BY JAY LUSTIG
Star-Ledger Staff

As David Lee Roth said at one point during Van Halen's Friday night concert at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, "Better late than never."

The show was originally scheduled for March 28, but was postponed when guitarist Eddie Van Halen had to undergo medical tests. Eddie's illness has not been disclosed. But he looked exceptionally fit on Friday, played with dazzling speed and fluidity, and generally seemed to be having the time of his life.

Not bad for a 53-year-old who not only had a serious medical issue in March, but who has also, in the past, had tongue and mouth cancer and hip- replacement surgery, and battled a drug-and-alcohol addiction.

The tour, which began last year and also includes rescheduled shows at the Izod Center, tomorrow, and Madison Square Garden, May 23, marks the return to the band of frontman Roth. The preening, fast-talking singer went solo in 1985, leaving the singing in the capable but less charismatic hands of Sammy Hagar.

Roth, also 53, seemed just as delighted as Eddie to be onstage, and in just as remarkable physical shape. The two seemed like something out of a health-club commercial, in fact, and, though their past feuds have been legendary, they came off like the best of friends, grinning widely at each other throughout the night, and exchanging high fives and hugs.

Roth's singing, though, was barely adequate -- characterless bellowing that contrasted sharply with Eddie's stunning riffs. While Eddie could reproduce his classic guitar parts live, and even add new enhancements, Roth sang with just a fraction of his old power.

Roth's goofy stage persona did, though, add a theatrical element to the show that was missing in the Hagar days. But with Alex Van Halen (Eddie's brother) drumming up a storm, and Eddie's 17-year-old son Wolfgang playing a solid bass and teaming up with Eddie on high backing vocals, Roth's singing was clearly the weak musical link.

Of course, it was entertaining just to see the old chemistry restored. The band focused on songs from the old days: hits like "Jump," "Panama," "Hot For Teacher" and "Runnin' With the Devil" as well as relative obscurities such as "I'm the One" and "Little Dreamer." There also were occasional detours, like portions of the Who's "Magic Bus" and Cream's version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" (inserted into "Romeo Delight" and "Somebody Get Me a Doctor," respectively).

Appropriately enough for a band that helped invent arena-rock, this show was an old-fashioned spectacle. Two mini-blimps, decorated with the band's logo, soared above the crowd before the set began. Roth waved a giant red flag at the start and the end of the show, and a ramp allowed him and, less frequently, other band members, to walk out toward the center of the floor.

The band used lasers, and enhanced the "Jump" encore with confetti. Roth twirled his mic stand with impressive speed, and rode a giant inflatable microphone.

The Van Halen brothers had long solo numbers. Alex's was as boring as most drum solos, while Eddie's was one of the show's high points. Roth also had a solo showcase, telling a long story about the band's early days before "Ice Cream Man," and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar for the first portion of the song (the band later kicked in). As he talked, someone in the audience yelled out something he didn't like, and he snapped back, "Who is that, Sammy Hagar?"

Soul singer Ryan Shaw was an odd choice for an opening act, but made the most out of his half hour, reaching out to crowd members with dynamic versions of songs he knew they would know, like the Beatles "Let It Be" and signature hits for Janis Joplin ("Piece of My Heart") and Otis Redding ("Try a Little Tenderness").

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