Van Halen - San Jose, CA 05.06.2012

Van Halen
San Jose Pavilion
San Jose, California
"Bottoms Up in San Jose!"
June 5, 2012

Zoom H2

Quality: B++

Unchained
Runnin’ With The Devil
She’s The Woman
Romeo Delight
Tattoo
Everybody Wants Some!!
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Chinatown
Hear About It Later
(Oh) Pretty Woman
Drum Solo

You Really Got Me
Bottoms Up!
Dance The Night Away
I’ll Wait
And The Cradle Will Rock…
Hot For Teacher
Women In Love
Beautiful Girls
Ice Cream Man
Panama
Guitar Solo
Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
Jump


Notes: Wow, what a show! You knew it would be a great night right off the bat when they jammed a 7-minute version of "Unchained." These guys are just having FUN up there onstage, you can see it in their eyes and their smiles. They are jamming, playing off each other, mixing it up...rare for the CVH lineup. Ed has found the joy again, smiling, waving to the crowd, and really loving playing the guitar for the masses. From where I was seated I could see backstage and Ed, Dave and Wolf were doing a silly dance with their arms to part of Al's drum solo...no one could see them, it wasn't done for the crowd...they were just having a good ol' time. Roth's voice has issues, but he was very focused on singing in San Jose, a lot less of the goofy stories that he told in Oakland two days ago. Roth's mic fell out of the stand and landed in the pit at the beginning of "You Really Got Me" and he misses the first line...too bad he got the mic back so quickly, would have been fun to here the band jam on the classic as an instrumental a little longer! And they busted out "Bottom's Up!" for the first time since 1982, again they seem willing to change things up...they are relaxed and enjoy playing with each other on stage..check out the extended ending to "Hot For Teacher". Just an unsurpassed evening of joyous rock and roll!! Can I get a witness!!! Praise the Lord!!!!

DL