A real miracle on 55th street

Bradley Haering, Assistant Tempo Editor

Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: Tempo

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Media Credit: Andrew Mantilla / Staff Photographer

After over two decades of separation, David Lee Roth reunites with Van Halen for a national tour, tight pants and all.

Anyone worried that Van Halen had lost its edge or personality since the band first started in the late 70s should've attended Sunday's show at Cox Arena.

David Lee Roth is still the guy who wore ass-less chaps on stage. He's still the guy that would hit on your mother. He's still the guy that would shout "Take off that fat dress and get on the mattress" in the middle of a song.

If you know good music, especially amazing guitarists, then you know the story of Van Halen; if you don't, Google it, because this review doesn't need to be cluttered with a long historical explanation. Just know that Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth's egos shadow Cox Arena, and to see them performing on stage together again could be considered a miracle.

Sunday's show was a miracle in itself. Two hours of pure energy and jaw-dropping musicianship took place right on our campus.

One of Bob Marley's many offspring, Ky-Mani, opened the show. This was the definite low-point of the night. Ky-Mani is a typical Reggae artist playing typical Reggae music. He had one good song - "The March." The rest, recycled trash. After he finally got off the stage, it was time for what everyone was there to see.

Cox Arena is not the best place to see a concert, especially if there aren't many people there. The sound bounces off the back wall and creates an irritating reverb that can kill even the best concert. Luckily, Van Halen performed to a near full house, and the venue's acoustic deficiencies wouldn't interfere this show.

At 8:30 p.m., Eddie, Alex, David and new bassist, Eddie's son, Wolfgang, took the stage. Starting it off right with a short taste of the guitar solo that put Eddie on the map, "Eruption," that flowed into "You Really Got Me" easily let everyone know the band still has it.

The set ran the catalog of Van Halen's Roth days - playing standard hits such as "Running with the Devil" and "Hot for Teacher," as well as some of the less obvious tracks "Romeo Delight" and "Mean Street," among others. Everything a fan of the Roth era would want to hear was played to near perfection.

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