van halen concert review

New York City experimental-music group Animal Collective originated in Baltimore, Md., where founding members Avey Tare (David Portner) and Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) met in school. The group (which includes members Deakin and Geologist) has been described as a "noise rock" band, but really can't be categorized because there are so many complex layers of sound, from ambient folk to whacked-out psychotic rock. The group's upcoming show coincides with the September release of "Strawberry Jam," its first album for Domino Records. Guitarist Deakin described the new album as "chiseled" and "shiver-inducing" in an interview with Billboard magazine. Some of the songs have never been performed live. Animal Collective is touring with Eric Copeland and Wizard Prison, whose Scott Colburn has mixed and engineered albums for Animal Collective and Arcade Fire. Wizard Prison's multimedia shows include video and music enhanced by a make-believe prison.

Sept. 14, Neumo's.

Endfest 16

Seattle's 107.7 The End (KNDD) celebrates its "sweet 16" with a festival at Qwest Field's North Lot, a location that won't involve a brutal commute to an amphitheater in the sticks. In fact, the Qwest Field/ Pioneer Square location is sure to give the event a street fair vibe and will allow concertgoers easy access to local pubs and restaurants before they enter the site. Headliners are The Smashing Pumpkins, who recently released "That's the Way (My Love Is)," the second single from the current album, "ZEITGEIST" (Martha's Music/Reprise). The new single follows the success of "Tarantula," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's "Modern Rock Tracks" chart. The lineup includes Social Distortion, Bright Eyes, Satellite Party, The Used, Hot Hot Heat, Minus the Bear and other acts. Vendors, beer gardens and other amenities are available at the daylong festival on more than an acre of asphalt. Don't forget to wear sensible shoes.

Sept. 22, Qwest Field North Lot

The Donnas (with Donita Sparks & the Stellar Moment and American Bang)

The self-described "dorky preteen girls" who formed the Donnas in the early '90s in Palo Alto, Calif., are survivors in a music world that is challenging for all-female groups. The Donnas' current tour coincides with the late-September release of the brash, loud, anthemic "Bitchin' " on the band's own Purple Feather Records, formed after the group left Atlantic. Songs include "What Do I Have to Do" (about a relationship that just isn't working out well at all), "Girl Talk" (reminiscent of the band's earlier, teen angst-inspired music), and "Don't Wait Up for Me" (a thundering, hard-rock anthem).

Sept. 22, Chop Suey

The Arcade Fire (with LCD Soundsystem)

Last year, the Arcade Fire squirreled away in a tiny church in a small town near Montreal, Canada, to record its second album, "Neon Bible." It was a relatively quiet year compared to 2004, when the band (founded by husband and wife Win Butler and R�ine Chassagne in 2003) recorded its explosively popular debut CD, "Funeral," receiving rave reviews across North America. In 2005, the former indie rock band known for its anthemic songs played a Talking Heads song with David Byrne at one of their shows, and later opened for him at the Hollywood Bowl. The band also performed with David Bowie, in concert and on national TV, and with U2 (performing the song "Live Will Tear Us Apart (Again)." The whirlwind year included tours of Brazil, Japan and Sweden.

Sept. 24, Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington

Van Halen

What hardcore Van Halen fan could resist seeing David Lee Roth strut his stuff again as lead singer of one of the biggest arena-rock bands of the 1980s? When Roth left Van Halen 22 years ago, the band lost its manic magic, though Sammy Hagar served as a credible but far less flamboyant substitute. (Roth toured with Hagar in 2002 on the Heavyweights of Rock and Roll tour). Diamond Dave has had a wacky post-Van Halen career, recording as a solo act ("Just Like Paradise" was a high point), forming a Las Vegas lounge act, working as a New York City emergency medical technician and hosting a show for CBS Radio. His announced return to VH this summer was big news -- a second chance of epic proportions. The reunion tour could be one of the best arena shows of the fall -- or a monumental disaster. Even Roth warned last year that a VH reunion could be a "NASCAR-style wreck."



Photos of Van Halen in concert
Opening night of Van Halen's long-awaited reunion with David Lee Roth literally kicked off with several of Roth's highflying kicks at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Thursday, although Eddie Van Halen was the first to appear on stage with one of his own signature hurky-style jumps.

The last time Van Halen performed in Charlotte with Roth as its frontman, he had just turned 30, gas was $1.21 a gallon and tickets to the show at the old Charlotte Coliseum were $12.50.

Twenty-three years later, the band's original members are all over 50 and guitarist Eddie Van Halen's 16-year-old son Wolfgang has replaced original bassist Michael Anthony.

The show sold out in a matter of minutes in August, and the arena was packed when the band hit the stage around 8:30 p.m., following a short but sweet set of pop and reggae-tinged R&B by Kymani Marley.

