On Monday night, veteran rockers Van Halen remerged after nearly two years in hibernation and performed live in Hollywood on the neon-washed set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Even though they ostensibly came to plug their new 'Tokyo Dome Live in Concert' album, the band's main focus was juicing sales for their upcoming summer tour, which gets underway in July. While the audience got to enjoy the whole set that night, the Kimmel show would broadcast five Van Halen live performances over two nights, "Panama," "Runnin' with the Devil," "Hot For Teacher," "Eruption," "You Really Got Me" and a portion of "Dance the Night Away."
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But all of that's window dressing once Roth begins to sing. Roth, it seems, like many aging vocalists, has lost much of the high end off of his voice. Forget his patented whistle register screams that punctuated every great song the band ever released back in the day, the chorus on 'Panama' -- hardly an example of a technically challenging vocal part -- gives Roth fits. Things don't get much better for Roth as the night proceeds. While the band smokes, he struggles with "Devil," too, before delivering in an adequate performances on "Teacher" and "You Really Got Me." Still, it's evident that he's giving it a go, sticking a finger in his ear to help him stay on key, singing every verse and chorus with gusto.
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That said, Roth did rise to the occasion by performing well as a singer on Van Halen's first two world tours in 1978 and 1979, unleashing his spine-tingling screams with abandon, and keeping the melodies intact, even as he entertained the crowd.By the early 80s, though, David Lee Roth put his emphasis on turning Van Halen's giant arena shows into massive parties. If he missed a verse while launching himself off of a giant drum riser, guess what, the armies of teenagers in the audience who'd smoked some Mexican dirt weed and pounded Southern Comfort couldn't have cared less. I know, because I was one of them. Here was a guy who was half-Tarzan, half-superhero who turned an arena show into a giant keg party punctuated with circus-like acrobatics. Nobody went to see Van Halen live back in the early 80s to enjoy the melodious vocal stylings of one David Lee Roth.
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And do take note of Eddie and Alex's expressions on the Kimmel show while Roth does his ADHD thing. They are smiling and laughing, and enjoying the proceedings. They aren't cringing or frowning while Roth sings. Why? Because they know David Lee Roth as a singer in 2015 isn't a markedly different vintage from David Lee Roth circa 1973. Vocals were never Job One for David Lee Roth as live performer. Why would we want it to be now?My advice? If you go see Van Halen this summer, thank your higher power that Eddie, who looked like walking death in 2004, is out kicking ass with his brother and his son. And when Roth proposes a toast after he flubs another verse, drink up and enjoy the party, just like Van Halen fans have done since 1973.Greg Renoff ain't just talkin' bout love with his forthcoming book Van Halen Rising. Follow him on twitter.