Rocket Sports & Entertainment Network

Tag: wolfgang van halen

Spending The Opening Weekend At The Best Of All World’s Tour With Sammy Hagar

When the Best of All Worlds tour was announced back in November, there were many questions asked. Two of them that stood out were, could Joe Satriani pull off playing the songs and notes that Eddie Van Halen did with ease and also what would the setlist consist off?

Well, both of those questions were answered in spades on Saturday in West Palm and on Sunday in Tampa as I attended both of the shows in different capacities but as a fan at both.

Opening night in West Palm, Loverboy opened the show with a 8 song set of their greatest hits. As they took the stage at 7pm sharp at the I Think Amp, a sweltering heat engulfed the band and the fans in the packed outdoor venue. The feels like was 105 degrees with zero breeze.

Loverboy started their set with “Lucky Ones” and afterward, singer Mike Reno said hello to the crowd. Reno was solid under the conditions and seeing that it was opening night he and the band were superb and had the fans dancing and singing in their seats during “The Kid Is Hot Tonight” & “Loving Every Minute of It.”

The “Boys” from Canada continued their set with “Hot Girls in Love” & “Turn Me Loose” with drummer Matt Frenette kneeling on top of his kit and keyboardist Doug Johnson wailing on the saxophone. They concluded their set with their biggest hit in “Working for the Weekend” which gave everyone a reprieve to go get water and some towels for their drenched faces.

It was great to see Loverboy once again and unfortunately for the fans in Tampa the following night, they would not perform. This was due to another weather situation as a monsoon came across Hillsborough County and drenched the whole area which almost caused the whole show to be cancelled. A positive occurred from this as the temperature was near 80.

Thankfully as they say “The Show Must Go On” with the Tampa performance starting at 8:45 instead of 8:20 in West Palm. “Stand Up and Shout” played over the house speakers with many in the crowd not realizing this was a Sammy Hagar song and only knowing it from the Rock Star movie soundtrack with Jeff Scott Soto on vocals.

A collage of videos of Sammy’s illustrious career played on the video screens which got cheers, a tear and a laugh from the crowd especially when the Simpson’s Sammy character was shown. They also included a picture with Vinnie Paul who last performed with Sammy at Sammy’s 70^th Birthday Bash before passing away a couple months later.

The lights dimmed across the venues as Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham donned their respected instruments. Sammy then grabbed the audience’s complete attention as he addressed them with “Hello Babyyyyyyy” from “Good Enough.” This was also the first song from 5150 which was Sammy’s debut with the band in 1986.

Sammy then addressed the crowd in West Palm and welcomed everyone to the first show of the tour and how the band was pacing with anticipation in their dressing room.

Joe Satriani then broke out the electric drill for you guessed, “Poundcake” which had only been played by Sammy a few times at special events since 2015. Joe passed the drill to Sammy and pointed it at the crowd and at his groin which got another big laugh from both crowds.

Pink neon images of the words “POUNDCAKE” and “DOWNHOME” accompanied a female silhouette on the video screen behind Jason Bonham’s elevated kit.

After “Runaround” from Van Halen’s FUCK release, the band played the first of four Sammy Hager solo songs in the set with “There’s Only One Way To Rock” as Sammy joined Joe Satriani on guitar. Other solo material played throughout the evening included the fan favorite “Heavy Metal” “I Can’t Drive 55” and the emotion grabbing “Eagles Fly.”

Getting back to the setlist question, the band then performed 4 songs that hadn’t been played live in many years. These included a personal favorite in “Judgement Day” (2015), “Summer Nights (2006), 5150 (2010) and a first time performance by Sammy’s solo band in “Panama.”

Hagar then took a jab at David Lee Roth and introduced the “second best singer in Van Halen in bassist Michael Anthony. In West Palm, Anthony broke out his signature Jack Daniel’s bass and took center stage to sing “Ain’t Talkin About Love” with Hagar taking a break off stage. Funny thing is that in Tampa, Anthony used his “We Don’t Fuck Around” (WDFA) bass.

Anthony was amazing vocally during both performances with Jason Bonham and keyboardist and guitar player Rai Thistlethwayte assisting him with the harmonies.There is no doubt that without Anthony, Van Halen might not have achieved their legacy as one of the best American bands of all time.

Joe Satriani fans in attendance got a big surprise when Sammy got another short break when Joe busted out “Satch Boogie” from his ground breaking and highly influential introduction album in Surfing With The Alien. This album has always brought smiles to my face and is the reason I put Joe on my list of favorite guitar players.

After another deep cut in “Seventh Seal,” Sammy and the boys played “Right Now” which has always been very special to so many and showcased Rai on keyboards. They have played this in the Circle and with Sammy’s solo band but usually not with a key board player as they used tracks. As the song concluded, Sammy said that they were “keeping it alive” meaning Eddie and Van Halen’s legacy.

