DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
Wow! The city of Hollywood shuts down for Van Halen
By Gerry Gittelson
Metal Sludge Editor at Large
HOLLYWOOD — Streets were closed in Hollywood on Monday, March 30 for a special outdoor performance by Van Halen, and as darkness set in, the ground-breaking Los Angeles rock band was greeted by a frenzied, overflow crowd that went absolutely crazy for the foursome’s 30-minute set filled with anthems like “Jamie’s Cryin’,” “Dance The Night Away” and “Runnin’ With the Devil.”
With television cameras catching the action for the Jimmy Kimmel show, singer David Lee Roth bloodied his nose on the opening “Panama,” but he was a trooper. With the band continuing to keep the beat in the background, Roth rushed to get bandaged up, then returned with all his usual swagger and charisma fully intact.
Sporting a series of full-body tattoos under an open jean jacket, Roth struggled a bit with some of the high notes, but the California native was definitely enjoying himself, and in the meantime guitarist Eddie Van Halen proved totally mesmerizing.
Dave and Eddie strike a familiar pose only this time it’s on Hollywood Blvd.
Van Halen live in Hollywood on the Jimmy Kimmel Show
3 outta 4 ain’t bad, and good for Wolfie too, he’s family so we gotta respect that
Speaking of Wolfie, enter stage right
Dave wipes away some blood from a broken nose, courtesy of his mic stand
Eddie is an absolute god, perhaps the greatest guitarist in rock history, and my what fun it was to watch his rapid hammer-ons and to enjoy all the sweet guitar tones and ultra-memorable hooks.
The band was really finding its groove on “Unchained,” and Eddie came through admirably on “Eruption” — the most famous guitar solo of all-time? — as drummer Alex Van Halen then began slamming away on the segway to “You Really Got Me.”
Eddie’s son Wolfgang plucked away on bass. The husky youngster just turned 24, and it’s been nine years since he first replaced Michael Anthony. Though a lot of loyal Van Halen fans miss Mr. Anthony, it’s clear Wolfgang has found his feet, and he seems to move around a bit more than he used to.
The only disappointment was how short the concert was, especially when you consider most of the fans waited for more than three hours in the hot sun. Plus, Van Halen left out “Jump,” perhaps the biggest hit of all, but nevertheless there were smiles all around.
Los Angeles is Van Halen’s home crib, as the group started off on the Sunset Strip with a series of successful performances at the Whisky, Gazzarri’s and the Starwood. This time, Hollywood Boulevard was closed down to make room for a massive outdoor stage, and Van Halen deliveried with a performances for the ages.
Gerry Gittelson can be reached at gspot@metalsludge.tv
Special Thanks to Margott Hinostroza for the live photos
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