by John Sinkevics | The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Halfway through Van Halen's raucous "You Really Got Me" opener on Monday night, lead singer David Lee Roth shook guitarist Eddie Van Halen's hand, with both veteran rockers beaming broadly.

"Better late than never, eh?" Roth screamed to the 10,000 or so on hand at the show, which originally had been scheduled for April.

The pair would trade smiles often during Monday's two-hour show -- the last concert on the band's much-publicized reunion tour and, who knows, maybe the last Van Halen show ever -- Roth even whispering into the guitarist's ear during "Somebody Get Me a Doctor."

Just a few short years ago, who'd a thunk it? Who would have thought these acrimonious rockers would joyously be playing a final glorious concert in a mostly triumphant reunion tour spanning two calendar years? Who would have guessed a 53-year-old guy, Eddie Van Halen, still could light up an electric guitar as few can after battling cancer and drug problems, or his teenage son, Wolfgang, actually would be the band's bassist?

And who'd a thunk it would all wind up right here in River City, the final show in an unexpected chapter of a tumultuous story of hard rock?

Just three days after Tom Petty treated Grand Rapids to the first show of his North American tour, Van Halen swooped in for the last show of its North American jaunt, appropriately opening the evening with that familiar cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and ending with celebratory, confetti-splashed "Jump."

Grand Rapids fans had to wait an extra two months for their Van Halen fix (after part of the tour was postponed so Eddie could get treatment for an unspecified medical condition), but there's little doubt those who turned in their tickets for the rescheduled show (leaving some banks of empty seats) will regret it after hearing the concert report at work today from pals who partied and "danced the night away."

Ryan Shaw, a Georgia R&B/rock singer with a bucketload of soul, opened the evening with a half-hour set that included a moving rendition of The Beatles' "Let It Be," along with covers of tunes by Janis Joplin and Otis Redding. But it was an understated performance compared to what came next.

While Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen and even young bassist/offspring Wolfgang Van Halen all had their moments, Eddie Van Halen clearly was the unassailable star of this show, his fingers crawling like a high-speed rattler over the fretboard of his guitar, bending strings, unleashing tasty trills, tapping the fingers of his right hand on the strings. producing throaty growls and generally just making his electric guitar look like another appendage of his body, part of his very flesh and fiber.

Comfortable aura

There was a relaxed, energetic, pressure-free aura to the final show of Van Halen's tour with no special surprise guests or major setlist changes. Instead, the band tore confidently through its biggest hits, from "Runnin' With the Devil" to "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" to "Beautiful Girls" in a show that wasn't so much about the songs as it was about attitude and the way they're played on a loud and proud electric guitar.

Roth, once brutally described by music critic Dave Marsh as "the most obnoxious singer in human history," often lived up to that billing as he strutted the stage in goofy fashion in a loud pink jacket, waddling with a megaphone between his legs, making a "booty call," grabbing his crotch.

But even if his voice seemed to lose its luster at times (sometimes even undermixed), Roth also made the perfect over-the-top, rock-star foil to Eddie Van Halen's tattered-jeans-style guitar wizardry, and even showed off some nice vocal chops on "I'll Wait."

Of course, it helps when your lead guitarist is a master of his instrument and seems awfully happy to be so, grinning unabashedly all night long, hopping up and down in red, hightop sneakers, churning out eye-popping, Lamborghini-quick riffs, actually looking healthy.

And there were plenty of father-and-son bonding moments, as Wolfie and his dad sang into the same microphone and traded smirks across the stage.

It all made it seem like there was plenty more life left in this version of Van Halen, even as rumors of another studio album continue to crop up.

Roth referred to the band's story as an "epic" and a "saga," with some choice four-letter words thrown in for good measure.

"Hopefully, it won't be too long before we see you all along the road again," Roth declared.

So maybe Grand Rapids isn't the end of the line after all.

Van Halen concert highlights

Highlight No. 1: Eddie Van Halen's sizzling guitar work all night, especially on "Romeo Delight," "Atomic Punk" and after "Panama"

Highlight No. 2: The one-two punch of "I'll Wait" and "And the Cradle Will Rock," followed not long after by "Jamie's Cryin' "

Low point: The vocals on "Pretty Woman"

Time on stage: 30 minutes for Ryan Shaw; 2 hours, 6 minutes for Van Halen

Slideshow: More photos from tonight's Van Halen show at Van Andel Arena.

Press Photo/T.J. Hamilton
Van Halen's David Lee Roth, left, Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen entertain the crowd during their concert on Monday night.

Press Photo/T.J. Hamilton
The Van Halen crowd salutes the band at the concert.

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