Throughout both performances, Hagar put on various clothes, banners and hats thrown on the stage by fans and then signed all of them. In West Palm he put on a Panthers jersey etc. In Tampa, a Derrick Brooks jersey and even a red “Sammy Hagar Makes Van Halen Great Again” hat.

I have never seen a performer do this before and if you have a seat near the stage, grab a hat and toss it up there to possibly get yourself a special piece of memorabilia.

After the aforementioned “Eagles Fly,” Sammy and Michael got the party officially started by breaking out the Santo tequila for the Wabos “Mas Tequila” song. Sammy’s guys passed the cups out to the fans to have them join in the party. Joe Satriani played a red and white EVH Frankenstein guitar during this and also during “Heavy Metal.”

They also performed ‘Space Sation #5 from Sammy’s time in Montrose then went into “Jump” from 1984 and finished off their set with “When It’s Love.”

“Thank You” lit up the video screen as the band took a bow and left the stage. It was perfect as Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You” played over the house system as a tribute to John and Jason Bonham as the crowd departed.

Before I close, let’s address the elephant in the room. Was this tour initially supposed to be a celebration of Van Halen and Eddie or more like a celebration of Sammy Hagar’s career? I guess It really all depends on what interview you read or heard and when it occurred. Judging by the past two shows I attended, it was both. Sammy said “It was a celebration of his career leaning really heavy on the VH” during “Best of Both Worlds.”

Sure, most of the people that prefer the Dave era over the Sammy era left a bit disappointed by them only playing 3 songs from that time period. I myself was a bit surprised at the set especially with the amount of Hagar’s solo material near the end but I loved hearing the VH deep tracks that I haven’t seen throughout Sammy’s solo career and with the Circle.

If the set list keeps you from seeing this tour then I believe that you are doing yourself a disservice if you are a fan of Van Halen. Satriani plays Eddie’s material flawlessly and doesn’t stray from the original material (that I was able to notice) and Jason Bonham crushes the drums and is perfect to play Alex’s drum parts.

But if the set list does keep you away, keep an eye on https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/sammy-hagar-23d6802b.html as they may change it up throughout the tour.

The band has said they have rehearsed many more VH songs and have them in the vault ready to go and once again are primed to be standing on “Top Of The World” once again at least for a little while.

1. “Good Enough”
2. “Poundcake”
3. “Runaround”
4. “There’s Only One Way to Rock”
5. “Judgement Day”
6. “Panama”
7. “5150”
8. “Summer Nights”
9. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” (Michael Anthony on lead vocals)
10. “Top of the World”
11. “Best of Both Worlds”
12. “Satch Boogie”
13. “The Seventh Seal”
14. “Right Now”
15. “Why Can’t This Be Love”
16. “Eagles Fly”
17. “Mas Tequila”
18. “Heavy Metal”
19. “I Can’t Drive 55”
20. “Space Station #5” / “Oh Yeah” / “Jump”
21. “When It’s Love”

July 16, 2024
Summer Nights in Tampa Bay With Van Halen
(Photo-Travis Failey)

Van Halen at the Mid Florida Credit Union Amp

Some concerts are concerts, some concerts are shows, and then some concerts are events. But Sunday’s performance by Van Halen at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, (“MFCUA”), in Tampa was a combination of all three, and I think that many in attendance that Sunday night, would agree.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

There was a buzz of excitement in the Tampa Bay area for the months leading up to this show, and with the addition of some discounted tickets available and a flurry of local advertising, the MFCUA was packed. It also helped that the month-long rain that pelted the area (and ruined many a concert) this summer had finally subsided. Another draw was that it was Van Halen with David Lee Roth. To say the relationship between the Van Halen brothers and David Lee Roth has been tumultuous throughout the years, would be an understatement, as the drama has been well documented. But, there would be questions about Roth’s pipes, as I have read more than one review from previous shows on this tour that included negative comments about his vocals.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

In any event, this was also a special night for me, as I would be seeing Van Halen with David Lee Roth for the first time. I had two prior opportunities to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth: the last one was on Van Halen’s A Different Kind Of Truth tour in 2012; and the one that kills me to this day, back in 1984. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 14 years old and Van Halen was on top of the rock world after releasing its sixth album, 1984. The singles “Jump,” “Panama,” “I’ll wait,” and “Hot For Teacher” were blearing from homes, boom boxes and car stereos throughout America. T-shirts with the 1984 album cover (you remember: the one with the baby smoking a cigarette) were worn by high school kids, at the mall, and if you owned a jean jacket, the Van Halen logo was embroidered on it.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

