Van Halen
Sandstone Amphitheater
Bonner Springs, KS
July 18, 1998

Photos by Glenn Diener ©1998 - musicpix@optonline.net
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Set List - Click here!

Review by Glenn Diener - eventphoto@msn.com

Being the 20th Anniv. of Van Halen's debut album it couldn't have been more fitting for all of it's fans to hear the vintage rock. I returned to my hometown to celebrate. I wasn't disappointed!! Van Halen hit the stage in the extreme Kansas City heat and SMOKED!! But didn't play "On Fire"!

Gary truly blends in so put aside all of your Dave/Sammy rhetoric. The younger generation seems to be hung up on Sammy, get over it! Go listen to VH2. I too liked Sam but not playing the older material was a knife in my heart. This is what the band should be!! Why wouldn’t he play old VH but play Montrose and HIS solo material ? Panama and Jump don’t count. Great songs but not vintage.

Unfortunately the MTV Sydney show couldn’t translate the intensity of actually being there. The intensity of this band must be caught LIVE! From my first VH 8 Track back in ’78 to this current tour I have rocked with Van Halen. The band was as tight as ever and Michael Anthony singing lead on "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" was truly a gift!

Van Halen, Thank You for 20 years of Rock & Roll!!

Just got back from the Bonner Springs/Kansas City show. Very energetic set from Van Halen despite the heat. High points of the show included Romeo Delight, Right Now, an acoustic Josephina and of course the show encores Panama and Jump. Still not fully sure of Gary, but in the absence of Sammy I guess it will have to do.

I did get close enough to shake Gary's hand, but Eddie was tied down by his guitar cord. All in all a great show, much better than I expected after the disappointing "3" album. I will continue to hold out hope for Sammy's return, but until then Gary will have to do. Definitely worth the price of admission, and in my case a trip down from Minneapolis.

WOW.....What a show. Just got home from one hell of a concert!! I had the honor of sitting front row/center with this band, I can't believe what I just saw!!! The Boys ARE back and rock like never before.

I remember an interview in Entertainment Weekly or US magazine, during the "switch-a-roo" period, that has Sammy saying, "if they think Van Halen will be better with Dave or Gary, I'll blow both of them!!" WELL SAMMY, PUCKER UP....... This band is great....From Unchained to Jump, they kicked ass. The energy on that stage could never be matched by Dave or Sammy.

Another point to make, which I have not seen anyone else state in the previous reviews, is that this band pretty much goes non stop, start to finish. Sam and Dave would B.S. for 15-20 minutes on stage. That adds up to 3 more tunes to enjoy!!

Once again, Van Halen did not let me down. They never have in twenty years!!!! Gary, Mike, Eddie, and Alex............THANK YOU!

All I can say is "WOW!" From the opening chords of Unchained to the final note of Jump, you could totally feel the energy coming off the stage.

This was my first Van Halen show and I know it won't be my last! Eddie and Alex had such a great night and they didn't miss a beat. Alex's solo was one of the most amazing pieces of drum work I have ever seen! And Eddie's solo.....amazing! From 316 to Cathedral to Eruption to the normal solo from a Year To The Day, it seemed that there would be no stopping him. Half of the time I could swear that he had his eyes closed!

And then there is Gary Cherone. This man is by far one of the best lead singers. He's got all the lyrics correct, he's got the energy of a 6 year old on Jolt and Hershey's, and he never even once thinks about moving into Eddie's spotlight.

Van Halen 3 is the best! Eddie, Gary, Mike, and Alex put on the greatest show and you'd be crazy not to see it! Van Halen is the 'ONE I WANT!'

I would like to say that all you Dave fans and all the Sammy fans need to come together and see this show--Gary kicks ass all the way!!

The last show in this area was the Balance tour and we were hearing the same old songs, so Kansas City was ready for a good show from the boys!! The set change from Kenny Wayne Shepard lasted about 15 minutes, and then the we were ready to go.

Starting off with Unchained, Ed brought the almost sellout crowd to it's feet. Everyone could tell this man was happy to be playing his music, his smiles and stage presence told us fans that the real Ed was here to play his music.

Other classic VH tunes that were played included Mean Street and Somebody Get Me A Doctor, which was sung by my favorite bassist--Michael Anthony. He played and sung with a smile on his face that would make any Van Halen fan wanna come back for more!! The drum solo was awesome from Alex, who was minus the air cast on his right arm, but he still had the neck brace on. He played hard and never missed a beat.

Ed's solo came in the middle of Year To The Day, he mixed in everything from Cathedral to Eruption, and I must say his tobacco sunburst wolfgang looked great under those lights.

This show had everything packed into it - energy, lights, and most of all, a band playing together at 110%. I highly recommend catching this show, you won't regret it at all.

I have been fortunate to have seen all three incarnations of Van Halen in concert. There is no doubt that this current line up puts on the best live performance of all three. From the opening song, Unchained, to the final encore, Jump, Gary Cherone was electric. His energy was intoxicating. He was a showman in the purest sense. This despite, what I would describe, as a lack luster audience.

The venue is an outdoor theater with fixed seats and lawn seating. Only about two-thirds of the fixed seats where full and there appeared to be plenty of lawn seats available at the start of the show. It wasn't until the final two encores, Panama followed by Jump, that the audience really seemed into it.

