Photos by Jarrod Vrazel

Van Halen : 5150 in Houston

Van Halen live at Toyota Center : September 23, 2004 : Houston, Texas

Sammy Hager – vocals

Edward Van Halen – guitar

Alex Van Halen – drums

Michael Anthony – bass

Van Halen made a triumphant return to Houston Thursday night at Toyota Center. Touring for the first time in eight years in support of [url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000286S8S/zrockcom-20]The Best of Both Worlds[/url], Sammy, Edward, Alex, and Michael got things started with a bang with Jump and Runaround. They then proceeded to run around the stage on a trip through Van Halen past and present, reaching back a little to the Twister soundtrack for Humans Being, back a little further for hits like Jump, Panama, and You Really Got Me, and forward to the present with new songs Up for Breakfast, Learning to See, and It’s About Time. Highlights of the show included Sammy’s acoustic Eagles Fly during his solo set; Edward’s unrivaled display of musicianship during his solo set, anchored by his trademark Eruption; Dreams; and Right Now. After Edward’s solo set, Sammy came back on stage wearing a Houston Texans cap as the band launched into Dreams. A number of dreams for Houston sports fans have been realized since Van Halen performed Dreams on the 5150 tour at the Summit almost exactly eighteen years ago (September 29, 1986.) Two NBA championships, the arrival of the Texans after the Oilers left town, new football, baseball, and basketball venues, Roger Clemens coming home to play for the Astros, the MLB All Star Game, and who can forget the Super Bowl and the biggest party of them all, ]Sammy Hagar’s Super Bash Super Bowl party.

Houston and Sammy have had a special relationship going all the way back to when Sammy was a regular feature at the legendary Texxas Jam concerts. The band rocked the night away in true Van Halen style with few exceptions, notably a musically tired sounding Why Can’t This Be Love. The multimedia screens enhanced the production values of the spectacle that is Van Halen by putting the crowd up close. The videos accompanying Sammy’s solo set were amazing, as was the updated video footage for Right Now. Towards the end of the song, the video flashed Right Now Be Happy. The crowd Thursday night was definitely happy to see true musicians rocking the house once again.