Might As Well Jump

I have fond memories of 1984 because one of the greatest experiences of my life happened that year. On March 21, 1984, I saw the mighty Van Halen at the Spectrum in Philadelphia (the original Spectrum, that is.) This was my first major concert experience (I'm not counting The Beach Boys at the Bloomsburg Fair), and I had no idea what to expect. I was just thrilled to be seeing my heroes live in front of my naked steamin' eyes.

And let me just say this - I LOVED Van Halen. Eddie was my own personal Jesus, and Dave was my Elvis. I absorbed everything I could find about them - every album (remember albums?), every article, every utterance. I grew my hair out (remember hair?), sewed patches on my jeans and wore a bandana around my neck so I could be just like Eddie. I watched the videos for "Jump" and "Hot For Teacher" every time they were on (which was about 3 times an hour at one point), and pulled several muscles trying to do split-jumps like Diamond Dave. Van Halen ruled my world. And I was going to get to see them LIVE.

I remember the haze that formed in the Spectrum before the opening band even started (the band was Autograph, if you care... and I know you do). The girls in front of me wanted to roll joints with the program that I bought. Of course, I turned them down (yes, I was an idiot). The openers were OK, but when the lights went down before Van Halen, I was ready for the main event (and you know what? I still love that moment when the lights go down before the main band, and you can see some movement on the stage, and then BAM!! the lights come up and the band explodes into the first song... an all-out assault on your ears and your mind and your whole frikkin' way of seeing things. Cameron Crowe captured this feeling perfectly in "Almost Famous"... but I digress)

The show was amazing. Van Halen were at the absolute peak of their powers at this point. Diamond Dave as the full-on Robert Plant crossed with Carmen Miranda crossed with a carnival barker crossed with Bruce Lee. Eddie being Eddie - running from one end of the stage to the other, playing those impossible licks while jumping around like a Sufi mystic. Michael Anthony being the anchor. Alex hidden behind a butt load of drums. They played all the favorites. Dave forgot the words (Whooo!!). Eddie played his solo (this was my first exposure to the "Eh-Dee! Eh-Dee! Eh-Dee!" chant). Alex set his gong on fire. They looked like they were having a great time. The lighting was amazing, the stage was cool, the boys frikkin' cooked, and my fragile eggshell mind was omlettized forever.

Of course, nothing perfect lasts - Dave left the band the next year, and Van Halen became a bit of a punchline with their ever-changing lead singers (who is it this week?) But let the record show, I never took sides. I loved "Van Hagar", and I loved Dave's solo stuff ("Eat 'Em And Smile" and "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" are both on my list of desert island CD's). I saw both Dave and Van Halen live several times over the years, and each time was amazing (with the highlight being the front-row spot I had in Richmond, Va, for Van Halen on the OU812 tour. I even got a guitar pick!).

And the Gary Cherone era? Never happened. No, really... it DID NOT happen.

So now, it's almost 25 years later. And once again, I'm going to see the mighty Van Halen. Things have changed a wee bit: Eddie's son is playing bass. Dave lost his hair and is a part-time EMT in New York City. Eddie is grayer and doesn't jump around as much due to his artificial hip. They're completely ignoring the 20+ years worth of music that they've made since 1984. Oh, and there's the wee problem of Eddie's ongoing medical issues, which may derail the tour before I even get there.

I've had tons of live music experiences since then, but I don't think anything will ever top the first time I saw Van Halen in 1984. And even if I don't get to see them again, that's OK. I still have my albums...oops... I mean "mp3's", and I still have my memories. And if my memory fails (this is happening more and more frequently) , there's always YouTube (like this here clip).

"Look at all the people here tonight!!"

Amen, Dave. Amen.


Wade Buehler
wbuehlerATverizonDOTnet