One night while I was doing laundry in the basement, my older sister, Laura, said that her friends had an extra ticket to the Van Halen show at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago and asked me if I wanted to go. I can vividly (and stupidly) remember telling Laura that I “had plans” and that I would catch them on their next tour. Boy was that a mistake! Little did I know that that would be Van Halen’s last tour with the original lineup as David Lee Roth would leave the band and release his solo project: the epic Eat ‘Em and Smile.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

David Lee Roth would not return to the stage with Van Halen for over two over decades (2007) and when he did, it would be without bassist Michael Anthony. The first time I saw a Van Halen show was in 1988, with Sammy Hagar. That summer, Van Halen headlined the Monsters of Rock Festival with the Scorpions and a hungry Metallica in support. Metallica was recording And Justice For All and in a few years would take over the metal world. That Monsters of Rock Festival was not only unforgettable because of the stellar lineup, but it also included infighting onstage between Don Dokken and George Lynch of Dokken, which lead to their inevitable breakup.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

As we fast forward thirty years to a beautiful Sunday night in Tampa, Van Halen took the stage and surprised their fans by opening with “Light up the Sky” from Van Halen II. This selection set the tone as the song list was extensive and filled with fan favorites and deep tracks. David Lee Roth crashed huge symbols then crashed himself a song later as he fell backwards onto the stage. He recovered like a champ with a huge smile on his face (you can see it on YouTube). “Light up the Sky” spawned a whole generation of new guitarists and bands that would later place their names on the rock-n- roll timeline.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Wolfgang Van Halen strummed the opening bass lines of “Running With The Devil” as the stage was em-blazed with red and white lights and Eddie Van Halen took center stage. It was during “Running With The Devil” that David Lee Roth started “talk-singing”. Roth would partially sing the lyrics but talk them also. I’m not sure why he does this because when he actually sings, he can pull off most of the old songs and during “She’s The Woman” and “China Town” from the recent A Different Kind Of Truth, Roth sounded great.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Roth was the quintessential front man that he is known for, and engaged the crowd as if they were on the stage with him. He told a story about meeting his idol James Brown, while sitting on a wooden chair and playing a harmonica and acoustic guitar. It was Dave’s stage. Next up was “Ice Cream Man.” Diamond Dave also took selfies with the people in the front row and conversed with individual fans in the crowd for extended periods of time. He unbuttoned his yellow puffy shirt to show the ladies his tattooed abs. It was a bit excessive, but so is David Lee Roth, but the hit packed set list and the spot-on performances by Eddie and Alex Van Halen made up for it.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Eddie Van Halen looks great and sounded even better especially during “Everybody Wants Some” and the Fair Warning classics “Dirty Movies” and “Unchained.” It looked like all was well on stage between the band-mates as they played off each other’s stage moves and were in synch choreographically.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

There was another question in regard to the harmonies with Wolfgang Van Halen taking over the duties as bassist and backup vocalist for Michael Anthony. Wolfgang’s bass playing abilities and keeping in rhythm with Alex Van Halen were spot on, and most of the harmonies throughout the set were perfect, but there were other times, specifically during “In A Simple Rhyme,” where I actually cringed a bit. The harmonic glitches were rare, but the smiles between the members of the Van Halen family were frequent, especially when the three of them shared the drum riser during “Running With The Devil.”

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Speaking of Alex Van Halen, he did a drum solo between the 1984 classic “I’ll Wait” and “Little Guitars” that had a Spanish rumba type sound. It was different that what you would expect in regard to a drum solo and I’ll take a different type of drum solo if a band throws it in there. Eddie performed his own solo after the 21^st song in the set, “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” It was an awesome solo where Eddie incorporated parts of “Little Guitars,” “Mean Streets,” and of course, “Eruption.” Clocking in at about 9 minutes, it was timed perfectly. Not too short, not too long.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Van Halen closed out their 25 song set-list with three of their biggest hits: “You Really Got Me,” “Panama,” and “Jump.” Van Halen didn’t play any of their material with Sammy Hagar and they didn’t need to. Van Halen’s body of work with David Lee Roth is extensive and they could of easily played another two hours, as many wished they had.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

September 13th’s Van Halen show in Tampa was The Concert event of the summer of 2015. It was a musical walk down memory lane, as the fans danced the night away with David Lee Roth and played air guitar with Eddie Van Halen. Was it a memorable show?Absolutely. Were questions answered with a couple glitches? Yes, but that’s Rock-n-Roll, and Van Halen is Rock-N-Roll.

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

(Photo-Travis Failey)

Set List :
(John Brim cover) (Preced by David Lee Roth solo… more )
(Spanish Fly, Little Guitars… more )
(The Kinks cover)
September 21, 2015