Reports of new snow in the high country convinced me to drive up Friday night, arriving at the Clinton Gulch turnout below Fremont Pass at around 10 PM. The highway was real slick, with vehicles skidding off onto the roadside, including a jack-knifed truck blocking the east bound lanes. 8 to 10 inches of fresh on the ground with starry skies above. On this evening I decided to go back to 1984, the pinnacle of VH's fame and glory. May 9, 1984 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Although the quality of the bootleg was not one of the best when compared to some of the recent ones I've listened to, it was still very good. I stomped out a place in the snow, opened up the truck door wide and turned it up loud. Nearly 2 hours of music took its toll on the truck battery, draining it sufficiently such that the stereo shut off just before the final song. I knew then and there I was screwed, considering the freezing cold temps would further drain/hinder battery recharge. I went to sleep hoping for the best, still riding the tequila wave. I was told temps in Leadville the following morning were around 0 F. It was one of the few nights where I wish I had some additional insulation.
The following morning I hitched to Copper Mountain and got a tow truck to give me a jump start. I made it to Ski Cooper around 10 AM where I carved up the fresh powder for several hours. Many areas available to make my own tracks the whole time I was there, particularly in the trees. By mid afternoon I was beat, mostly because I was coming down with some illness that was making me feel weak and achy. The great thing about leaving a little early is that I beat the late afternoon rush hour traffic. I spent the evening framing the autographed Diver Down album, now hanging up in the house. Looks sharp!
Still waiting for VH to reschedule the shows. In the meantime, I continue to download more from the Sammy/Gary era for future parties on the pass!
Road glistens with ice
Headlights reveal its victims
Flashing red and blue
Killer music cranked
Amps power Eddie's guitar
Killed truck battery
Clear crisp mountain dawn
Backside lurks in nights shadow
Sun blazed summits shine
A tiring week at work led me to skiing dude Rick's office doorstep late in the afternoon where I had a cigar and we bullshitted. I made him jealous of the fact that I received approval to take some time off of work to do a late season ski blow-out trip to the central and southwest corner of Colorado beginning next Wednesday. A road trip with a "party on the pass" planned for every night. In preparation for that event I've been downloading a bunch of concerts from the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen. Not wanting to be a David Lee Roth snob and recognizing that Eddie, Alex and Michael were still producing great music after 1984, I decided to explore and get a feel for the "Van Hagar" incarnation of the band. I'm sure there are fans out there that would say I'm being sacrilegious for listening to that music!
I pulled out one of their Balance Tour appearances in Japan, October 30, 1995 in Osaka. Great sounding boot in which I had merged all the songs into a single track that more closely reproduces that concert atmosphere. Sammy does not have that natural talent DLR had for putting people in the party mood, but he's still good. It took a little while for me to warm up to their new groove, especially the unfamiliar set list, but once found I was into it. The boys played well this night and I was reminded of all the other VH hits that came out in the 10 year period after 1984. In an effort to learn more about their music from these years, I recently picked up their "5150" album (released March 26, 1986) and their "Balance" album (released January 24, 1995), the second of which kicked off this Balance world tour that brought them to Osaka. It's like a whole new window has opened up to me, revealing a side of the band I know little about! I'm going to enjoy this!
I held my "party on the pass" in front of the house Friday night, listening to the boys play at the Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo on June 22, 1978. Excellent audience bootleg. You can tell the crowds were not wild and crazy like the ones elsewhere, the band just doing their job putting on a standard concert. Too tired Saturday night after skiing to go outside and do it again. Sunday evening I listened to a compliation of live songs from their 5150 album while smoking a cigar, the setting sun flaming the clouds to the west. The one bad thing about my concerts at home is that I'm afraid the neighbors can hear the blaring truck stereo, even thought he nearest one is 300 feet away. There's no such fear in the mountains! Can't wait to get back to my normal routine next weekend!
