Halen is Still Hip

Lemme tell you, Van Halen was pretty amazing. We got in partway through the tragically hip's set but got to see Gord Downie break more than couple mic stands while performing such tracks as "yer not the ocean," "bobcaygen," "fully completely" and the extenda-version (again) of "Hundredth Meridian."
after a break and a delicious $10 beer we were back in the fairly full Air Canada Centre where the elaborate stage (including walkout) was unveiled as van halen broke into their opening song "You Really Got Me", with Eddie shirtless from the get-go. They roared through a bunch of songs with David Lee Roth busting out high-kicks in his gaudy getups, including top-hat and microphone tricks too. "Runnin' with the Devil" was taken care of earlier on in the set and was brilliant. Eddie's solos dominated most songs, as they rightfully should have, though Alex's drumming was phenomenal as well. It was showcased in a mid-set drum solo that lasted a solid four or five minutes, before the band returned and he continued to play for another hour unphased. Some other favourites were played including "Dance the Night Away" and "Janie's Crying", and a quick cover of the Who's "Magic Bus" was tossed in, as well as a full rendition of "Oh, Pretty Woman." The drum intro we were all waiting for came quick and was then masked by Eddie's guitar (painted in the signature Van Halen way), but "Hot For Teacher" was still no disappointment. It could have closed the set with it's intensity, however these aging rockers brought it for nearly another hour still. Nearing the end of the show they broke into "Panama" which was fantastic. Then Eddie was left to his own devices. I sat in awe of this man's unorthodox, eclectic and outstanding guitar work - utilizing all devices at his disposal, including the whammy bar and the volume dial- he made the guitar do things I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't been watching it live. At the end of ten minutes of this I closed my gaping mouth and wiped the drool from my chin. Van Halen had already blown me away so I figured I might as well "Jump."

A spectacle indeed, brought to me by my good friend Jon (brought to him by his good friend Bhalla, brought to him by his pal RIM-Jim aka Jim Balsillie). Easily the best free concert I've ever taken in, and it could rival the $80 tickets as well.

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