Love 'em or hate 'em, Van Halen has seldom been accused of suffering from an identity crisis. Where other bands have changed producers, managers, record companies and psychoanalysts in order to reinvent themselves, Van Halen continues to define relevancy in its own terms.
Some groups play small halls in order to "reconnect with their audience," but Van Halen was meant to play bigger venues. As Saturday's performance at US Bank Arena made clear, they're not ashamed to be full-blown rock stars. The flashing and swirling lights and video screens seemed de rigeur, as did the guzzling of Jack Daniels.
Overall, the music Van Halen music played Saturday-as well as their attitude-differed little from the David Lee Roth era. Sensitive, introspective reappraisals of earlier work were absent from the performance. No MTV Unplugged "Layla," no reworking of the Great American Songbook.
They came out rocking, launching into turbo-charged versions of "Jump," "Runaround" and "Poundcake." As would be expected for a band that has released little material lately, they mostly stuck to more well-known material. One could also predict that virtuosic solos would be sprinkled throughout the show, and to some extent this was a meat and potatoes Van Halen concert.
One wishes it were more so. Some of the more sugar-coated songs that Hagar has penned-"Eagles Fly" and "Why Can't This Be Love", for example-seemed bland in comparison to the rest of the setlist.
One can understand why, after Hagar joined the band, Eddie Van Halen tried to take a stronger role in the songwriting. This prompted Hagar packed his bags-and then returned. At times during the show one could fully understand why the newly sober Van Halen arranged an intervention.
To his credit, though, Hagar nailed some of the more hard-rocking David Lee Roth era, which is no easy feat.
The highlight of the concert was an extended guitar solo Eddie Van Halen took near the end. Flowing between haunting baroque passages and power chords that echoed off the walls of the arena, his solo was imaginative and intricate and often subtle. It was also soulful, especially when he cranked up the distortion and hammered the strings.
His solo fired up the band, especially Hagar, who sang "I Ain't Talking Bout Love" and "Panama" with authority. The band sounded tighter than it did earlier in the show, and more inspired. Finally Van Halen seemed as good as they were when the burst on the scene in the late seventies.
