Van Halen
The Joint
Las Vegas, NV
October 2, 1998

Photos by Brian Hightower ©1998 - munchie@coam.net

Set List - Click here!

Review by Ken Sabblut - Kingken@mailcity.com

Well, let's see. How do I start this? I was fortunate enough to get tickets, and there were only 2400 to be had. I waited in line for 7 1/2 hours !! All I can say is that I would have waited 7 1/2 DAYS if I had to! THESE GUYS ARE H O T!!!!!!!!!!

I have seen the boys 8 times in my life, and never have I seen them having such a great time up there with each other. It's like watching 4 brothers who refuse to give up their youth. The energy level was over the red line, way over!

Edward, not only looks great, but never missed a note. His solo couldn't have been done with a greater song, Year To The Day.

Al just smoked, but when doesn't he? I assume that the neck brace was for extra support but I don't possibly see how it could have helped him. He was nonstop. His solo was awesome! Especially the part where he has some kind of sounds, like horns and things when he hits a certain drum. It was like he was a one man band. He is a drum G o d !!

Anyone who may have had doubts about Gary, apparently has not seen him live. I always felt that he fit the band perfectly. His vocals just blew me away. He is not Dave or Sammy and I wouldn't want him to try to be, but he can sing the hell out of there songs! You can tell that the guys have a genuine love for Gary. It definitely shows.

Gary said that they were off to Japan and then they were going to make another record and come back to play for us again. You can bet "I'LL WAIT" !!!! (which is one song that they unfortunately didn't do)

I also was lucky enough to be seated right next to the sound board. A couple weeks before the show, I read Road Diaries, the story from your lighting manager Howard. After talking to this guy for a few minutes who was behind the ropes, I told him what I had read and he says I'm Howard. That was a real treat for me because I had been familiar with his work with Rush.

You guys have been ROCKIN' MY ASS OFF FOR 20 YEARS and I don't think you'll be stoppin' anytime soon.

Well it is the day after and I am still at the Hard Rock Hotel mentally. I can not think of a better place to see the greatest rock band ever than the Joint inside the Hard Rock. 1500 people packed the place and the guys definitely delivered only like they can.

I have read a lot of the reviews on the tour and the set list was no suprise but the energy shown in this show was indescribable. The only way I can describe Eddie is Tazmanian Devil. The guy was going absolutely crazy!

This was the best Halen show I have ever seen without a doubt. High points were the old classics played with such passion and the fact that their love, energy and happiness shined through like the sun. Low points were ones that were out of my control. I am one of the lighting techs for Cirqu du Soleil Mystere here in Vegas so I would have liked to see the full lighting rig, especially after reading about it. Also I tried to get them reach them to invite them to our show but no such luck. Maybe next time.

Anyway hats off to the best of the best, keep the Halen machine going. Thanx........

Once is just never enough! After seeing the Kings of Rock n' Roll for the second time I felt it was my patriotic duty to tell the world how much I loved hearing the band Friday night at the Hard Rock Hotel. After driving 7 hours to Las Vegas we were rewarded with the show of a lifetime. The boys of Van Halen truly rocked The Joint for a few select fans that were lucky enough to score some tickets.

It's obvious that the tour is wrapping up because I've never seen anyone have so much fun onstage. Eddie and Gary were really playing to the crowd. The energy of the crowd was more intense than any other concert I'd ever been to. Friday night we experienced two decades worth of Van Halen in one night.

Highlights of the evening included Jamie's Cryin', I'm The One, and no one can ever forget Eddie's killer solo in the middle of Year To The Day!

As the crowd exited the Joint into the casino area of the hotel they continued to chant "Eddie, Eddie," and the sheer volume rocked the very foundation of the Hard Rock Hotel.

Needless to say I can die a happy man having witnessed one the greatest concerts of the century. Long live Van Halen!!

Well, what can I say? I don't mean to criticize the band in any way, but I've been seeing VH since 1982, including the first leg of this tour in Boston back in May, and I can honestly say that they've had a couple of weeks off and it shows.

The band missed a few beats here and there, but the main problem was the sound! I really thought seeing VH at The Joint which holds about 900 people would be a real treat, but I was disappointed.

The low end was MUD, and for the most part you couldn't even hear the individual notes Eddie was playing. The vocals sounded great, and the boys hit the harmonies as usual. When the intensity calmed down during various selections such as 'Year To The Day', 'When It's Love' and 'Josephina' , it was great, but for the most part it was just a WALL of sound.

They're still my favorite band, and always will be, and you can't really blame them as much as the house system inside the 'Hard Rock', but although they've never sounded 'unbelievable' I thought they'd at least sound decent. The highlights were Josephina and meeting Valerie and Wolfie in Mortoni's restaurant where they had dinner. Maybe the average fan enjoyed the show as they were probably just happy to be so close, but from the musician standpoint, it just didn't cut it. Hope- fully tonite will be a bit better, but with that system I'm not expecting much.

Just got back from back to back shows, both were amazing. It's just too bad people can't accept what is and move on. From the radio 92.3 KOMP to the concert reviewer nobody is willing to give Gary a chance, even my best friend thinks he too fem, bullshit he rocks. People around here and everywhere I'm sure already know what to expect from a Van Halen show. Dave was fine and Sammy to but I think these were the best shows since DLR no disrespect to Sammy but the energy level was so high, and the shows were so much more than anything Hagar did.

No 10 minute monologue no bra's on the mike stand no changing shirts after every other song, don't get me wrong I love Hagar but I honestly think they're better now than ever. It was nice to see Jamie's Cryin' and I'm The One, all the old shit.

I talked to a local DJ who's been talking shit since 3 came out and he wouldn't even stick around to finish a show. These were my 3rd and 4th shows of this tour and they just keep getting better. If you do yourself one favor in the near future, go out and see this band live, make a decision after you see them live, until then shut your PIEHOLE !!!!!!