Van
Halen |
| 06-23-04 |
| East
Rutherford, NJ |
Continental
Arena |
|
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1. You Really Got Me
2. Runaround
3. Humans Being
4. Up For Breakfast
5. Mike Solo
6. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
7. Poundcake
8. It's About Time
9. Alex Solo
10. Top Of The World
11. Unchained
12. Why Can't This Be Love?
13. Eagles Fly
14. Deeper Kind of Love
15. The Seventh Seal
16. Eddie Solo
17. Dreams
18. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
19. Right Now
Encore:
20. Jump
21. Panama
22. When It's Love
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THE
RETURN OF THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN!!
Submitted By: JonnyB in White Plains, NY
I'm not going to repeat too much of what a few others have already
said about the two nights in East Rutherford review-wise, but
I do have a few personal moments I'd like to share...and let's
see who remembers the action...
 Firstly,
seeing the boys again after all this time was a thrill...plain,
clean and simple! I was with my significant other, who had NEVER
before seen VH live, and since we've been together she's found
whole new levels of love for the band. We were both really stoked
for the show, and we had good reason: third row seats on Eddie's
side of the stage will get the fur up every time, you know?
Once we tolerated the opening act and the lights went out, the
adrenaline was free-flowing! Those first chords of YRGM pierced
the air, and the fans went ballistic! I always loved that first
moment when they hit the stage, the lights flare up, and there
they are--it's like they were back where they belonged, and
I was there to share it with them. Tracy (the S.O. by my side)
initially had to contend with a few jerkweeds and their "beer
bottle water pistols" which were drenching a lot of people
in our section, but once they were quickly ejected, the show
picked up in the enjoyment department for her.
We too, were armed...but with stuff for the band! I had written
a "thank you" note on the brim of my old F.U.C.K.
baseball cap from Tracy, and told her to throw it up to Sam.
She asked me to do it instead, and when I did, it actually slid
into the pit where one guy was decent enough to pass it back
up to Sam--who then put it on and wore it for a bit. THAT was
a thrill and a half for us both. Sammy read the note, which
was cool, and just threw it on. Always the gracious and happy
guy...
Only problem was he tossed it back into the pit, I guess where
he thought it came from, and it wound up in the hands of old
decrepit guy who we saw after the show, and he insisted it was
HIS cap. I hope he likes it when his friends start calling him
"Tracy"...he was by far the biggest a-hole at the
venue as far as I could see. The guy wouldn't even give us our
hat back...but it got BETTER than that:
I was wearing a white jersey with a red 51 on the front and
50 on the back and VAN HALEN across the top (if anyone reading
this remembers me...) that I made back in 1988 when I first
started seeing the band live. It is by far, one of my favorite
VH-related items, and to Tracy, it personifies "ME"
to her--so much so, that she has taken temporary custody of
it but "allowed" me to wear it for the show. Nice,
huh? By the time the show was winding into the encore, I was
so fired up; I wanted to have SOME kind of one-on-one with Sammy,
somehow. I decided I'd throw the jersey to him. LITERALLY give
him the shirt off my back. All that mattered was that he'd catch
the damn thing if I threw it up there. So, I took it off, held
it up to show him as he approached my line of fire, and threw
it. IT actually bounced off him and fell into the alley, where
a nice security guard handed it to Sam.
Sam looked it over, read the front and back, and I tell ya'--that
would have been just fine enough with me. I was willing to not
get it back as long as he saw MY jersey. Tracy, on the other
hand, was NOT that willing to lose it, and she later told me
that people would've gotten killed if it didn't get back to
me--or HER, as it winds up I guess...
Well, Sammy then proceeded to put on the jersey!! I was GASSED!!!
Talk about ON THE BEACH!! He had it over his head for a bit,
then the arms, then all the way--wearing MY f@&king Van
Halen jersey--my piece of history with the band, the shirt I
wore to EVERY show I've been to. I was all the way done, teens...game
over, send me out into traffic 'cuz that's the apex right there...
Tracy and I were screaming our asses off (and me with no voice
left still found a bit to throw out there!). I got up on my
chair to try and let Sam know where to throw it back to, since
it looked for a moment that he might just do one of those "throw
to anywhere" type things. But, as luck would have it, he
threw it back my way, and between the girl in front of me, Tracy
and myself, we all had hands on it, and it got back to me safe
and sound, high fives all around. AWESOME!! Absolutely makes
up for that dick who wouldn't give us our hat back. Tracy and
I were so totally lost in the moment of happiness, the next
day we didn't remember what damn song they were playing when
all this happened!!! DUH!! We later determined it was PANAMA
during the encore. THAT'S how crazy excited we were to have
that moment with Sammy. It was such a great time, and not just
for those two moments, but in general.
People have been panning these shows a lot thus far, and Sam
especially has been getting a lot of shit from reviewers. To
those people I'd simply say this: Van Halen is an ICONIC band...LEGENDS.
