Chickenfoot w/ Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam
August 22, 2009, House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ

Review and Photos By Jim McCoy.

The House of Blues played host to both established rock royalty and a heralded newcomer when Chickenfoot rolled into town with Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam this past Saturday. Davy Knowles, a young but already veteran touring musician hailing from the Isle of Man, warmed up the enthusiastic crowd with his authentic blues rock before ceding the stage to Chickenfoot.



Fronted by Sammy Hagar, Chickenfoot includes fellow Van Halen alum Michael Anthony on bass, the powerful Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums and Joe Satriani picking up the guitar god duties. Not a simple Van Hagar redux , Chickenfoot puts forth original riff-oriented hard rock without dipping into the Van Halen back catalog. With no member asserting a clear leadership role (Hagar stated from the stage that Chickenfoot is not ‘his’ band) the sound is tight and full of energy with the focus on the song rather than any one member’s considerable abilities. In old school rock fashion, Smith ended the entertaining, high-energy show by kicking and throwing his drum set all over the stage.



Chickenfoot’s debut is not a Joe Satriani album with a superior rock vocalist; nor is it simply Sammy Hagar’s new band with yet another guitar hero by his side. Perhaps in order to avoid criticism as a Van Hagar clone band, Satriani appears to hold himself back a bit in the context of Chickenfoot. When not playing his blistering but tasteful leads, which are more blues and rock-oriented than the modal and highly-technical fare that can be found on his solo efforts, Satch centers on riffage from the arena rock playbook rather than overtaking the song by dipping into his bag of virtuoso guitar pyrotechnics.



However, the solid debut album is only a taste of what is to come. Although Chad Smith is committed to recording the new Red Hot Chili Peppers release this October and their subsequent tour, Chickenfoot has vowed to continue the catchy hard rock sound that has been found lacking in the newer bands entering the arena circuit.

Labels: Chickenfoot, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

Philadelphia, PA
October 3, 2007

by Jim McCoy.

The long-awaited and much-delayed concert reunion of David Lee Roth with the brothers Van Halen rolled into Philadelphia for two shows this week, the band now “three-quarters original and one-quarter inevitable,” as Roth stated in alluding to the addition of the teenage Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. Although long-time fans lamented the dismissal of Michael Anthony from the band after over 20 years playing everywhere from small clubs to sold-out stadiums with Eddie and Alex, much of the disappointment with the line-up change dissipated after the quartet took the stage on Wednesday night.

Eddie Van Halen looks like you would expect a man who has battled cancer and multiple addictions to look as he enters his fifties. No one can question, however, that Eddie still plays his guitar like he is three decades younger and the perma-grin is still there on his face at every turn. The infamous ‘brown sound’ guitar tone that made its debut on 1978’s Van Halen remains unchanged, but Van Halen’s uncanny virtuosity prevents him- and the entire band, for that matter- from sounding like an aging retread still mired in Eighties. His distortion is loud, clear and pure with the just the right touch from the MXR phaser that characterized his early sound. His fingers still fly all over the fretboard, he still plays inspired licks that twist and turn on unforeseen and unpredictable intervals, and he is still capable of bringing an entire arena to its feet with one devastating power chord and a few tugs on the whammy bar. He ripped through his solos and made it look effortless, from ‘I’m the One’ to ‘Mean Street’ to the keyboard-laden ‘I’ll Wait’ from 1984. His solo spot included the tapped-harmonic intro from ‘Women in Love,’ ‘Cathedral’ in its entirety and the classic ‘Eruption.’ He wasn’t straying too far from familiar territory there, but it was all played perfectly and eaten up by the crowd.

David Lee Roth isn’t jumping from drum risers and stacks of amplifiers any longer (say what you will about the short-lived Gary Cherone, but he put on a very energetic stage performance), but any questions as to whether his voice is still up to task were answered early. It is. He took the band through a set list that included all the classics, both well-known (‘Panama’ and ‘Pretty Woman’) and lesser known (‘So This is Love?’ and ‘Beautiful Girls’) interspersed with some gems that the true diehards could really appreciate, such as ‘Romeo Delight’ from Women and Children First and ‘Little Dreamer’ from the debut album. He is still a performer and entertainer, but is not in competition with the music and the other rock legends on the stage. He even took some time to tell a few funny (and nostalgic) stories from his pre-Van Halen days as a teenager in California while fingerpicking a bluesy 7th chord on his acoustic guitar before launching into ‘Ice Cream Man’ with the full band. Roth and Eddie also shared a few hugs on stage, with Roth seeming genuinely amazed while watching the guitar master at work on stage again after their two decade hiatus.

