Van Halen
Starlake Amphitheater
Pittsburgh, PA
July 24, 1998

Set List - Click here!

Review by John Kuczler - jkuczler@aol.com

I just got home from the Van Halen concert tonight. They kicked ass. From the first licks of Unchained to the last beats of Jump, it was really good.

Gary Cherone did a great job of singing the older songs. I have seen Van Halen 4 times before, but I never have heard such songs as Dance The Night Away, Romeo Delight and Feel Your Love Tonight done live. Eddie was great as usual and I love Alex's drum solo. Michael Anthony was a natural singing Somebody Get Me A Doctor.

I think that everybody left the show very impressed. The beat goes on for Van Halen as strong as ever.

We just got back from the show at Starlake in Pittsburgh and I have to say that we had an extremely good time. From the opening riff of Unchained to the closing notes of Jump, the band went all out to entertain the crowd and make it worth the buck.

As always, the music was incredibly strong. At first we were a bit concerned because Alex looked like he went a few rounds, but dang did he ever deliver. His solo was fantastic and his playing during the songs was inspiring.

Mike was solid as usual and did a great job on Somebody Get Me A Doctor. Mike also looked like he was having a great time on stage constantly interacting with the crowd.

Ed . . . well, what needs to be said. He was as awesome as usual. He looked renewed, playing the classics as if they were as fresh as the new material.

So what is Gary's middle name like energy or what? That guy was everywhere. It was apparent that some in the crowd were a bit hesitant but in the end admitted that they were "pleasantly surprised."

All in all it was a great show. The crowd really was into the material especially enjoying the Dance the Night Away/Feel Your Love combo. Great job guys!!

By far, this is the best concert I've ever attended. To all the Gary "dissers" don't knock it until you've tried it. I was there. I saw it, I lived it, and I loved it! This guy is the man, and EDDIE is sounding better than ever. You can really tell that he is enjoying himself out there.

Highlights of the concert were:

• Year to the Day sounded terrific live
• Mike taking over the vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor
• Eddie's solo was incredible (as always)
I really liked the unplugged set of Josephina.

Overall, it was great to hear a variety of new, old, and really old tunes. That is always one thing that was missing with Sammy. As if I ever doubted it, I now know that Van Halen is heading in the right direction. Happy Birthday Gary, Pittsburgh loves you! Hope to see you again soon!

I could die tonight and die a happy man because I just saw the greatest rock band that ever walked the face of our planet...VAN HALEN! It was a beautiful summer night in Pittsburgh and VH just came & kicked all our asses!!! Star Lake Amphitheatre was packed and the guys looked like they were having as much fun as we were.

First off, I must say the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band smoked! I know most opening bands are just a warm-up for the main act, but this guy had the place pumped. He looked like a long-lost Hanson brother, but he wails on the guitar like a mini-Eddie! Go brother!

After a quick run to the refreshment stand & poddy, it was time for pure energy. The lights went down and a dude in blue shorts & white T-shirt walked onstage and the crowd started going ballistic....it was the king of 10 fingers & 6 strings! Sure enough, Ed launched into "Unchained" and there would be no turning back...this party was in full swing now, baby!

From there, VH cranked "Without You" and "One I Want." They sound great live...much better in concert. I must admit I don't like "III" too much, but I wanted to see Gary in concert before making final judgment. Well, all I can say is that CD plastic doesn't do it justice...you have to see this band live to appreciate the power of the music.

Of course, this tour is a special treat for all the old-school fans because they pulled out some real classics I thought I'd never see live. Gary did a great job on "Romeo Delight." There was a cool medley of "Dance The Night Away" & "Feel Your Love Tonight", although I was disappointed they didnt finish the ending to "Dance..."

Alex's drum solo was thunderous! It was like solos of years past, but he added a cool, quick-tempo Latin rhythm at the end that just blew me away! It was by far the best solo of the night. Big Al looked sort of aged with the neck brace, but he still had that big ole childish grin he always had! Eddie's solo was in the middle of "Year to the Day." To be honest, it didn't set the place on fire. It was still phenomenal, but I think Ed has to come up with some new licks for his solo....the same one for the last 12 yrs. is getting a little old. Also, "Humans Being" was kind of messed-up since Gary's mic was getting a lot of feedback and Eddie's guitar was goin' wacko. In fact, he looked pretty pissed at the end of the song, chewin' out his guitar techs at the edge of the stage.

