Is there really any more to add about Van Halen’s long-awaited reunion and subsequent tour with David Lee Roth?
Most fans have followed the decades-long sex, drugs and rock and roll show as carefully as fans of the recently canceled soap opera “All My Children” watched the twists and turns in that story line. And remember how somewhat disappointing it was when the long-awaited event — whether it was a wedding, birth, reunion, or whatever — happened? In a way, Van Halen’s latest concert tour is mirroring that letdown too.
“In 2007, it was a pleasant surprise how well Van Halen seemed to gel in concert during a reunion tour with original frontman David Lee Roth,” wrote Sarah Rodman of the Boston Globe, comparing the one-off 2007 concert with a recent show the reunited band played. “Five years and one shockingly solid new album later — the recently released ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ — it was a surprise that the show Sunday at the TD Garden, while jaw-droppingly good in many respects, didn’t quite rise to the ecstatic heights of 2007.”
| Onstage |
| Van Halen |
| When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday |
| Where: Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW |
| Info: $79.50 to $149.50; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
Van Halen fans will likely disagree, though, and if they don’t it won’t matter. Anyone who has followed the band or read about it — notably in the book “Red” by Van Halen’s ousted lead singer Sammy Hagar — knows that musical consistency has never been the band’s strong point.
In fairness, though, even when the band has been — let’s just say, off its game — they are talented enough to play “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Jump,” and their other hits with amazing clarity. Now that the Van Halen brothers and Roth are AARP-eligible they are to be forgiven for a few missteps. But the addition of 20-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen on bass — replacing the nice-guy-who-is-still-missed Michael Anthony — has added a new burst of excitement to the show.
While Roth’s voice might be weaker than some recall, he still hits plenty of the notes and can bound around the stage with the best of them. And by all accounts, Eddie Van Halen looks healthier than he has in years.
The bottom line is that after living the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle for decades, it’s great to see Van Halen alive and rocking and thriving. And that’s worth adding.
