The Van Halen "Hospital Tour" stopped in Salt Lake City Tuesday night.
Why the "Hospital Tour"? Well, earlier this year the band's guitar virtuoso Edward Van Halen was diag-nosed with avascular necrosis (a dead hip bone) and will need surgery when the tour is finished. Adding to the pain, older brother Alex Van Halen, the band's lurking drum master, suffered three herniated discs in his neck last week.But aches aside, when the band - also featuring bassist Michael Anthony and singer Sammy Hagar (otherwise known as the Red Rocker) - stepped on stage, more than 11,000 fans screamed away as they were rocked hard and true.
The show opened with the hit, and Pepsi commercial plug, "Right Now." When the piano scale intro began, a giant backdrop jumbo-tron focused on Alex, sporting a neck brace and handlebar mustache, as he pounded out the pulsating drumlines. Throughout the evening, the jumbotron zeroed in on the band or played eye-moving videos, giving the fans sitting in the farthest corner of the arena a feel of intimacy.
Anthony's growling basslines highlighted the tunes, as Hagar's raspy tenor cut through the mix. Edward, staying sober this tour, overcame his stage fright and dealt the crowd a clean mix of grinding guitar rhythms and flashing leads.
The band slid into "Big Fat Money" from its latest release, "Balance," and continued on to the "5150" hit "Why Can't This Be Love," the single that marked Hagar's debut with the band in 1986.
Hagar, staying true to tradition, draped tapestries and T-shirts that were thrown on stage around himself during each song. It was a casual, backyard party atmosphere as the band cranked out the hits "Top of the World" from "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Mine All Mine" from "OU812."
Other fine "Balance" tunes included the bottom-weight thud of "Seventh Seal," "Feelin'," "Can't Stop Lovin' You" and the reverent "Not Enough," a ballad about Hagar's recent divorce.
For those who yearned for the bites that originally featured Hagar's cocky predecessor, David Lee Roth, Van Halen also roared out "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "You Really Got Me" from its self-titled debut album as well as "Jump" and the encore clincher "Panama" from "1984."
A Van Halen concert would not be complete without solos. Band members took turns in the spotlight throughout the night to display their gifts.
Anthony clamored out a Bach-laden solo by assaulting his bass in the strobing lights and brought the screaming crowd to its feet.
Alex, looking like a thin Wyatt Earp with his facial growth, punched out a double-bassed drum solo. Though he wore the neck brace, he played fast and furious. His set was minus two bass drums, but that didn't stop the crowd from giving him two standing ovations. In fact, with fewer drums around him, the solo appeared more direct and focused at the fans than in the past.
Hagar's solo spot featured an acoustic version of "I Can't Drive 55" that had the crowd singing along. He then slowed things down to strum out the tranquil "Eagles Fly." Further into the set the band also played another Red Rocker hit, "One Way to Rock."
Eddie's solo, as always, was the show capper.
Though the guitar king didn't move around as much, he let his fingers do the jumping. Beginning with the '90s version of the classically inspired "Eruption," he slipped into portions of the "Mean Street" introduction staccato and the volume-nob turning "Cathedral" before ending the solo back on "Eruption." The jumbotron, in the meantime, zoomed to his fingers and gave the air-guitarists scattered throughout the audience a guide to follow.
The uplifting anthem "Dreams" finished the set. The roaring encore featured "Poundcake" and the aforementioned "Panama." The show's energy proved why Van Halen is one of the best-loved hard rock bands in the business.
Brother Cane opened the night with its '80s blues metal sound. Its sound sat well with Van Halen fans and psyched them up for the show.