WHAT A TEMPER!: VAN HALEN STORMS THE ALAMO

Saturday, June 23, 2012

VAN HALEN STORMS THE ALAMO

Yesterday I flew out of DIA and landed in San Antonio at around 6 PM. I was somewhat stressed out considering the show was due to start at 7:30. As expected, once that stress is removed, my emotions will only rebound that much higher. That's certainly what happened this evening.

The taxi driver was new and didn't know of any liquor stores around the AT&T Center so we drove around and I would run into a store or gas station and ask for directions, finding a one on South Ww Road off of East Houston Street, a couple miles east of the concert venue. I'm almost ready!

I had little time to prep my gear before heading inside. I grabbed a hot dog for dinner and made my way to the seat on the floor in Row 8. Kool and the Gang were just as good as last time getting the audience in a dancing frame of mind. And of course, Van Halen was awesome! The tequila was flowing, putting me in a different time zone. I had an aisle seat so what that meant was I had more room to shake, shimmy and roll! Sometime during the middle of the show I checked the recorder (always a mistake in that frame of mind!) and realized something was wrong, suggesting that the recording would not be complete. That disappointment just made me enjoy the moment even more, the event staff having to direct me to get out of the aisle every time they walked by. Trouble maker! I just cut loose and went for pure enjoyment of the moment. Screw the camera, I'm dancing the night away!

The ending is always a letdown. I went outside and had a cigar waiting for this huge line of people wanting a taxi to thin out. I got into a discussion with a couple police officers who wanted me to step farther back from the curb and when I disagreed with the need to move, they cuffed me just to prove a point. But they were OK with the situation after I agreed I should have listened to them for "safety" reasons and they released me. They asked what the empty collapsible flask with a residue of tequila was used for and I said "for hydration." At the airport I "slept" on the concrete on the sidewalk outside the terminal where other early arrivals waited and smoked their cigarettes. Traffic picked up noticeably at 4 AM making any sleep impossible. I was somewhat exhausted with no sleep by the time I boarded the plane at 9:45 AM.

When I got home I downloaded the photos and music, it was then that I realized that the complete show was in hand. Since I assumed the recording would be crap, there will be more cheering, "Eddie!!" clapping and other noise that will need to be edited out, if even possible.

I already went on line to check how much it would cost to see them in New Orleans. A fantasy, but I know it won't happen. I now wait for their return in 2013.

Here's a sample of what to expect:

Eddie, of course, didn’t miss lick or a beat despite being the first tour he’s ever played sober and apparently so wracked with stage fright before every show that he pukes his guts out. Wolfgang was amazing on bass. I think his note-to-note ratio to Mike Anthony was like 10 Wolf notes per 1 Mike Anthony note…the kid is rock steady when needed and then walks over the bass fretboard like a lead guitar player.

Were they as spry as they were 10 years ago? Of course not, they’re in their late fifties, but even so DLR pulled off a handful of splits and jump kicks…and I’m not sure what sort of shoes he had on, but he kept running and sliding around on the stage like a kid wearing socks on the kitchen floor.

The rapport with the crowd and each other was genuine and conversational with plenty of laughs.

The set list was comprised primarily of VH material pre-dating 1984…much of it obscure stuff that only rabid fans like myself and my buddy Jarrett Brown who was there would recognize.

It was a very stripped down performance. Other than having a big screen behind them, they basically just played music…guys with instruments…no explosions, high wire stunts, choreography, etc.

Read it all here:
http://clifhaley.com/2012/06/23/van-halen-concert-in-san-antonio-texas-2012/