VAN HALEN Rockers resurrect the '90s

Reality check? There's plenty of reality to go around. Bring on the band.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Bill Clinton is in the news every day and Van Hagar, ahem Van Halen, is making its way across the country on another arena tour. Beware an influx of mullets, because the culture barometer seems to be blowing us back to the early 1990s.
The latest chapter in nostalgia, begun by successful excursions by Prince and Madonna this year, is making its way to the area and proves that rock music is like any other mass-marketed product.
Name recognition for the proven commodity known as Van Halen has brought out those who remember when sitting in front of your car, downing a beer before a concert didn't result in a ticket for an open container, as well as those who want to get a taste of that big-time party rock that's missing from the myriad of angst-ridden cookie cutter punk and metal acts of today.
It's not a major surprise that Sammy Hagar, the Van Halen brothers and Michael Anthony patched up their differences to give concert promoters something to smile about in this summer of dismal ticket sales.
Hagar received an unceremonious boot from the band back in 1996. Other than public sniping, the real reason(s) behind it still haven't been revealed. When Van Halen continued with former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone on "Van Halen III," the lack of hooks, coupled with milquetoast material, created fan disinterest, which made it the group's worst selling album. In a panic, Cherone was then dropped.
Ever since Hagar's departure, original frontman David Lee Roth's name kept popping in and out of the picture as his replacement. A couple of recordings on "Best Of Vol. 1" and a public appearance on MTV led to positive speculation of a reunion. But Roth's arena-size ego more than likely reignited old bitterness, and nothing came of it.
As for Hagar, he was back playing solo gigs with his band in much smaller venues than he was accustomed to over the previous decade with Van Halen. And then, to make matters worse, he did a co-headlining tour with Roth, his hated rival, in the summer of 2002.
While Hagar intended to outhustle and outplay Roth and his set of VH favorites from the quartet's early days, the opening night of the tour at Blossom Music Center resembled a long commercial for Hagar's Cabo Wabo tequila more than a rock show. From the stage curtain to between song banter, his onstage gear and even a song, Hagar shilled for his liquor.
(To give Hagar his due, credit should be given to him for his ability to pay attention to every gift -- hat, T-shirt, banner, flowers -- that arrives onstage. He decorates the stage with such artifacts as a sign of unity and respect rather than ignoring the goods and allowing a roadie to pull them offstage.)
Not doing much better, guitarist Eddie Van Halen battled cancer, endured hip replacement, went through a divorce from American sweetheart Valerie Bertenelli, and suffered a degree of indifference from fans who felt betrayed by his public statements about the band's two former singers and the lame "III" release. For the one-time revolutionary wunderkind, it seemed that his and the band's best days were little more than memories.
Gradual reunion
As the band members scraped near bottom, the forces of nature shifted and found Hagar calling drummer Alex Van Halen last Thanksgiving while vacationing with his family in southern California. The pleasantries led to meeting up with the now-healthy Eddie, who happened to be in his recording studio. Uncomfortable conversation about the past eventually wound down to the playing of new vocal-less tracks created by the Van Halens.
The bridges that were once burned have now been reconstructed. Hagar provided lyrics and vocals on several numbers that will be included on a two-disc career-spanning compilation album, "The Best of Both Worlds," that comes out July 20.
He's even sticking it to Roth on the current tour by tackling some of the band's early material that Roth made famous and Hagar avoided.
For those attending, it doesn't matter who does the singing. They've immersed themselves into a celebratory world of rock 'n' roll that views life as one unending party. And in a world where the color scheme has become the gauge for whether you should be duct taping your windows or crumbling into a ball and wimpering, it's a much-needed respite from reality.