WGN Morning News Blog

Concert: Great performance by the band, despite Dave forgetting the words and his voice cracking. The sound was bad, way overmodulated, couldn’t understand a lot of the lyrics drowned out by the music, perhaps to mask Dave’s loss of range? Could have been the venue, I’ve never seen a concert at the Allstate. Hopefully it’s better at the UC Thursday night. Biggest crowd pleasers seemed to be Hot for Teacher, Jamie’s Cryin’, Panama and the encore, Jump (with piped in synthesizer). I've been to four Stones concerts and saw the Police over the summer, and this is the first one where I didn't notice anyone sitting down during any part of the show.

During Alex Van Halen’s drum solo, the rest of the band left the stage, and Alex continued for several minutes, it occurred to me that they may have just broken up again, given the way things change from minute to minute with the band, and that Sammy Hagar just might come out to finish the show.

Dave and Eddie: Seemed to enjoy themselves, gave each other a hug at the beginning to establish that "yes, we *are* getting along." Danced around each other a bit. I think Dave would act the same goofy way at Eddie’s funeral. People may make fun of how old they look, but I thought they looked like they were in great shape for 50-year-old guys. Most of us could only hope we look so good at that age.

Dave: He’s the ultimate showman: Part rock star, part circus ringmaster and part jazzercise instructor.

-This is the big stage he’s wanted for the last twenty years and you could tell he was just giddy by the permanent smile on his face – almost like the Joker on Batman.

-Nobody has worn a top hat as well as him since Abraham Lincoln, and no guy can pull off wearing a silk scarf like he can.

-He forgot the words a couple of times, most notably in Dance the Night Away – he blatantly admitted in the middle of the song "I forgot the (expletive) words."

Eddie: In case we had forgotten, this tour will re-establish Eddie as the top guitarist of our generation. He can do amazing things with a guitar.

However, his solo was excruciatingly long, about ten minutes of "indulge the genius that is me." Earlier in the show, he and Wolfgang did one of those obligatory guitar player "slide on the knees" moves. But it seemed like it was in slow motion, like Eddie may have been a bit tentative, concerned about coming up with a torn ACL or something. He had a lot of energy, was running around the stage like a teenager and seemed to be so proud that his son was up there playing with him.

Wolfgang: He seemed to do a competent job on bass. Apparently Valerie Bertinelli isn’t sharing her Jenny Craig with him. While his dad was shirtless, he looked somewhat goth with his dark clothes and hooded sweat shirt, sweating profusely perhaps trying shed that baby fat.

Alex: He’s looking more like Keith Richards these days, but kicked butt on drums.

Crowd: Average age: 43.7 (that’s the kind of in-depth research I do for this show).

The mullet was back and I spotted a *guy* with feathered hair. My wife suggested I was jealous.

Extras: T-shirts cost $35, bumper stickers that said "I can barely see the road" $10. Beer $7.25, lines way too long, so buy two at a time. Parking $15.

MIKE