ION INDIE MAGAZINE September 2015, Volume 16 | Page 21

to have to write. The next 23 songs got me thinking though…did someone pull DLR aside, grab him by the shoulders, look him directly in the eyes and say what we’ve all been wanting to say for years? “We want more classic David Lee Roth and less class clown, less over the top, less douchey Dave!” If that conversation actually happened, I’d like to buy that person a beer, or six! I don’t think I was the only one in Bangor to take notice that DLR was back! Such a pleasant surprise indeed… After getting the green light to photograph VH again for their next show down in Mansfield, Massachusetts, I thought maybe that the last show was all a dream. I anticipated that the “douchiness”-- the class clown--would be back. Instead, what we all got was 26 songs of classic Van Halen with classic Dave. We got plenty of Eddie’s guitar and plenty of Reverend Al’s drums. There was no “over the top” antics and way less Vaudeville from DLR. The surprise of both nights for me though was just how excellent of a bassist young Wolfgang Van Halen has become…the kid’s got some major chops! But what would you expect from the offspring of the best guitarist ever. Eddie’s playing is as great as ever. He’s proving that he’s always at home on stage with a guitar strapped around him. The proud papa flashes that mischievous grin when he looks to his right and sees the next generation in Wolfgang Van Halen. He’s gone gray now and doesn’t fly around the stage like the old days. But he’s the same Eddie Van Halen that set the music world on fire with his fret tapping and techniques way back when, still playing like the king worthy of his crown. His jumps are gone along with the crazy clothes and these days he looks, dare I say--“normal”? Alex Van Halen is still at it--playing ridiculously huge drum kits with four bass drums, and doing it better than most. The Reverend thunders with the opening for Hot For Teacher, then features a Latin flavored drum solo, proving that his awesome talent is very underrated. Wolfgang Van Halen is the newest and the youngest member of Van Halen, although he’s really an old veteran of the music biz now, having toured with Mark Tremonti and two world tours with the family band. The music world needs to take notice if this kid’s talent--his playing is absolutely top notch. Older fans that can’t get over the absence of original bassist Michael Anthony just need to listen to this kid for one show--they’ll then realize that Wolfie has more than what it takes to play bass in the mighty Van Halen.