Van Halen review says they lost magic but still rock solid

May 12, 2008

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ATLANTIC CITY - Overhyped events rarely live up to the accompanying anticipation. So when it comes to Van Halen’s overpublicized reunion with David Lee Roth, doubts certainly had to be raised if Eddie Van Halen & Co. could meet expectations.

The band’s sold-out show at Boardwalk Hall on Friday night proved that nothing - not even hearing Eddie rip into "Eruption" or Roth squealing to "Ice Cream Man" - could bring back the Van Halen rock fans adored more than 20 years ago.

Perhaps the main reason for the reunion’s semi-anticlimactic result is the fact that Van Halen and Roth never really went away, existing as lesser entities without each other. On the previous two outings in Atlantic City, Van Halen - once with Sammy Hagar, another with Gary Cherone - were mediocre to awful. And Roth has been in Atlantic City as a solo act as often as Tom Jones. Hype aside, though, Van Halen still puts on a hell of a rock show.

Entirely playing material from the band’s six albums from 1978 to 1984 - that’s right, folks: Thankfully, no Hagar-era tunes - Van Halen began the night with its memorable cover of The Kinks’ "You Really Got Me," setting the stage for a night of classic rock that was a rollercoaster of ups and downs with far more of the former.

It was difficult to resist fist pumping and singing along to VH classics like "Unchained," "Hot For Teacher," "Panama," "Jamie’s Cryin’," "And the Cradle Will Rock" and "Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love’."

The band even delved into some lesser-known tracks like "Romeo Delight" and "Mean Street" to please diehard fans, but few seemed interested in those offerings with the exception of "I’m the One," which had one of Eddie Van Halen’s strongest guitar efforts of the night. Roth even forgot the lyrics to "Atomic Punk."

Playing 25 songs for more than two hours, Van Halen rarely gave the crowd time to take a breath. In fact, the 13,000 stayed on its feet right to the final encore, "Jump." With a large video screen that stretched across the stage and a circular ramp that extended into the audience, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Roth hasn’t been able to hit his trademark high-pitched vocals for more than a decade, and Friday’s show certainly didn’t do anything to dispel that. But he is still an above-average vocalist who can handle the majority of his material quite well.

What Roth lacks in vocal prowess, he makes up for as an exciting frontman. Physically fit and possessing the energy of a prepubescent with A.D.D., the 53-year-old still commands the stage. It’s still fun to watch him throw a roundhouse kick, even if it’s much more grounded these days.

Diamond Dave’s smile is as white and wide and devilish as ever, and his penchant for over-the-top clothing still survives, as he wore a circus ringmaster’s coat with accompanying red top hat and tight black-leather pants. Believe it or not, Roth still pulls it off, possessing the physique of a ripped 20-year-old. His once long blond locks have been trimmed uncharacteristically short, but it works better than the balding ’80s rocker look he was holding onto as a solo act. Alex Van Halen remains one of rock’s top drummers, as evidenced by his impressive and surprisingly not overindulgent drum solo. Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, is a more-than-competent replacement for longtime bassist Michael Anthony, but it’s certainly a disappointment to finally have this reunion happen without him. Anthony’s remarkable backing vocals were sorely missed, and the 17-year-old Wolfgang just doesn’t look right playing next to such older bandmates. Eddie Van Halen, who embarrassed himself performing at Borgata a few years ago, redeemed himself with a night of blistering solos that didn’t resemble the sloppy play he offered during his last Atlantic City visit. For the most part, he was the Eddie Van Halen everyone remembers.

Also 53, Van Halen finally lived up to his guitar-god status. Emerging with a long-sleeve shirt, ripped jeans and solid white guitar, his performance was vintage Eddie as he tapped and picked ferociously yet precisely, looking remarkably healthy despite all of his health issues.

It took more than 20 years for Roth and Van Halen to finally kiss and make up. But the wait was certainly worth it. If you closed your eyes, they still sounded like the band that diehard fans remember playing air guitar to in front of their moms’ mirrors.