FAN REVIEWS

Sammy's back in Van Halen and Van Halen is back in St. Louis MO for two nights!! What a great high energy fun show. The band played and sounded fantastic! The stage design is very very cool! The show flew by and was over way too fast. They played a ton of hits and seemed very happy to be doing what they do best together again.
My only complaints about the Van Halen reunion show are:
1. Maybe I'm too used to Sammy as a solo artist, but he was unusually quiet as far as talking to the crowd. I'm used to Sammy telling stories and interacting with the crowd a whole lot more than he did tonight. Hopefully Eddie didn't have something to do with this. I still remember his L.S.D. comments about Sammy.
2. I really am not a fan of the three new tunes on the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS collection. It's about time is cool live because it was about time for them to get Sammy back, but UP FOR BREAKFAST could easily be replaced by a classic VAN HAGAR tune.
3. I know there was talk way back when about losing the individual solos in the set, but they are still there. Now I enjoy the guys jamming and showing their stuff as much as anybody, but come on we know they can play. Maybe work the solos into songs instead of stopping the flow of the show for them. Or turn it into one big jam session with each guy taking a turn of reasonable length. I don't know, it just seems that that time would be better spent playing another two or three VAN HALEN tunes.
Ok, that's it that's all my complaints. Not too bad. All in all it was a great evening of rock and roll and I can't wait for tomorrow's show!!! Check out the setlist section for all the tunes they played in St. Lou.

Adam W....

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I have been waiting for this show since Sammy walked off of the stage of the UMB Bank Pavillion on that summer night last year. What a show. From "Jump to "When It's Love" I had a fantastic time and it appeared that everyone else around us did as well. The only complaint that I have is that my wife and I felt like it was just another show for the boys. Everybody knows that Sammy holds a special place in his heart for St. Louis but there wasn't any interaction with the crowd. I just felt like we in St. Louis get more of a special show from Sammy usually but it didn't seem to be there tonight. But enough about that, the fact of the matter is that they played a great show and it certainly appeared that they were glad to be back together. I am still going to hold Sammy to his promise that he made last year though. A free concert, under the Gateway Arch for the 4th of July festivities in St. Louis. If we could only make this happen What a show it would be. Sammy, Eddie, Mike and Al, Keep Rockin'

Dougie B. St. Louis, MO

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Sammy was awesome!! I have seen him the last three years and every year he souunds better. The show was action packed with non-stop music. A+ show and a A+++ goes to Sammy. I agree about the solos, they should have lead into or finished a song. We all know this band can rock. Still wishing for the free show under the arch SAMMY!!

J. Cooper

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Van Halen.... without a doubt the GREATEST band to ever grace the
stage.
Everybody has a list of things they want to experience before they die,
for this 18 year old the number one thing was a chance to see Van Halen back
together on stage. I can finally cross it off my list after years of hoping
i could. I grew up listening to Van Halen and accepted the chance to see
them as soon as it was offered to me. Although I am fairly young, I have
been to my fair share of concerts and the show wednesday night in St. Louis
is hands down the best concert I have seen. I have no complaints at all
about the show. Sammy, Eddie, Mikey, and Alex were all amazing. The setlist
was awesome and the solos were awe inspiring. I drove 3 hours from Central
Illinois to see the show. I always heard Sammy does things better in St.
Louis and I found out it is fact not fiction. Eddie is the reason I got
interested in guitar playing and after seeing his solo with his son I was
reminded in full of why it was that he is that reason. I am still hyper from
the show and it is 15 hours after the show ended.
The only problem I had was the jerks around me that insisted on Boo-ing
the Red Rocker durring his solo and chanting "David Lee" for the rest of the
night. I don't think they understood that all that mattered was Van Halen is
back in full force and they appear to be happier than they have ever been. I
can't wait to hear more from Van Halen. Thanks to the boys for putting on a
show that I will without a doubt remember for the rest of my life.

J. Greenie

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The show was extremely awesome. Sammy is in really good shape for being 56. All of the band was actually in really good shape and spirits. At about a 1/4 of the way in the show I saw Sammy's daughters watching him perform as they were probably on their way to bed. That was cool. One problem I heard is Eddie's solo. It wasn't as good as it use to be the first half of it was very unstructured and choppy. The second half of the solo sounded pretty good. I just wish the tickets weren't so damn expensive so I could afford to go the second.
How did the industry trick us into thinking $60 to $100 for a ticket to a concert is reasonable?