Fans assumed after well-publicized fighting, ill will and a couple of false starts over the past 11 years that the group would never reunite. But earlier this year the Van Halen brothers announced that Roth would rejoin the fold. If the group can keep egos and tempers in check (sources say the three original members arrived on separate buses for rehearsals), the reunion could be the biggest tour of the decade.

Any animosity wasn't apparent on stage as Roth and Eddie Van Halen saddled up next to each other, smiling, during "Everybody Wants Some" and "Dance the Night Away." Roth and Wolfgang Van Halen even sang "Oh Pretty Woman" side by side.

The younger Van Halen proved to be a showy player and spot-on backing vocalist, although he didn't yet prowl the stage like a seasoned vet.

His post rehab father looked skinny, but cut, as did his brother. In fact, the original members all looked fit, though none ran around the stage like they did 25 years ago.

"You Really Got Me" started things off with the band sticking to the set list that was leaked on the internet last week. Highlights included "Beautiful Girls," "Unchained," and "Hot For Teacher." The group saved its biggest single and only #1 pop song, "Jump," for the encore.

Roth left the band in 1985, scoring several pop hits on his own. His former band outlasted his solo success, topping the mainstream rock charts 11 times without him.

But to many fans it just wasn't the same without the flamboyant, larger-than-life Roth jumping and posing out front like an uber-charismatic game show host. One fan compared him to Liberace strutting in his embroidered jackets and skintight leather striped pants.

What might be overlooked in favor of his over-the-top persona is his voice, which was in peak form Thursday. He easily met and held notes that younger singers like Jon Bon Jovi just can't reach anymore.

Of the three classic-rock bands reuniting this year, Genesis has attracted the least attention. While The Police and Van Halen sucked up the media ink, the British prog-rock act reformed and launched a European tour. A teaser concert in July, at the Live Earth event in London, stirred little excitement. Even the release of "Turn It On Again," a double-disc compilation named after the current tour, plus the first of three -- three! -- elaborate box sets from Rhino Records went virtually unnoticed.

And yet, the band's Tuesday concert at Madison Square Garden was a sell-out, filled with fans of varying ages and both genders who sang the words -- all the words -- to lesser-known works like the clattering "Land of Confusion" and the dour, multi-part "In the Cage." And whenever singer-drummer Phil Collins ventured to the side stages to get .closer to fans, they jumped to their feet and screamed as if he were Mick Jagger or Jay-Z.

How on earth did this happen?



Now that rock has moved away from the elaborate, often pompous prog of the late 1970s, it's difficult to remember how popular this stuff was. Along with Rush and Yes, Genesis (especially in its early incarnation with Peter Gabriel as singer) set the standard for serious rock art and advanced musicianship. It would be a while before punk, new-wave and even hair-metal put some of the fun and recklessness back into music.

But Genesis survived that sea-change thanks to Collins, who took over for Gabriel in 1975 and kept the band going almost through the grunge era (he left in 1991). He may be short, stocky and nobody's idea of glamorous, but he's also an uncommonly shrewd songwriter who knows how to update classic pop and soul with a rock sensibility. In other words, Collins can write a hit.

With original members Tony Banks on keyboards and Mike Rutherford on guitar, plus longtime sidemen Chester Thompson on drums and bassist Daryl Stuermer, Genesis again and again made the simple sound complex. The opening song "Turn It On Again" rode a pulsing, dance-worthy bass line. Underneath the sprawling saga of "Home by the Sea" and "Second Home by the Sea" lay some pretty pop melodies. And despite its brooding quality, "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" sounded less like a dirge than an R&B slow-jam ("we're gonna make it right").

The show had its slow moments. The 10-minute drum-jam with Collins and Thompson that followed "Domino" could have used a trim. And Collins, despite his gutsy voice, is no showman: Often he lapsed into an oddly casual pose, leaning back against a railing with legs crossed as if waiting for a bus. Still, he deserves credit for performing a whimsical, head-tapping tambourine dance while his younger, bearded self did the same on a giant video backdrop.

After the hits "Invisible Touch" and "I Can't Dance" came the final song, "The Carpet Crawlers," a sweeping, beautiful number that had the crowd swaying on its feet. Top that, Van Halen.

GENESIS. The prog veterans return. Seen Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Also played Wednesday night at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

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It's the season for big reunion tours. This year has seen Heaven and Hell (Sabbath with Dio), Genesis, and Van Halen. As a side note, does anyone want odds on how long Eddie and Dave can keep from having a meltdown? Anyways, next year will see the biggest reunion of them all � Led Zeppelin. With reunions in the air, and fans opening their wallets to see their favorites, the question becomes who is next? The big one in metal circles is the rumored Black Sabbath reunion, and not just any incarnation of the band, but the original damned four. Iommi, Butler, Ward, and Ozzy will go old school on the unsuspecting music masses in '08, and treat old and new generations to classic era Sabbath. Various comments have been made by the different members to the press, and the band, so the hype is on!

