Van Halen Turns it Up Past 11 at Charlotte Concert Stop

On Thursday September 27 I got on a plane from New Orleans and flew to Charlotte, NC to fulfill a dream. That dream was to see Van Halen play with David Lee Roth again. When they came to my hometown of Houston for the 1984 tour I was only 14 and parental discretion prevented me from going. I did see them later with Sammy Hagar at the mike, which was great, but not the same. When the 2007 tour was announced I was on it as fast as I could, but there were no shows scheduled in my home state of Texas or my adopted home in Louisiana. So I got tickets on the floor for the first show in Charlotte and was happy I did.

The current lineup for the band is David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen, and the reason I play guitar, Eddie Van Halen. Sixteen year old Wolfgang is the newest member of the group and the son of Eddie and Valerie Bertinelli. Wolfgang took the place of Michael Anthony on bass, and though it was hard to let Mad Anthony go, Wolfgang helped to bring a youth to the band. It was also good to see the Van Halen family tradition of music continue, as Ed and Alex's dad Jan Van Halen was also a musician whose work was included on the Diver Down album.

This was the first concert I have ever been to that I couldn't find a point to leave my seat for a bathroom break or drink run. The concert was nonstop high energy rock as it was meant to be played, though wonderful sounds have come out of the 5150 studio nothing compares to Van Halen live. I now know what it felt like to be at one of the backyard parties they played in Pasadena, California in the 70's. Though Dave and Sammy have both been famous for interjecting commentary during the shows there was not a lot of it this time, it was about the music.

The tempo never slowed as the sounds of Running With the Devil, Unchained, I'm the One and Beautiful Girls filled Bobcat Arena. Bobcat Arena was packed until the lights came on, nobody was leaving early to beat the traffic. The video screen behind the stage made it easy to see Eddie's incredible fretwork, and the famous smiles from the band that make us smile. The band is lean and clean and ready to reclaim a spot among rock's elite. If Eddie and Dave can get over all the past and get together and put on an incredible show the rest of the world's problems seem easy to solve. Go if you can!