Wolfgang Van Halen looks as if he was just plucked from a group of kids smoking cigarettes outside the high school cafeteria and suddenly placed on stage in front of 20,000 screaming fans. He seems very much in awe of the whole experience, but he held the bass down competently and his backing vocals with his father were stellar and remained true to the sound of the Roth-era albums. In an age where an over-the-top stage show still isn’t enough for some fans, it was refreshing to see a smiling kid simply having a good time with his dad while pounding out the hits. It may only have been three-quarters of the original band on stage, but 75% of the vintage Van Halen still graded out as an ‘A’ on this early test from the 2007 tour.

Labels: Live Reviews, Van Halen

Van Halen music typically evokes thoughts of whiskey drinking and girl chasing. But, now that Eddie Van Halen has been through some recent life changing experiences it seem the guitar hero wants to show off his softer side by helping sell some flowers. Yep, flowers.

If you buy $100 or more from "LA’s premiere floral couture" (as described by Eddie's publicist), House of Petals you will be entered to win an autographed guitar personally owned and played by Eddie Van Halen himself. Other winners will receive VIP concert tickets and the opportunity to meet Eddie backstage (maybe he'll help pick out your next floral purchase?). Hell, with the Van Halen tour going so well that guitar might fetch a few bucks on eBay. Of course, if you win the concert tix you have to find your own way to the Staples Center in L.A. But, small price to pay if you show up at prom with a corsage picked out by EVH!

Of course, House of Petals owner Joey House is fairly hot so maybe Eddie isn't going soft after all...

Labels: Van Halen

I still recall listening to the short lived David Lee Roth radio show and hearing Dave first predicting, then practically begging for, the inevitable Van Halen reunion of the original members. And, of course, there were all the "confirmed reports" in the spring that the tour was on, but you'll recall Earvolution had the early scoop that those early reports were not so "confirmed" as the headlines made them out to be. But, now it looks like this announcement is real and the Van Halen brothers will reunite with Roth. Of course, this being Van Halen this won't be a complete reunion. Bassist Michael Anthony is not going to tour and is basically out of the band. Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfie will take over those duties. Anthony was much more integral in the group than he is typically given credit for, including some great harmony vocals, so it'll be interesting to see how Wolfie stacks up.

So, after months of maybes, here are the Van Halen tour dates:

Sep. 27 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Bobcats Arena
Sep. 29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Oct. 01 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
Oct. 07 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Oct. 10 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
Oct. 14 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Field House
Oct. 16 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Oct. 18 Chicago, IL United Center
Oct. 22 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Oct. 24 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Oct. 26 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Oct. 28 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
Oct. 30 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
Nov. 03 E. Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena
Nov. 13 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Nov. 20 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Nov. 23 Glendale, AZ Jobing.Com Arena
Nov. 25 San Diego, CA Cox Arena
Nov. 27 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
Nov. 29 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
Dec. 01 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Dec. 03 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Dec. 05 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
Dec. 09 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Dec. 11 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome

There is bound to be plenty of theatre, comedy, drama and somewhere in all that there is likely some good rock and roll left in these boys that is worth seeing. Van Halen tickets go on sale Saturday, August 18th.

Labels: David Lee Roth, Van Halen

The ill-fated Van Halen reunion tour now has some explanation behind it. Eddie Van Halen issued a statement to TMZ.com saying he is looking to "clean up his act." So, first Lindsay Lohan, then Britney Spears and now Eddie. Who's next on the rehab bus?

It also appears that Eddie will not be joining his band mates at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. That now clears the way, as I predicted before for David Lee Roth and/or Sammy Hagar to possibly perform with Velvet Revolver who are reported to be doing a tribute to the band. Eddie's absence will also likely take some tension out of the air.