There was no bass solo for Mikey but he more than made up for it by singing lead vocals in "Somebody Get Me A Doctor." Dear God, this man can hit some high notes! I don't know why he hasn't sung lead on past records or in concert, but I hope he does more pipes in the future...we loved it! Gary just looked at him in awe, and Mike took a big gulp of Jack Daniels to refresh his vocal cords....what a bass player!

Overall, this concert was incredible. I still don't know what to expect out of Gary Cherone and how long he will last. I mean, Eddie says he doesn't want VH to be a nostalgia act but all the biggest crowd reactions tonight were for Dave & Sammy songs. Gary handles all the material well, but I think they need to go back to that tried & true VH formula on the next record. If they do, then Van Halen will be at the top of the world for another 20 yrs. Well, that is enough pontificating about the future. Right now, VH is kickin ass in America....GO SEE THEM AND GET BLOWN AWAY!!!!!!!

Where to start...Good Grief. I can't believe what i just saw. First off, Kenny Wayne was amazing. His band is very tight. And the bassist is cool. Van Halen was outstanding. They were even tighter. Unfortunately I knew what was going to happen cuz I read all of these stinking reviews.

I couldn't get close enough to touch and VH member or anything of the sort due to a guy in a yellow shirt. But Gary and Eddie and Mikey and Alex still made me feel like I was on stage with them. They pulled it all off: the old old, the old and the new. Even Year To The Day was flawless and that had to be hard. That is some crazy 6 8 time going on there. Anyhow, Van Halen, you're the greatest. Humans Being? Hello? Amazing...

Here We Go, First Off Let Me Say This! I'm A Die Hard Sammy Hagar Fan Way Back In The Montrose Days! This Is My First Van Halen Concert!, And WOW!!!!!!!!. It's All True! I've Read The Reviews Over The Past Month At This Web-Site And Yes It's true! This Band Is Still Number 1. It Could Have Been Any Lead Up Their And I Still Think Would Have Rocked! The Play List Stayed The Same, But, It Still Came Through With A Bullet.

The Drum Solo By Alex Was Out-of-This-World! My Heart Is Still Pounding! The Light Show During This Time Was Timed with Every Beat. Alexs' Arm Is Healed That For Sure. His Hands Were Going 100 Miles An Hour. Drummers Usually Don't Get too Much Of Attention...Without Alex This Band Would Definitely Be Missing Something.

Michael Was Great, Sammys Former Drinking Buddy Looked Really Awesome, No Bass Solo But, Of Coarse We Were Treated To Lead Vocals By Mike On "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" And The End Of The End Of The Show Was Great, When He Gave The Old Van Halen Sign, (Thumbs And Forefingers Together Touching, With The Pinkies up!), No Jack Daniels Bass Though, All In All He Acted The Same Ol Mike!

Cherone, I Guess Thats The Proper Spelling, First Off He Passes, he Handled The Tunes Good And Sounded Ok! I Never really Seen Him Try To Emulate Sammy Or Dave, even Though On "Ain't Talking Bout Love" he Did Sound Alot Like David Lee Roth. He Needs To Lose The Black Suit Though, Does Not Fit Van Halen, Maybe It Did With The Exremes. He Does Move Around The Stage Quite Often, Like The Whole Show. It Seemed He Did Not really Know What he Wanted To Do.

And Last, But Never Least, The Greatest Guitar Player Alive, Eddie Van Halen. Man What Can I Say 20 Years I Have Waited To See Van Halen, And Man Eddie Was All That And A Bag Of Chips! Why, I Even Bet Kenny Wayne Shepard (openers For Van Halen) Was Backstage Shaking From Eddies Guitar Licks, His Solo Brought The Crowd In Burgestown To The Top Of The World, Form When The Opening Lick Of Unchained When This Capacity Crowd First Stood Up( And Never Sat Down Again) To The Finale Josephina, Panama, And Jump, His Guitar talked, Sang And Soared Out Notes That Could Be Heard In Downtown Pittsburgh!

