Today I was standing on the beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina about 6 feet from the Atlantic not far from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse with one of my many 12 foot surf rods in my hand soaking a bait and staring at the horizon trying to forget whatever might be going on in the world right now. I was tuned out and tuned into some loud jams coming out of the back of my Land Cruiser speakers parked right behind me with the tailgate down. As I was standing there with my mind only thinking about what my eyes were seeing across the ocean surface I get the word “Eddie Van Halen died!!” What? I woke up. Somebody call me a doctor this can’t be true.
A flashback to 1979. Van Halen takes the rock airwaves by storm. From the moment I hear this band I want more songs. I loved Van Halen music and I always will. Rock and Roll at it’s best. As I sit here and write this I understand how short life is and how cool it is to live in the same time as talent that is way above average, the kind of music talent that lives in the history books for a very long time. I think about how many times I got to see this band from only a few feet away and how it felt to hear the bass rattle your chest and the guitar penetrate your soul with the drums pounding and the crowd roaring. Yes ladies and gentlemen I have lived a good life if my time is up tonight. I saw Van Halen many times playing live!
It is Turntable Tuesday and I am not close to a turntable tonight but I wish I was. I would be going to 11 with some vinyl EVH “Eruption.” I am currently tuned into Jim Ladd on Sirius XM’s “Deep Tracks” on the side deck of the OBX house listening to a special Eddie Van Halen tribute on my Bose bluetooth speaker looking at the ocean as the sun goes down. The local brew is very good by the way. I had thought about cutting a podcast down here but had decided to take a week off. I left the gear in the studio. Bad idea. I have so much to say right now.
I remember the Van Halen live shows. I remember walking into Walnut Creek Amphitheater in Raleigh late due to traffic trying to find my seat as Eddie cranked up a Makita cordless drill dressed out in red, black, and white tape to start the show with his special opening to “Poundcake.” The hair on the back of my neck went straight up! The rest of the show was awesome as Sammy Hagar took the lead vocals to a new place and rocked the crowd. Crank it up!
I took my daughter Alexandra to a Van Halen show with David Lee Roth and Wolfgang. It was very loud and quite good. Thank you Etymotic Research earplugs. This was the first show on this tour in Greensboro, North Carolina as Van Halen had opened a tour before in Greensboro. It was sold out and the crowd was into it. The band rocked and the crowd made this one “electric” show! Sometimes the event is so electric it takes the music to whole ‘nother level. That is the moment the band totally excites you just to be there and the crowd roars and throws human energy at the stage. Those are special nights.
I get up and nothin’ gets me down
You got it tough, I’ve seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You got to roll with the punches and get to what’s real
Ah, can’t you see me standin’ here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen
Ah, can’t you see what I mean?
Ah, might as well jump (jump)
Might as well jump
Go ahead and jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump
Ow, oh, hey, you
Who said that?
Baby, how you been?
You say you don’t know
You won’t know until you begin
So can’t ya see me standing here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen
Ah, can’t you see what I mean?
Ah, might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump
Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump
Jump Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump
Get it in, jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Thank you Eddie Van Halen. We will miss you. Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.