Seriously, good luck to Ed. Who knows maybe some drying out will clear his mind a bit and clear the way for a reunion tour later this year?

Labels: Van Halen

The Secret Machines' Brandon Curtis announced that his guitarist brother Ben has left the band. Ben will start a new project called School of Seven Bells. Meanwhile, the remaining Machines will hit the studio in May to begin work on their follow up to Ten Silver Drops.

Mp3s:
Ela: Checks Getting Cashed
Nicole Adkins: The Way It Is
Swati: 2 O' Clock in the A.M. and Blackjack
Astrid Swan: Good Girl
Haley Bonar: Captain Captain
Cynthia Mason: Like a Lifer Out for Good

The latest news in the Van Halen saga is a report that the band will not perform at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction. Velvet Revolver is rumored to be doing a tribute to Van Halen. I have no doubt that David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar will both contemplate jumping on stage with Slash and crew. If they do, I'd love to see the look on Eddie's face.

Reuters is reporting that the payola probes have benefited indie music. With big labels left with less ability to blatantly bribe radio stations to play certain songs consumers are reportedly getting more variety and the playing field is seen as somewhat more level for smaller indie acts and labels. The story also reports that "Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio, Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. have agreed to a consent decree that includes a $12.5 million payment to settle payola allegations raised by the [FCC]." It would be nice to get more variety from radio - but if they won't give it I guess that's why mp3 blogs were invented!

Labels: Mp3s, Nicole Adkins, The Secret Machines, Van Halen

The Van Halen reunion may be short lived. CMU Daily is reporting that the "official" announcement of the Van Halen reunion came before a deal was actually done. Earvolution spoke with someone in the Eddie Van Halen camp when the story first broke on Billboard and other large outlets. As we said then, those outlets jumped the gun a bit because no deal was signed. However, not long after, the same source issued an announcement to TMZ confirming the reunion tour. Now, CMU Daily is reporting that sources are saying that no deal is finished yet.

Of course, anyone who has been following the Van Halen saga over the years has to expect some sort of drama with these guys. I'll reach back out to the EVH camp and see I can give an update later.

Labels: Van Halen

David Lee Roth will rejoin Van Halen for a tour. As I noted before, media outlets jumped the gun a bit. But, the same source I spoke to the other week now has confirmed to TMZ that the Roth reunion is official. Now the only question is how long will it last?

Eddie Van Halen is at least optimistic. He tells TMZ: "It feels like a whole new beginning to be back with Dave and to be playing with my brother and my son. We look forward to going on tour."

Of course, original bassist and very good backing vocalist Michael Anthony will not be on the tour. All this should make for a very interesting Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Labels: David Lee Roth, Van Halen

Van Halen reunion rumors and "reports" are all over the place, including Billboard. But, even Billboard didn't say it was a done deal. And, neither does a source close to the Van Halen camp. The source didn't deny anything would happen, but confirmed that as of yesterday nothing is official. That also includes what the line-up will be, if any, for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

The Hall inducted both Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth along with the rest of the traditional Van Halen line-up. Left out was singer Gary Cherone, who appeared on Van Halen III. Cherone's tenure, according to a spokesperson for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wasn't part of the band's "significant era" so the Hall subjectively chose to not include Cherone as part of the Van Halen induction. Of course, Cherone might argue that VHIII was a Gold record and produced a #1 rock hit with "Without You."

Another twist in the Hall of Fame scenario is that some even questioned the inclusion of Hagar. The rule for induction states that your recording career must be 25 or more years old before being eligible. Van Halen's career started more than 25 years ago and so did Hagar's. But, Hagar wasn't with VH for 25 years. The Hall spokesperson said that the vote was on the VH "entity" and not the individual members and since Sammy clearly was part of VH's "significant era" he gets in.

Interestingly, when asked if Hagar would get in on his own, the spokesperson didn't seem to know Hagar had a career for over a decade before joining VH. When I provided that information the response was "I don't listen to that kind of music." Uh, you mean, rock and roll? Hopefully, I don't need to spell out the irony.