However, from the outset the entire band appeared ready to go. Alex was in top form, minus the wrist splint, but continuing to wear the cervical collar. Michael did a superb job on Somebody Get Me A Doctor, showing excellent vocal range. Perhaps the most surprising thing was how excited and even happy Eddie seemed. He once again dazzled the crowd with his axe-man wizardry, but more than that, he was jumping around, playing to the crowd and genuinely enjoying himself.

To top off the evening, the band autographed a CD cover sleeve from their limited edition VH3 CD for me. How I got that one is a secret. Overall, great show and I would love to seem them again.

Awesome. This was hands down the best concert I have ever seen, including the Balance tour with Sammy. It could have been because my seats were awesome. It could have been because the strange girl seated beside me was awesome. But I really think it was because what was going on onstage was awesome.

I must begin by saying that Gary fits into this band very, very, well. I admit I am an Extreme fan from way back ('89), so I might just be biased, but over all he did do a fabulous job. His onstage presence is simply phenomenal.

Eddie proved once again that he is simply the master of his instrument. There were simply no flaws to be found. He played with enthusiasm I had only seen on videotapes of early '80's shows. He really did look and play like he was 20 again.

Highlights:

• The big shit-eating grin on Alex's face
• Unchained
• Eddie's shit-eating grin etc.

All of the guys really looked to be having a blast, as was the crowd. The only bummer was one I was prepared for, that was not hearing "Hot for Teacher." I am one of the few who heard Gary Cherone sing it, as a cover at the last Extreme show ever in St. Louis. Anyone present will remember that moment. Anyway, if the guys are reading this, I would love to hear Gary sing it "officially" sometime.

If you don't already have tickets to see this show in your town, I cannot stress how much you are missing if you don't see it.

My first Van Halen concert, and it totaly blew me away. From the opening number Unchained...and all the way to the second encore's Jump, it was just truely fantastic.

I could not believe the chemistry between Gary and the rest of the boys. It was like they've always been together. They were having as much fun on stage as we were watching them. By far it was the best concert that I've ever been to, and if you get a chance to see this show, I very much recommend it. Truely fantastic show.

To quote a former lead vocalist for the band...."what is understood doesn't need to be discussed." I walked away from last night's show hoarse, exhausted, and deaf! This was an in your face rock and roll show.

Having seen Van Halen several times before it is obvious that to describe the vibes on stage is impossible. There was a connection there I haven't seen before. The old shows seemed almost canned. Last night was live rock. It was Van Halen with 15,000 friends out in somebody's back yard. I heard a lot of SAMMY chants before the show kicked in. That all ended by the end of the first verse of "Unchained."

As we left the venue, the crowd was so quiet. I've never heard a crowd so quiet. I think everyone who was there was in some sort of shock. They had there butts kicked by one of the great bands. The four guys on stage had the crowd by the nads! They looked like they really wanted to be there. I've seen Gary with his old band, and he worked off of their energy.

Last night he acted like he was Gary Van Halen. He didn't look like a guy who had the weight of the rock soap opera on his shoulders. He looked like he belongs there. Those of you who still argue of Sam and Dave.... Look. It's never gonna happen. To quote Cherone last night. "Hey Ed, I think they (the crowd) want my new job. Well, F@%k you! I'm the new singer for this F%@king band!" Face it folks. Van Halen is still Van Halen. Hagar is Hagar. Roth is Roth. Roth + Hagar + Van Halen = 20 great years of music. THE PAST!

Deal with it. Go check out the show for yourselves. It is VAN HALEN you want to see isn't it? Van Halen was Van Halen before Sam replaced Dave. They were Van Halen after Dave left. They still are Van Halen. AND......they still can blow the roof off a Venue!

PS- check out roth's new disc. It really is pretty good!

I didn't know what to expect. I am a old school/DLR era VH fan, and after seeing Gary prance around on the MTV concert, I thought it was over. Fortunately, my opinion changed after seeing the band in a full concert! The band played a very entertaining two hour set which had songs from all the different eras.

I particulary enjoyed the old stuff like "Unchained", and "Mean Street", with the highlight being Michael Anthony singing "Someone Get Me A Doctor". The Sammy Hagar era songs were great as well, with "Dreams" making my wife's evening. I also enjoyed a few of the new songs, particulary "Without You", which sounds great live. Eddie is still Eddie, the best guitar player ever, and Gary seems to be much more at home.

If anybody is waivering on going to a VH show in their area, I would give a strong recommendation to go! They really find a way to please everyone!

Just wanted to let you know about the truly incredible show I saw last night. David Lee "I wish I hadn't walked out of the best gig of my life" Roth era Van Halen may be "classic", but VH 3 is a reinvigorated, refreshed, and highly energized live show. At least that's what I, and the packed house at Sandstone saw. Let me make that clear, the place was PACKED.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd was OK, the audience was obviously there for something else, and we got it. After a quick set change, and I mean quick, about 15 minutes, no waiting for a half hour looking at a totally prepared stage wondering where the heck the band is, VH 3 bounds on stage.

What followed was a solid two-hour journey into every era of the band, with a vocalist that not only can sing it all, but sang with a kind of energy and enthusiasm that infected the entire crowd. What I saw was a group of four guys who were all giving every ounce of energy to the show, and that crowd, especially Mr. Gary Chreone. This show was the best I've ever seen this band produce. Cherone is a wild man, all over the stage, climbing to the rafters, jumping over the stacks, plus, he can sing.

This is now my favorite incarnation of this band, seeing them live is believing. I liked the album, but didn't think it was the best they'd ever produced. Now, a re-evaluation on my part is in order. Watching those songs performed live was seeing, and hearing them in a whole new light.