Ben5150
11-14-2005, 06:24 PM
Truth in advertising doesn't always count in rock 'n' roll.
If it did, the ad for David Lee Roth's concert date at Hard Rock Live Saturday night, which featured a 20-song set list of Van Halen classics printed alongside the image of a lithe, leather-clad Roth from the cover of the band's self-titled, 1978 debut album, should have signaled a triumphant return to glory for the former superstar.
But it simply could not deliver.
Gone was the bombast of vintage "Diamond Dave," the lion-maned, fast-talking frontman who radiated raw rock sexuality leading one of the greatest of American rock bands, replaced by a past-his-prime crooner with your dad's haircut who seemed starved for attention.
Roth bounded on stage to the rapid-fire drum beat of "Hot for Teacher," looking like a low-rent Jack LaLanne in a sparkly blue leather outfit with a white stripe running up each side.
"Look at all the people here tonight," he shouted, greeting a half-filled hall with a tired catch phrase from his Van Halen days.
The shameless mugging started almost immediately, with Roth hamming to the audience through a range of stock facial expressions from a gaping "hey, look at me" smile to a cheesy lock-jawed grin. He's gone the way of Wayne Newton, and would've been right at home on stage in Branson or Reno -- or maybe talk radio.
But campy stage presence aside, Roth did come through on the vocals, hitting enough of the throat-shredding high notes to satisfy. His signature high-kicks and flying back-kicks were spot on, as well. And the audience absolutely loved it.
Sound problems plagued the performance from the onset, but Roth and his four-piece cover band soon hit a stride as they ran through a 90-minute set that featured mostly Van Halen standards, from "You Really Got Me," to "Cradle Will Rock," and "Panama," peppered with solo hits, including "Just Like Paradise," "California Girls" and "Going Crazy."
If you're going to play Van Halen songs, you'd better be ready for comparisons to the original. And they fell way short. The drummer was the only musician who got his part right, creating a worthy facsimile of heavy-handed Alex Van Halen that salvaged the band's sound.
Roth was smart to hire guitar players who could sing, because he leaned on their generic harmonies all night. Though, many of the Van Halen songs suffered without the pleasing sound of Michael Anthony's background vocals, especially "Jamie's Cryin'."
A weak rendition of "Eruption," Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar solo, seemed totally out of place. But versions of "And the Cradle Will Rock ..... ," and "Unchained" came close to the mark. And the crowd responded so wildly to "Runnin' with the Devil" that the sing-a-long nearly overpowered Roth's own vocals.
He's not the Dave he used to be. But then again, neither are his fans, who've traded long hair, leather and tight denim for mom jeans, khaki shorts and Keds. And they sure didn't seem to care about how lackluster and poorly paced his performance was that night. The crowd was so loud, in fact, that they nearly refused to let Roth leave the stage after an encore of "Jump."
At this stage in a career, many artists attempt to reinvent themselves. Roth may be doing just that by replacing Howard Stern on the radio in December, but he relied too heavily on nostalgia to carry his concert.
If it did, the ad for David Lee Roth's concert date at Hard Rock Live Saturday night, which featured a 20-song set list of Van Halen classics printed alongside the image of a lithe, leather-clad Roth from the cover of the band's self-titled, 1978 debut album, should have signaled a triumphant return to glory for the former superstar.
But it simply could not deliver.
Gone was the bombast of vintage "Diamond Dave," the lion-maned, fast-talking frontman who radiated raw rock sexuality leading one of the greatest of American rock bands, replaced by a past-his-prime crooner with your dad's haircut who seemed starved for attention.
Roth bounded on stage to the rapid-fire drum beat of "Hot for Teacher," looking like a low-rent Jack LaLanne in a sparkly blue leather outfit with a white stripe running up each side.
"Look at all the people here tonight," he shouted, greeting a half-filled hall with a tired catch phrase from his Van Halen days.
The shameless mugging started almost immediately, with Roth hamming to the audience through a range of stock facial expressions from a gaping "hey, look at me" smile to a cheesy lock-jawed grin. He's gone the way of Wayne Newton, and would've been right at home on stage in Branson or Reno -- or maybe talk radio.
But campy stage presence aside, Roth did come through on the vocals, hitting enough of the throat-shredding high notes to satisfy. His signature high-kicks and flying back-kicks were spot on, as well. And the audience absolutely loved it.
Sound problems plagued the performance from the onset, but Roth and his four-piece cover band soon hit a stride as they ran through a 90-minute set that featured mostly Van Halen standards, from "You Really Got Me," to "Cradle Will Rock," and "Panama," peppered with solo hits, including "Just Like Paradise," "California Girls" and "Going Crazy."
If you're going to play Van Halen songs, you'd better be ready for comparisons to the original. And they fell way short. The drummer was the only musician who got his part right, creating a worthy facsimile of heavy-handed Alex Van Halen that salvaged the band's sound.
Roth was smart to hire guitar players who could sing, because he leaned on their generic harmonies all night. Though, many of the Van Halen songs suffered without the pleasing sound of Michael Anthony's background vocals, especially "Jamie's Cryin'."
A weak rendition of "Eruption," Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar solo, seemed totally out of place. But versions of "And the Cradle Will Rock ..... ," and "Unchained" came close to the mark. And the crowd responded so wildly to "Runnin' with the Devil" that the sing-a-long nearly overpowered Roth's own vocals.
He's not the Dave he used to be. But then again, neither are his fans, who've traded long hair, leather and tight denim for mom jeans, khaki shorts and Keds. And they sure didn't seem to care about how lackluster and poorly paced his performance was that night. The crowd was so loud, in fact, that they nearly refused to let Roth leave the stage after an encore of "Jump."
At this stage in a career, many artists attempt to reinvent themselves. Roth may be doing just that by replacing Howard Stern on the radio in December, but he relied too heavily on nostalgia to carry his concert.