Labels: David Lee Roth, Rock Hall of Fame, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

Van Halen reunion with Roth? E! Online reports that a deal could be signed as early as today for a 40 city tour. An email I sent to Eddie Van Halen's rep on the West Coast this morning is unanswered. Given the time difference, I'll update later if this is confirmed.

MTV UK reports that Amy Winehouse and Jamie Callum were among a group kicked out of a London bar last night. The same report cites the Sun as saying that Jarvis Cocker and Ronnie Wood were also part of a group hanging around the bar's piano and apparently making too much noise for management. Perhaps the managers didn't realize they had the "next big thing" in their presence?

Speaking of Ronnie Wood if you've ever wanted to "jam with the Stones" as Spicoli would say, the next best thing might be a rock fantasy camp. Wood is reported to be among the instructors for a rock school that would also include Cream bassist Jack Bruce, Procol Harum singer Gary Brooker and Spencer Davis. Gigwise says that students paying the hefty tuition fee will also be taken to a recording session at Abbey Road Studios and play a gig at the Cavern in Liverpool.

Fall Out Boy is reportedly the latest victim of a leaked record. Pete Wentz told NME, "This isn't the end of the world, (but) it certainly feels pretty terrible." The band will reportedly add a bonus track to the official release to encourage fans to pay for the official version instead of downloading the leaked tracks.

Rumors are flying about the Who playing the monster Glastonbury festival. Artic Monkeys, Bjork, the Killers, Razorlight and the Smashing Pumpkins are also being tossed around as possible bands on the bill. Speaking of the Who, I read somewhere the other day that Pete Townsend sort of apologized for saying bands like the Stones were too old to tour anymore [insert your own "hope I die before I get old joke here].

I just got this mp3 from Chicago's Dearborn so I haven't had time to fully digest it. But, it sounded decent on a first listen and Jambase says: "Want to see a great rock band and dance your ass off? Then go see Dearborn, a rock and roll quartet from Chicago that knows how to blend killer riffs and catchy melodies with funky dance beats and flat-out grooves. This isn't emo, this isn't metal, this isn't prog. This is straight-up rock, and it's not to be missed." So, check them out!
MP3: Already Down

Philadelphia's Dr. Dog is readying their new release. We All Belong will be released in February and the band, who in the past have toured wth Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, My Morning Jacket and other big names will embark on their own US tour. Label mates The Teeth will be on many of those dates.
MP3: My Old Ways

The Ataris new record, Welcome the Night, drops on February 20th. I'm told that it is a bit of a departure from their previous stuff and that the record was produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds / David Byrne). If you listen carefully you may here hints of The Pixies and Sigur Ros.
MP3: Connections Are More Dangerous Than Lies

Labels: Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, David Lee Roth, Dr. Dog, Pete Townshend, Philadelphia, The Teeth, The Who, Van Halen

At last year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, The Sex Pistols defiantly refused to appear and accept their award while the members of Blondie let personal issues get in the way of a true reunion performance. For 2007, all eyes are upon Van Halen for the "will they or won't they" drama.

Sammy Hagar believes both he and David Lee Roth should get a chance to perform at Van Halen's induction but is pragmatic about the obstacles. Citing the fallout both singers have had with Eddie Van Halen (not to mention bassist Michael Anthony's issues with the guitarist), Hagar fears that they won't play at all. "The talk amongst us so far has been that we're probably not going to play, because of the awkward situation," Hagar is reported as saying. "We're not like mortal enemies or anything, there's just some weird quirks."

If they are permitted to play two songs, things should be fine. "If there's only one song," reportedly said Hagar, "well, then that could be kinda interesting."

Labels: David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

One year after commencing the most ill-conceived talk show in the history of commercial radio, David Lee Roth received some uplifting news: he and his fellow members of Van Halen will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007. Van Halen's induction will include both Roth and Sammy Hagar. Given the heated animosity that has developed between the two lead singers as well as bassist Michael Anthony and the Van Halen brothers, this should be interesting to say the least.

Joining Van Halen in the Class of '07 will be Patti Smith, R.E.M., Grandmaster Flash & The Funky Five and The Ronettes.

Labels: David Lee Roth, Patti Smith, R.E.M., Sammy Hagar, Van Halen