to it's core. The first song they cut in the studio for the record was Atomic Punk. A couple of years ago I covered this song with a kooky little fun video. "There are no words to explain that impact on my musical … [Read more...]
Famous Guitarists on the Astonishing Impact of Van Halen’s First Album
"The first time I heard Eddie Van Halen, I was absolutely floored," says former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. "I was also petrified." TeamRock.com has put together an impressive collection of new quotes from guitar players talking about Van Halen's first album: When the debut album by Van Halen was released in early 1978, it was a bolt from the blue. For the older … [Read more...]