But they are PEOPLE just the same. They age, go through stages
(most notably Eddie) of better and/or worse health, and listen;
they haven't been playing together for 9 YEARS!! Give them a
break! They were having FUN, they were making the music we've
grown up loving, and they were getting the love back from the
fans that never left them. You know, it might not be as tight
as "Live Without a Net" or "RHRN", but it
SURE as hell wasn't a BAD show. In fact, all things being what
they are, it was a DAMN good show. Time goes by for everyone,
and it shouldn't matter if a song isn't perfect...that they
are out there for US playing it SHOULD. Ed, Al, Mikey and Sam
have put the waters under the bridge for the FANS...it was "about
time" they did it, and as far as I'm concerned, it's ALL
GOOD! I hope they're back for a long time comin', can't wait
for the new BOBW CD, and...the next studio CD and world tour?
Hey, call me greedy, but like the shirt says: VAN HALEN KICKS
ASS!!! I'm attaching a picture that, upon risk of ejection,
was in a series of rapid-fire snaps from a throw-away camera.
It's not the greatest I might have wanted it to be, but hell--it's
ok...it was an unforgettable night for me because I saw my favorite
band on the planet after being away for so long, with my favorite
girl on the planet, who I love more than anything or anyone,
and now it's high time that everyone on the Internet knows it,
too...I truly had the Best of Both Worlds that night. Sammy,
Edward, Alex, Mikey...and especially Tracy: THANKS for being
there. I love ya'!!
p.s.: if ANYONE has a boot audio or especially video of that
6/23 show, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE email me at Jonnynashman@aol.com
and work something out with me...IF there's video out there
of Sammy with my jersey, I MUST have it right here...right NOW!
A quick shout out also to the man with the cluster...you know
who you are, and the shower is ready! <---Hey Babydoll, THAT'S
love, pure, honest and true!!
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| Show
was great. Opened with YRGM. Did Jump as encore. Played Seventh
Seal. Wolfie came out and played again. Ed was better tonight
than last night where he noodled too much. He stuck with the
real riffs more tonight. I noticed Sam's wife by the soundboard
with an elderly woman (Sam's mom ?) The old lady was in a special
chair by the board and was wearing a Youth is king T- shirt.
Meadowlands was only 1/2 full tonight - last night it was packed.
I think Ed thanked 2 doctors for saving his life, but then proceeded
to chain smoke the rest of the night. Sam made a comment about
them all "we" having a few cocktails before the show.
Ed said "You" had a few cocktails - it must have bothered
ed cause a little while later Sam retracted what he said and
said he meant him and Mike. I think some of the banners that
people have on poster board are fake like they do on the Today
show - I just get that feeling...glad to see Ed using the OB-8
for the left hand part of WCTBL. Much better than the cheesy
sound he had been using. it now sounds like the original 5150
version...
John
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| I
ended up with Front Row, thanks to my good friend Lou! Thanks
Lou! Was on Eddies side about 10 seats from center. Sammy was
obviously having a great time tonight...was dancing all over
the place, shaking his thing, said he started celebrating and
drinking early, you could tell he had a good buzz going!! Sammy
was more the solo Sammy tonight in my opinion. Sam was even
smoking pot on stage tonight...you go Sam! Someone in the Golden
Ring handed it up to im...Sammy was laying on his belly, reaching
down into the circle, he gave it a good toke and rolled over
on his back ..then he got up stumbling around like it was good
shit. He also spoke about going out today and eating at some
little Italian place drinking wine. As far as songs, they did
Seventh Seal tonight!!!! Changed up the setlist ever so slightly
by doing Jump as one of the encores, no Deeper Kind of Love.
Wolfie played again the same routine. Eddie was smoking more
on stage and even did his cigarette flip trick during his solo
which was better tonight than I've seen although the crowd was
not into it as much. Sammy said more than once that it was ON
THE BEACH... and it really was!! All of them tonight were really
cutting up on stage, taking more time between songs, and just
in general kicking ass! Sammy held up my tshirt that read "Are
we having any fun yet?" and then signed my shirt! Anna
got her Tahoe shirt signed, plus we both got a hand slap and
a two fingered kiss from the MAN! Life is good!!! Got some great
shots too thanks to the cool security guy that happened to be
a fan and conveniently looked the other way!!! I tried uploading
the pics but was having issues...probably one too many Waboritas
which by the way were selling at the venue for $7.00...someone
said " I didn't know they sold blue beer!" Obviously
not a Sammy fan! Anyway, will try to post my pictures tomorrow
after I get some rest..... Next up, DC! |
| "Bulletpoints
and tunes played: Upper arena teir very empty, eds hair is down,
OPENED with YRGM, runaround, humans being, breakfast, mike solo,
get me a doc, poundcake, sam held up a NJ licence plate saying
PNDCAKE, IAT, al solo, top of world, unchained, WCTBL, sam solo
with eagles fly only, sam took a toke of a fatty and he got
a nice high, sam says chris rock was in audience but I think
he was joking, ed threw a Who the fuck is evh shirt over his
mic stand, finally saw SEVENTH SEAL played!!!, BOBW, ed solo,
thanked doctor steve for saving his life before going into solo,
stopped in middle and asked what the fuck to do next then finished
with eruption climax, 316 with wolfie again, dreams, mike with
pre VH1 logo shirt on, ATBL, right now, ENCORES: jump, mike
and sam doing eddie jumps, panama, when its love, ed and sam
wearing NJ Devils shirts... No LTS tonite." |
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