2015-07-07 Amphitheater Northwest, Portland, OR

Best photo of the tour so far….

https://instagram.com/p/43R_m4NUCQ/

Thank you MVH

ED’s SOLO is unbelievable…

Could the riff from 7:18 -7:30 turn into a NEW VH song…..?

Also love from 7:30 -8:00 were he holds that heavy ball busting feedback note…

Drop Dead Legs
http://youtu.be/fnYyJIPlCL4
Little Guitars
http://youtu.be/VpIMmtFoZ2E
Panama
http://youtu.be/xwNPrSivKwI
Unchained
http://youtu.be/1U7FWmO7g_c

what is the screen behind them even doing? is it low resolution or what??? even the simulated fire behind alex after the drum solo was very mindcraft…?

PT5150: Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Do they show anything on it? Looks like there is video screens up high either side of the stage. Do VH have their own camera guys in the pits on this tour??

The “screen” behind Alex shows some lines and patterns, etc… Nothing interesting IMO.

At Seattle, my impression of the video guys in the pit (there were two) is that they were local for the venue and provided the video for the screens off to the side. Some sheds have screens, some don’t.

voodoo: Holy shit, Ed butchered that DDL intro…yikes.

I couldn’t tell if it was Ed or Alex…. I think maybe Alex may have made the mistake. He is only human or is he?

ron: The “screen” behind Alex shows some lines and patterns, etc…Nothing interesting IMO.
At Seattle, my impression of the video guys in the pit (there were two) is that they were local for the venue and provided the video for the screens off to the side.Some sheds have screens, some don’t.

Hopefully VH will bring their own screens (on the side) to the sheds that don’t. Last time I was in KC, the venue didn’t have any but that was several years ago. I only film the screen as a last resort though.

Here’s a review. July 7, 2015 Review

When Van Halen, whose founding members are all past the age of 60, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel in late March to announce a new live album and summer tour, it looked as if the best days of the band had long passed.

Lead singer David Lee Roth hit himself in the face while twirling the microphone stand, which led to him needing bandages and attempting the song a second time, while missing enough notes to upset even the most patient fans. In addition, Billboard Magazine reported some tension in Roth and Eddie Van Halen’s relationship days before the tour began.

The stage was set for a potentially tumultuous tour before a single note had been played.

All these worries were quickly abandoned as soon as “Light Up The Sky” kick-started the show at Amphitheater Northwest in Ridgefield, Washington on Tuesday night.

The second stop on the 41-date tour found the band in top form with the instrumentation of the three Van Halens, Eddie (guitar), Alex (drums) and Eddie’s son — Wolfgang (bass) — for the entire duration of the two-hour show.

“Runnin’ With The Devil” followed, and though it was clear that Roth’s squealing vocals had deteriorated, the long golden locks of blonde hair have turned to a bald spot and the high flying gymnast kicks that once propelled Van Halen in the early days have become stationary kicks, he still knows how to front a band convincingly.

Instead of attempting to hit every high note, he stretched out the words or let the audience sing. It sounds like cheating, but it was an effective way to cover his voice’s shortcomings.

The set emphasized the band’s 1978 debut album, “Van Halen II,” as well as “1984”. Standouts included Alex Van Halen’s drum solo, “Dance The Night Away” and “Somebody Get Me A Doctor.”

During “Hot For Teacher,” Roth’s stage performance seemed to find another gear as he rediscovered his voice and swagger, matching the rest of the band in the high-quality performance. Every song after “Teacher” had increased energy, including the rarity ‘“Dirty Movies”’ from the album “Fair Warning,” the classic “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” and The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.”

Roth sat alone on stage with an acoustic guitar propped on his lap and a harmonica to sing “Ice Cream Man.”

Interjections about the U.S. Women’s World Cup Soccer team’s victory paved the way for a surprisingly eloquent speech about women’s rights and how the team broke down gender barriers. In honor of the two years he has lived in Japan, Roth translated each verse into Japanese in hopes that the Japanese team, and the country as a whole, will one day have as much freedom as the women of America.

He also promised to eat ice cream after the show.

“Eruption” solidified Eddie Van Halen’s status as a guitar god. The extended, blistering guitar solo let Van Halen boast his unmatched skills and knowledge of every possible sound a guitar can make. The solo showcased his speed, his signature gut-wrenching shrieks, masterful use of feedback and his ability to make music by tapping the back of the fretboard.

As expected, the final two songs were “1984’s” highlights — “Panama” and “Jump.” With everyone in the crowd singing along and the young-at-heart actually jumping along to “Jump,” the night came to a close in a show that far exceeded all expectations.

The largest demographic in the not-quite sold-out audience was middle-aged men, but a surprisingly wide range of ages was present. Kids who were dragged to the concert by their parents slowly conceded that they were having a good time.

By the end, the majority of the kids who clearly felt they were too cool to attend found hope that maybe, just maybe, their parents may actually have been cool in the ‘80s.