Add to these rumors the fact that the Dio era Sabbath lineup has enjoyed a successful reunion tour this year, one that kicked major ass if you didn't get to see it. Curiously, the tour's title was "Heaven and Hell" after the first Sabbath/Dio album because Iommi considers Sabbath with Ozzy still active (From the reunion gigs of the late 90's and early 00's). At this point, the question would seem academic. How could they not? The band is still considered active, and further, this year's tour with Dio shows it will draw. Ozzy is still a draw. The fans would love it. This is most certainly a win-win situation.

Or is it… As tempting as this rumor is, there are two questions: Will this actually happen? And is it a good idea?

What? You ask. How in the sacred name of Iommi can a Sabbath reunion possibly be a bad idea? Read on, and let's find out…


The Good…

It's Sabbath! What wouldn't be good about seeing the godfathers of metal live? In the name of the unholy, these are the guys who arguably created heavy metal (Serious nods can be given to Deep Purple's In Rock). Part rock, psychedelic, jazz, with plenty of blues influences, all wrapped around the three notes of the devil, the end affect nothing less than the birth of heavy metal. Just think about that. Sit back with your drink and contemplate that one Tony Iommi created the metal riff and with his three comrades launched a new music genre. And it hit the scene like an anvil hitting the ground, shaking the status quo and permanently denting the earth. Many bands came close, playing various degrees of metal, like Led Zeppelin and their blues come psychedelic 60's turned up to 10 (Not that there is anything wrong with that!); but Sabbath brought it all together. Who would not want to see the godfathers of metal crank out the classics? That's got win written all over it. Further, there is strong incentive for the members to work together:

Bill Ward has made it clear that he only prefers to do a Sabbath tour if Sabbath is the original line up, and will do it anytime if everyone is on board. The guy has got loads of loyalty to all three as a friend. While such sentiments are rare, it's wonderful to see in a musician in what can be an ugly industry. Ward has appeared on only a few Sabbath albums without Ozzy, and is on record saying he never felt comfortable with it. Part of the destructive demons with alcohol he has faced down, was him coming to terms with how unhappy those albums made him feel due to the band split. Not that you could tell, Heaven and Hell and especially Born Again contain monstrous performances on his part. But hey, he's honest with himself and us, the fans, so I respect it. The bottom line is, however, he's in if the other three are in.

Geezer Butler has no problems with doing solo work, or hooking up with Tony on other projects � Like this years Heaven and Hell tour. He's also played with solo Ozzy and solo Dio. He's probably the easiest guy in the mix when it comes to agreements and commitments. He even goes out of his way to help the others. He just wants to play! No problem at all for him to get in on this.

Tony Iommi carries the Sabbath namesake. Where he is, Sabbath is. That is why many Martin era stuff only features him as the original member. He is Sabbath. But the Sabbath line up issues, lead singer issues, and lackluster response to the non-Ozzy or Dio albums has not exactly been gold. Damn shame, there is some great music hiding in there. He could go in his own direction easily; someone will want to be in on an incarnation of Black Sabbath. But let's face it; Sabbath has only filled stadiums with three lead singers. One is Ian Gillian, and there is no way that will happen (Damn shame too). They just finished a tour with the second one, and while successful, Tony's relationship with Dio has been up and down over the years. I doubt they can coexist for too long without Dio returning to his solo work. That leaves the original singer, Ozzy. He is the singer with which the band recorded the most albums, has the known songs, and more importantly he's the original singer. Everyone associates Black Sabbath as the original lineup anyway. If Tony wants another successful Sabbath tour, he's not only going to want this, he needs it.

Ozzy Osbourne has stated in interviews that he will continue to tour as long as it's worth it for him to do so. If he stops filling arenas and has to move to small venues, then he would be done. Well, Sabbath with Dio filled arenas and generated some news along the way � Without the marketing hype machine. Hell, Ozzy can still fill arenas alone as a solo artist, so he's covered there. He has stayed on good terms with the guys, and the whole little thing about them firing him is ancient history. Actually, he's remarkably open and honest about those years now that he's cleaned up. The success is there to do it, so he will, if…



Wait for it.



You internet smart guys know where this going.



