JACK CORAGGIO | Special To The Courant

Trying to pick a single standout moment from Van Halen's performance at Mohegan Sun Tuesday would be nothing short of futile.

Some might argue that the jolting opener of the Kinks cover "You Really Got Me" was the key moment of the evening, as it set the tone for the very raucous two hours to come.

Others might say the swinging performances of "Dance the Night Away" and "Running with the Devil," two of the band's earliest hits, were the most outstanding points of the show, as they channeled the band's origins.

Or even, perhaps, the closing rendition of "Jump," one of the most recognizable songs ever, stood out for being the perfect cap to a great show.

But once again, quibbling over these details is pointless. Just the fact that brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen, the core of the band, are touring with rock 'n' roll jester and vocalist David Lee Roth for the first time in more than 20 years is astonishing enough.

After all, guitarist extraordinaire Eddie Van Halen and Roth each have infamous reputations for inflated egos. Case in point: For almost the entire show, Eddie stood stationary at center stage . a typically unfamiliar place for a guitarist . letting the rest of the band rotate around him.

But while Eddie preferred to be the center of the action, Roth chose to be the center of attention, employing signature falsetto yelps, roundhouse spin kicks (which weren't bad for a 53-year-old) and baton-like twirls of the microphone stand.

Still, it appeared these two rock heavyweights enjoyed each other's company. If there was one band member out of place, it was Eddie's 17- year-old son, Wolfgang, who, in a controversial move, recently replaced founding bassist Michael Anthony. And the cradle will rock, indeed.

With that in mind, it is unfair to refer to this tour as a reunion. It was more a celebration of just about every hit the band churned out from 1972 to 1985.

In other words, no tunes by subsequent singers Sammy Hagar or (the embarrassing) Gary Cherone made the set list. It was only original Halen, such as "Hot For Teacher," which spoke loudly to the rapt audience when Roth reached the poignant line, "I heard you missed us. We're back."

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