Roth proves pipes, chemistry are there
By Chris Nixon

Change, ain't nothin' stays the same / Unchained, you hit the ground runnin'.

When David Lee Roth sang the chorus of Van Halen's "Unchained" Sunday night at SDSU's Cox Arena, it was the moment that summed up the rocky 22- year hiatus since Roth departed the iconic rock band and the recent reunion.

Change means questions: Could Van Halen maintain the technical superiority that set it apart from the high tide of heavy metal bands in the early '80s? Does Roth still have the pipes to hit the high notes? Can Eddie's 16-year-old son, Wolfgang, fill the bass duties of one the best arena rock bands of the past 30 years? And most importantly, how long before the joy ride explodes into a fiery crash?

A lot of Van Halen fans, scorned and scarred by past titillations of a Roth-Van Halen reunion, asked themselves these questions as plans formulated for the current string of dates, Roth's first tour with the band since his departure in 1985. The answers lie in the song: "You hit the ground runnin'."

When you do, though, there will be times when you stumble. Case in point: During the breakdown of "Panama," Roth mistakenly thought he was in the middle of "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love." Or when Roth forgot the words to "So This Is Love?" during the first verse.

But through the two-hour, 10-minute sold-out show, Van Halen showed the musical dexterity and emotional ferocity that made the band the champs of arena rock.

Reprising his role as lead singer after a scattered and unsuccessful solo career, Roth's vocals hit all the right notes. Gen X's answer to the original blond-haired rock god, Robert Plant, the 53-year-old Roth beamed like a birthday boy, strutting and parading around the stage as if he owned it.

Roth was glam before glam was big, admired by head bangers and loved by women (with a healthy dose of ego thrown in). Now Roth needs the Van Halen clan more than ever. And, with the missteps of Gary Cherone and Sammy Hagar in the rearview mirror, the Van Halen brothers need Roth, too.

Eddie, the guitar god whose style of two hands on the fretboard produced the ethereal arpeggios that changed how we view the six-string instrument, looked happy to be onstage with his son, slapping him high fives and giving him encouragement throughout the show. The 52-year-old guitarist also appeared pleased to be sharing the stage with Roth. The two traded call-and-responses during the opener "You Really Got Me," "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" and "Everybody Wants Some."

Alex, whose steady drums have laid the groundwork for Eddie's explorations throughout Van Halen's history, anchored the entire show with precision. At 54, he is the band's eldest member. But his age didn't show in the blistering five-minute drum solo midway through the concert.

After the brothers Van Halen fired longtime bassist Michael Anthony in 2006, Eddie and Alex decided to keep it in the family by recruiting Wolfgang to handle bass duties. The young man held his own in the bright lights of Cox Arena, adding back-up vocals and his own take on the traditional VH bass lines.

Van Halen's 24-song set fell into a couple of categories: the covers ("You Really Got Me" and "Pretty Woman"), the pop songs ("Dance the Night Away," "I'll Wait" and "Jump") and the essential rockers ("Runnin' With the Devil," "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love). But Wolfgang, who chose the set list for the 45-date tour, added a few gems: "I'm the One" and "Atomic Punk" from the 1978 self-titled disc, "Mean Street" from "Fair Warning" and "Romeo Delight" from "Women and Children First."

DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune
David Lee Roth leapt into the air at Cox Arena with guitarist Eddie Van Halen behind him. The band roared through a list of songs from its historic career.

DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune
It was a family affair Sunday at Cox Arena with Eddie Van Halen (left) going back-to-back with his bassist son, Wolfgang, and his brother, Alex, on drums.

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