Final Notes On This Concert Are: DO NOT MISS THIS CONCERT! Eddies Solo Is Worth The Price Of Admission Alone! It Was An All A Round Great Show, I Would Definetly Do It Again!

This concert was totally awesome--even though Gary didn't have any steps to roll down while singing "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", like he did at Sydney. Halen played for two jam-packed hours:Dave stuff, Sammy stuff, and Gary stuff--incredible performances by all of them.

My fiancee and I were relieved to see that Eddie wasn't wearing those backwards-looking courderoy pants he wore during every interview and Van Halen "special" we've seen. Gary was wearing his black satin bell-bottomed suit and--GARY'S HAIR IS BLONDE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael can hit those high notes (singing) like no one else can!

And Alex? What can I say - I love drums, Alex loves drums, Alex plays drums, I played drums in a USAF Drum-n-Bugle Corps, therefore, I love Alex!!! (And Eddie, and Mike, and Gary and yes--Sammy!) We had a really great time!!

Absolutely incredible. That's the best way to describe what I just witnessed. Van Halen is as strong as it has ever been, and from what I see, is just getting stronger.

From the opening chords of Unchained, the band showed that there was no holding back. They were all tight on every song, never missing a beat or a note. Gary Cherone is a fine vocalist, and handled all of the older songs as well, if not better, than his predecessors. His energy was very evident, and transferred throughout the crowd.

By now, it's no secret that Mike takes the lead vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor, but just as a confirmation, he did a great job at this show. I was surprised at how well he took the lead, and how well he sounded doing it! As expected, the bass lines were solid throughout the show.

Alex blistered with his drum solo, easily the finest I've ever heard. He included parts of the Pleasure Dome solo from the Live: Right Here, Right Now tour, and even surprised me with a personal favorite, including a good bit of Hot For Teacher.

Eddie smoked the guitar throughout the show. The man is probably the best rock guitarist ever. His solo was very decent, including Eruption, Cathedral, and much of 316. He hit the spot with every note in every song, whether it was a speedy solo or a power chord. Incredible.

As a whole, the band looked like they were having a good time. Certainly the audience was! High points in the show for me were: Mean Street, Doctor, Fire In The Hole, and Panama. The mighty Van Halen has once again silenced the skeptics with the most powerful live performance out there. It's the best show there is, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

I just got back from the Coca-Cola Starlake Ampitheater. This show was INCREDIBLE!!! I also saw VH in Philadelphia a couple months back and this show made that show seem like your everyday average concert.

This crowd was ready for Van Halen! Everyone in the whole place was standing the whole time. From the moment Eddie walked on stage with his Dave-Era black and red striped shoes to when Mikey walked back out after "Jump" for one last Van Halen gesture, this show had me SCREAMING for more!

Gary, and I think most everyone at the show would agree, filled his "shoes" nicely. He made the transition from Dave songs to Sammy tunes to his own perfectly, and he sang them like he's been with the band since the beginning.

Although Edward had a few technical problems with his gear tonight, he still wailed on his Wolfgang like the legend he is. Not a missed note! Al, as usual, was great. His drum solo was spectacular as I expected.

I heard some people say "I wish Mikey still did his Bass solo". I disagree. Don't get me wrong, Mikey's bass solo is great, but his new solo (as far as I'm concerned), "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", where he appears on bass and lead vocals, just proves that Mikey can do more than play bass and drink.

I now know why Eddie said that Gary is his musical soulmate, go see the show and you'll know what I'm talking about. * On a side note, my favorite song, "Dreams" was not played in Philly or Pittsburgh. Guys, if you read this, I'll be at the Atlantic City show. I'd love to hear "Dreams".

Awesome, awesome! They did it again! We saw them in Chicago in May and were blown away. They are still giving 150% in their shows.

There are 3 11 yr. old boys from Pittsburgh who will never in their lives forget standing on the seats in the third row and seeing their heros perform. Unforgettable!

And for the Sammy Hagar fan who accidently stumbled into the wrong concert - get a life! Pay attention! Gary's better - much better!!!