By MELISSA RUGGIERI
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE Finally.

After two aborted attempts to play Charlottesville this spring, Van Halen didn't sport any residue from the "medical condition" that sidelined guitarist Eddie Van Halen two months ago, roaring through a two-hour set at John Paul Jones Arena last night.

So was the wait from the original February date worth it?

Definitely, if you were one of the thousands who have waited almost 25 years to see this real version of Van Halen -- the one with original vocalist/ ham bone David Lee Roth.

And even if you already caught this historic-for-fans tour when it launched last fall, to witness Roth, Eddie Van Halen, his drummer brother Alex and bassist son Wolfgang -- taking over for original Michael Anthony -- tear through a musical yearbook's worth of memories was an unbeatable night of nostalgic fun.

Van Halen's pungent version of "You Really Got Me" kick-started the show, with Roth, all game-show host smiles and used-car salesman cheese, kung-fu kicking in his skintight black and red ensemble.

But most in the crowd of about 10,000 had their eyes trained on Eddie Van Halen. Newly blond and looking as if he just returned from a Caribbean cruise in his white cargo pants and plaid shirt, Eddie nimbly unleashed his signature guitar riffs -- with some cool whammy bar effects -- during "Runnin' With the Devil" and the sunshiny swing of "Beautiful Girls."

An open-mouth grin remained plastered on Eddie's face throughout the show, as he repeatedly exchanged little glances with his 17-year-old son, who impressively anchored the high harmonies on "Everybody Wants Some" and "So This is Love."

Wolfgang is a subtle but formidable presence, and his robust bass playing suggested the kid has a lengthy musical career ahead of him.

While the show mostly zipped along, with interesting detours into The Who's "Magic Bus" and Eric Clapton's "Crossroads" invigorating Van Halen's potent-enough catalog, Roth sometimes unnecessarily slowed down the proceedings. Long-winded, pointless stories about a former girlfriend from Staunton and suburbs took up valuable time that could have been used for, say, "Hear About it Later."

But Roth's voice, which he often used for trademark rocker yelping to effectively mask some hoarseness, actually grew stronger and clearer as the show progressed.

By the time "Hot For Teacher" arrived 90 minutes in, with Alex Van Halen busily working his four (!) bass drums behind a fiefdom of percussion, Roth sounded almost record quality.

One small flaw of this tour, though, is its minimal production. The clean stage kept the focus where it should be -- the music, especially Eddie's wizardry -- but a circular ramp jutting from the stage was almost never utilized. In fact, it appeared its only purpose was to corral a small group of fans who had paid about a week's salary for a special VIP experience. C'mon, guys, don't tease people like that. If you built the ramp, use it to get closer to the folks who still showed up to support you.

But there will likely be minimal quibbling with a concert that included an exuberant sing-a-long of "Jamie's Cryin'" (even with some nasty feedback popping up) and "Ice Cream Man."

It may have taken this show two months to come to fruition, but for die-hard fans, some experiences are worth the wait.

David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen rock the John Paul Jones Arena, finally appearing in Charlottesville on May 2, 2008 after two cancelled dates. Photo By: The Daily Progress/Megan Lovett

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