Go ahead and jump
But, last Saturday night the magic came back. At 17 years old, I never imagined that 25 years in the future I would be dancing in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, drink in hand, to the riffs so elegantly played by Eddie and loving that gleeful smile that David Lee so aptly wears.
The show itself wasn't a spectacular. It didn't need to be...they're Van Halen. The audience wasn't filled with kids who crave constant sensory overload. It was a gathering of 40 year olds who wanted to melt into the music of their youth...and maybe have another excuse to get a little high. I never smoked pot in high school, but I definately got a second-hand high at this concert, and it was delightful.
Of course the music was fantastic, but it was the little things that I noticed about each of the band members, which stay with me today.
First off, Wolfgang, Eddie's son, has replaced Michael Anthony as bass guitarist. It was cool to watch Eddie beaming with pride as his son jammed. One thing that struck me as odd, though, was seeing a wedding ring on Eddie's hand. I'm pretty sure that he and Valerie are divorced, so was he wearing it because in his heart she's still his wife? Or maybe he still totes the band of gold out of respect for his son. I'll probably never get an answer, and frankly, it doesn't matter what the reason...I liked the fact that he wore it.
I loved the way David Lee grinned from ear to ear as he sauntered around the cat walk. It wasn't a fake smile...he actually radiated pure contentment. Another detail which did not escape my notice was his buff body. I was sitting in the 9th row, but I'm sure that even the women up in the nosebleed section could appreciate the glimpses his costumes offered of his ripped abs. He is 54 years old, and you'd be hard pressed (no pun intended) to find a 34 year old guy with abs to rival his. I don't know anything about his lifestyle, but he exudes clean living. That seems antithetical of a rock star, doesn't it?
Lest I not forget to mention Alex Van Halen...this powerful and dynamic drummer has a reputation of being the silent and brooding band member, but man does he let loose during his solo. It was brilliant.
The only thing missing from this rock 'n' roll show was the ever classic waving of bic lighters, beaconing the band to come back and play just one more song. Fortunately, the band didn't need encouragement to come back out and finally quench the thirst for my favorite Van Halen song, "Jump".
January 13th, 2009 at 6:02 am
Sounds like you had fantastic time! I was never much a Van Halen fan in my teens either, but I was always a fan of Eddie’s guitar playing; he really is a phenomenon. I even warmed to David Lee Roth after a while; he camps it up and never took himself too seriously.
I went to a Bob Dylan concert a few years ago; kind of similar except the average age was a little older than 40. Lots of people in corduroy jackets with leather elbow pads desperately trying to relive their youth, and of course running out for the obligatory joint at intermission.
Unfortunately the joints and the waving lighters are now a thing of the past; still, I’d have given anything to be there.