Look out, it's about to hit the fan…



Sharon Osbourne. She's not a member, has hooves and a forked tail (and not in the cool way) according to many metalheads, but she is an important peace of the puzzle. Ozzy leaves all the business matters to her. He's even stated that if the "Details can be worked out" he'll be there. If not, then he's happy doing his own thing. Those "Details" are the business side of the music industry, which Ozzy absolutely detests. He lets his manager/wife handle everything so he doesn't have to. So this isn't getting off the ground without her. And she isn't on board unless there is money to be made and promotion to be had. Whether you agree with it or not (and that is another column), those are the hard facts. The good news is, the Heaven and Hell tour proved there is money still to be made on the Sabbath name, and plenty of buzz to be generated. Where there is money and promotion, Sharon will be interested. Which means Ozzy will be there.

So in the end, the five essential people involved in any reunion tour all have strong incentives to do it.

The Bad…

Business, money, and lawyers oh my! Each band member has a manager in charge of negotiating the contracts and terms for these things, each with a lawyer to back them up; just to make sure each gets what they want. Butler and Ward have been pretty mellow about the whole thing, but Iommi carries the Sabbath name and will make sure he's not absorbed into the Oz-borg collective. And you know Sharon will deploy a battalion of lawyers to get every cent she can out of this, and further try to make this about marketing Ozzy or Ozzfest again. A Black Sabbath reunion tour will generate a lot of money and promotion, and everyone to varying degrees will either want more (Sharon), will want to keep things level (Iommi), to just want to get on with it and not be run over (Butler and Ward).

Further, the band members individually don't like lawyers or the business side of things. Two songs from their 6th album Sabotage are a result of one nasty legal battle the band had with its management and the ensuing lawsuit involved at the time. They don't like business complications and hate lawyers. Unless certain participants in the reunion are willing to compromise, and keep as many business snags as possible out of this, this will hit critical mass quickly - Legal fatigue will settle in and shut it down. The truth is none of the band members need this tour that bad. They can do their own things just as easily, so they have no reason to be subjected to it, let alone settle for something they don't want.

The Ugly…

Another big consideration is the music. Iommi, Ward, and Butler are all on record saying they want to either mix up their set list with a large variety of classics, or even better, write new material. The set list from the last couple of reunion gigs with Ozzfest has been reduced to the same "10 songs over and over again"; their quote, not mine. Ozzy's voice can't handle much of the older materials range, and on the last reunion run he lost it on a few songs. The fact is, the man's voice is going, which isn't a surprise to anyone who has seen him live. He's getting old, and it happens. This is probably why Ozzy sticks to a comfort zone of the same songs when on tours. Anyone who has seen solo Ozzy live can attest he keeps to the classics he's comfortable with, and only introduces maybe a token song or two from a new album when needed. Needless to say, the rest of the band is getting pretty sick of playing the same limited set over and over again. Ozzy may be in his comfort zone, but they're getting bored. So if Ozzy will not, or cannot do the older material, then the next idea would be to put out an actual new album with material that he would be comfortable with. The band likes the idea, and the fans would love for the original Sabbath to put out a new album. It would be the first new full album in almost 30 years!

But this also has problems: One is actually getting all four to work together for a significant period of time. They already tried several years ago during the Ozzfest dates and it failed. They couldn't keep everyone at the table long enough to generate any momentum. These are not the same men that started playing together 40 years ago. The second issue is the whole mess with the business end of the industry again. You think a tour will cause business interests to flair up with financial and legal rights; well just wait to an actual album is recorded. You have sales, controlling interest of the songs, merchandising, and promotion. And not for the limited duration of one tour, but for years as the album collects residuals. There will be so many lawyers involved a mosh pit would break out.

Actually, I'd pay to see that.


Encore

On one hand, there is every reason in the world why these guys should want to hit the road one more time. It is a win-win situation and will be gold on ticket sales. Not that money should be the point. It should be the music. But money is a consideration and for some will be more important than the music. Further, getting everyone together and on the same page is already difficult, let alone the legal wrangling over the whole thing. Add to this Ozzy's vocals with the original classics, and the situation becomes ugly. A new album is unlikely, and unless the band is willing to compromise, they are stuck with what Ozzy can sing.

So, back to the original question: Will this happen? Sadly, I think unlikely. I wish I was wrong, for I would love to see the original lineup. Heaven and Hell rocked my world this year, and the only thing that could beat it would be a reunion of the original doomsters. But I can't honestly see all of these opposing forces compromising enough to get it off the ground. Especially after Iommi and Butler just wrapped up a successful tour with Dio minus any drama. They will not deal with that kind of thing for long. They don't need to.

Next question: Should it happen? Here, I'm conflicted. On one hand, a limited set list and Ozzy's voice going the way of the planet caravan does not give me much hope. BUT, Ozzy is the consummate showman, is still fun live, and if he spreads out his tour dates and performances he can still go at it well enough. Enough for an old school metalhead to get one last chance to see the legends perform some of the greatest music ever burned onto a side of vinyl. And we would be well advised, for this maybe the last chance to see this institution. But we also need to go in with our eyes wide open to the reality of what it would be.