Van Halen in Raleigh

[hippietim]

They were fucking badass. Eddie looked great. He and Dave were laughing and smiling the whole time.

The band sounded great. Sorry for you diehards but I didn't miss Michael Anthony at all - Wolfgang played great and sang even better. Eddie and Wolfie did a fantastic job on the backup vocals. Dave sounded pretty good and he was funny as always.

Eddie and Dave don't fly around the stage like they did 20 years ago but they held their own just fine.

They played all the great stuff - well over 20 songs. Eddie played two different hand-striped Charvels that were way cool.

I am SO glad I got to see this show. My wife really enjoyed herself as well.

[horns666]

Awesome Tim..cool to hear about Wolf..good for him man. I guess Mike is doing fine on his own, he's not too worried..I don't think. While Ed's on his stride..I'd love them to record new stuff..that may be happening. I know Dave always kicked Ed up the ass making him play his ass off..because that's what people want..I do!

Was Wolfie movin' around at all tho..that kid always looks so bored...?

[quiksilver]

Glad to hear it. VH kicked ass in the Twin Cities when I saw them, too.

[AlexL]

Glad you enjoyed the show, Tim, and it was GREAT talking to you last night!

C'mon dude, I still have that Rush ticket available...


- E.

[Robert Burns]

Great to hear this Tim...maybe the month or so rest did Eddie good?
I almost went to the Phx show with my brother in law...but hey..
after seeing them 8 or so times... my memory is fine!

[khabibissell]

Hey, not bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnY2YDtkkoA

A sober Eddie is a good Eddie apparently....

If he would play like that when they came back to MI, I'd go see them again.

[skorb]

the month or so rest

it's called rehab

[pro-fusion]

Now *that* is the EVH we all want to see...

[Vass]

Looks REAL good.

I remember at least 20 years ago having a discussion with my guitar teacher-actually me dragging him into the "WHO IS THE BEST GUITARIST IN THE WORLD" conversation. He was more of a fusion guy than a rock guy, but I pinned him down to the guys I dug & let him consider a few he dug. He finally said something I never forgot but was so obvious- He said he used to struggle between the Vai's and the Satches and the this and the that and all these other guys. He'd watch them up there live sweating, ripping, laying it all out there, every ounce of their energy to just set that fretboard on fire, and that they were amazing players all.

And then he said he saw VH live and Eddie was up there goofing around with a big stupid grin on his face, like he wasn't even trying, and said at the very least Eddie's perhaps the greatest NATURAL talent.

And look at him in that clip, 20 years on....he is not breaking a sweat. I don't think he even once thinks to himself, "OK here comes the hard part".

Maybe that's why he's such a mess when he's hammered- He's so used to just turning that talent on like a faucet and having it flow. When it doesn't come naturally it just doesn't come at all.

Vass

[Bengal]

My theory is that Eddies drinking has caught up with him. You guys think he wasn't drunk all through the 80 Invasion tour? Or the 82 Diver Down tour? Of course he was. He's been "drunk" onstage his whole career. But now that he's older and has been out of the loop a bit, the drinking is catching up with him. He can't do it like he use to. So now when he's drunk onstage it comes off like a total mess. But back when he could handle it, it came off just fine.

I believe he is no longer able to play live drunk. That's why there are so many youtube vids showing him sucking ass.

But then again, there was no youtube in 1980, so we don't really know if he was on every night or not. Neither did the audience, because they had nothing to compair it to.

[shreddermon]

Not to mention back in the 1980s, most of the audience members were drunk and/or high, too. So they wouldn't have known if EVH was having an "off" night, anyway.

Cool to hear it was a good show, Tim. Here's hoping Ed keeps it up.

[MetalMedal II]

Hey, not bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnY2YDtkkoA

A sober Eddie is a good Eddie apparently....

If he would play like that when they came back to MI, I'd go see them again.

Wow, he's kick ass there! Wish I had the same experience at the VH show in Mass a few mths back.

[Shawn Lutz]

Glad you got a good show Tim. I heard the same thing about the Dallas Show a week or so back...Eddie was on and it was a great show...a sober Eddie is a good Eddie

[mattsmusiccenter]

Great news, I'm looking forward to seeing them again in NH.

[skorb]

Eddie and Schenker, it's the same thing with both of them when they are drinking and try to go on stage.