The Byrd's

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AWESOME!! It was so wonderful to see EVH back in action, and such a treat to see a bit of Wolfgang's talent. Since this was a ST SAMMY date, I expected that Sammy would make the show extra special as he usually does when in St Louis without Van Halen. But that didn't happen, the setlist was precisely the same as all the other shows. There wasn't any of the normal Sammy-esque interaction with the crowd, though he did sign lots of autographs and wore many banners and garments from the crowd while performing. It was a huge treat to see Eddie and Wolfgang all cuddled up, lying on the floor together behind the set during Sammy's solo. Eddie's solo was at least 17 minutes long, with Wolfgang joining in for a brief moment. And it was incredible! I will never forget that solo! There is no doubt this is Ed's child! I can't wait to see/hear more from Wolfie. Eddie spoke briefly a couple of times, but I couldn't understand a word he said. It was so fabulous hearing Sam sing tunes that were previously DLR tunes.....David Lee WHO? I was so disappointed to see Ed smoking again, but his new hip seems to be working great. It was a dream come true seeing Van Hagar perform again, but I so missed the Waboritas and the Cabo Wabo set.

Tina

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Van Halen's reunion tour erupts in St. Louis....

St. Louis was pumped to welcome the Van Halen bros to live rock and roll St. Louis style...the show was awesome...the band was powerful, loud, clear and enjoying what they do best, play music.....as loud as Van Halen was, the crowd of 14,000, for the first of two shows was louder than the band... the crowd show early and often their happiness that Eddie was back and that Sammy was in the mix again....on a night, that Eddie was clearly sloppy and having a off night, his solo was awful..

Sammy, stole the show without stealing the lime light or the Van Halen bros thunder....'

St. Louis is Sammy's city and always will be....come paint red.....

-Rich Tracy

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I have never seen the Sammy - Van Halen Combo and I was truely amazed. I have seen Sammy in St Louis every time he has come since the Red Rocker Tour in 1982-83, except the times Sammy has come with Van Halen. This was long over due for me......and now I know what I was missing. I suggest everyone go see and hear this show. No matter what Van Halen error you are a fan of - this show is history in the making and totally kicking ass.

I personally would have loved to hear more Sammy music, but I understand that is not what this tour was all about - So you just have to come back Sammy - and talk to the us a little more this time !!

Sammy has 2 broken promises -
1) He promised one year, at the end of a show at RiverPort, to come back that same year, he never did -
2) The Show under the arch - .........we are still anxiously waiting...........
My solution - do 2 shows under the arch in the same year - then we can call it even..

-or just come play at my birthday bash !
We love Sammy - come back every month or so.........

JOE
Cabo St Louis Supporter

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Man o man, what a night. I knew going in to the show it was going to be stellar since it was in "Sammy's Town" but nothing prepared me for the excitement that went on in the Savvis Center. This was my first time seeing Van Halen with Sammy, the only other time was in 98, and to see the 4 members that made the band my die hard favorite was like a dream. As soon as Sammy belted out "HELLO BAAAABY" I knew the 300 mile drive from KY was 100% worth it and like many other reviews I have read the time went by TOOOOO fast. The band was dead on and every song was in your face awesome rock and roll. They really seemed totally jelled and sounded tight. The guys really seemed to really be having a good time together, Sammy played the crowd like a pro as did Mikey and Eddie and Alex when he wasn't beating the skins with all his might. My favorite part of the night was Sammy's solo when all 14000 people were singing Eagles Fly along with Sammy, He seemed really moved by that and the atmosphere was just awesome. The set list was awesome and could have only been better if Feels So Good or Love Walks In were in it, but I'm not complaining. The most emotional part of the night came after the second encore when Mikey and Sammy walked off stage embraced and the look on their faces, especially Mikey's, was emotional to see how genuinly moved and appreciative of the reception we the crowd gave them, almost like it was the best show for them so far on the tour. Thanks Sammy for making my dream of seeing you with Van Halen come true and I hope to see you guys supporting new albums for years to come.

Ash Smith

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Came all the way from Germany to see you guys kicking ass again. Got exactly what I expected. What a show !!! Sammy, Mike and Alex doing so well. And what about Eddie? He’s still the greatest player in the world. Thank you and hope to see you soonest in Germany.

Jörg Prante

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I've waited nearly 8 years for this night. It was more than I ever could imagine. Eddie's incendiary guitary playing, Alex thundering away on the skins, Mikey beatin the hell out of his bass, & Sammy singing straight from the heart. If I had one word to sum it all up... EXPLOSIVE

The STLRedRocker