PSA: Van Halen Is On 'Ellen' Today

The Van Halen PR machine keeps chugging. Today, our beloved band will perform on The Ellen Show. Might as well jump, ya'll. Check your local listings.

I hope you don’t have any plans for Thursday, because @VanHalen may or may not be performing “Jump” on my show. (They are.) #VanHellen

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 31, 2015

Comments

[Jason]

Saw it. Even less impressive than the Kimmel clips. They're totally off halfway through the song. One of my favorite bands ever, but looks like I'll be saving a few hundred bucks this summer.

Anyone else think Roth looks just like Harvey Levin?

[Ace Steele]

^ Interesting... I thought this was better than the trainwreck that was the Hollywood Blvd./Kimmel performance.

Dave's voice just isn't there anymore. His vocal delivery is akin to someone with Tourette's Syndrome... and his goofy smile is like something you see at the finish line @ the Special Olympics.

Ed can still play, but he is marred by the overuse of multiple delays... he doesn't need them.

Alex is a capable drummer... nothing stands out for or against him.

Wolf simply does not belong. No Micheal Anthony & his stellar background vocals = No real Van Halen.

P.S. I'm sorry if anyone gets upset by my valid criticisms, but I will not sit by & say "Gee, that was great" when it wasn't. I saw VanHalen as a bar band. And that "bar band" wiped the floor with this nostalgia act of the same name.

[mewizemgic]

Sadly Ace, I have to agree. Dave's constant smile is disturbing. His off key and tone deaf singing is worse than usual as if he's trying to hard to sing the high notes. Jump was okay. Dance the Night Away was real bad. As a HUGE Dave VH fan it's hard to watch. It's a rock n roll band not a Broadway f'in show Dave.

Mike is probably laughing his ass off watching Wolfie.

[Jeff]

Dave is Dave...we all know that. He's been that way since he rejoined the band. He is not a singer and has never been. He more of a showman than anything else. Go back and listen to some of the youtube clips from the 70's and 80's, Dave was not much different then. He is always off-key and playing to the audience. The biggest thing even more noticeable now is that now that Dave is older, the fact the Michael Anthony isn't there to make up for Dave's lack of singing and provide the fill-ins is much more evident. One thing is for certain, EDDIE is on FIRE. I haven't heard him play this well in a long time. Wolf is solid on bass, but vocals are lacking. Alex is Alex, steady as always.

[Gary]

Ace,LMRAO on the Dave apology!. Now,as someone who worshipped these guys (Eddie was my idol in my formative years,along with Randy Rhoads) From their inception right up to the Gary Cherone debacle,I sadly have to agree with you. Eddie seems to be more interested in pushing all of his incredibly overpriced equipment line by using waaay to many effects now in his signal chain,and Dave's voice is beyond shot. I also cannot move past how they completely fucked Mike Anthony.Guy WAS the bulk of the vocals that a certain someone got the credit for,and never said a word or complained. Thanks he got was being railroaded out of the band and them trying to erase all his contributions. WTF?? I passed on the last go round,and for as much as I'm torn about it, I will probably pass this time also.

[mewizemgic]

This would be something I could listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8APTMyKsg

Tokyo Dome Tracks, Kimmel and Ellen - hard to listen to - sadly. Dave was a singer and a showman. Now he's barely either. While age is a factor - there's way more to it than that.

Maybe he could/should get some vocal coaching.

[Metalboy!]

I'm with Jeff on this.

I still think they're awesome and Diamond Dave is one of my heroes and always will be!

p.s. And, yes, Jason, I agree, he could pass as Harvey Levin's brother.

[Metalboy!]

I'm with Jeff on this.

I still think they're awesome and Diamond Dave is one of my heroes and always will be!

p.s. And, yes, Jason, I agree, he could pass as Harvey Levin's brother.

[Metalboy!]

I'm with Jeff on this.

I still think they're awesome and Diamond Dave is one of my heroes and always will be!

p.s. And, yes, Jason, I agree, he could pass as Harvey Levin's brother.

[Metalboy!]

Geez... Sorry, for the repetition. Damn computers are still in the dark ages!

[Dj]

I wanna see em this summer so bad. You gotta remember, Roth never had an amazing love voice but it looks like he can still work a crowd. Love the Roth era VH, hopefully I can go see em.

[Him]

See my previous post on this topic, natch.

DLR has always been about outside-the-box creativity, non-linear thinking, and a deep, deep love of history (musically and otherwise). He could school most music historians (of certain genres) while slapping their significant others and "finking" (fake drinking) Jack off the backs of midgets dressed as sumo wrestlers. A stretch? Not when it comes to DLR.

At this point, his brand is being hurt by VH's brand. It reeks of calculation and smells like a cash grab. Thing is, DLR has been one heck of a calculated fellow all along. Just not this beholden to VH, or so willing to put his limitations on the table in search of . . . I really can't say.

Fanboys (and girls) have limits. He is pushing mine.

[Sidebar: go back and watch the old videos. That grin was always there, that focused stare as well. But it is now taunt and rictus-looking on account of age. So I don't begrudge him that.]

[Rita]

Ok. I just watched this. It wasn't that bad. Sure it's not 1978 Van Halen or 1984 Van Halen but it is still a heck of a lot better than some of the shite out there today.

And DLR might have less hair now and show off less of his body, but he still seems pretty much the same to me. Very cute and likeable.

Yeah Mike Anthony should be there. But just like original KISS and GNR, don't ever see that happening again. Unfortunately :(

[Him]

Appreciate your spirit, Rita. He still does his best and works the crowd like very few frontmen can.

I just wish the dysfunctional VH could settle into a groove and build on the strength of their last album.

You are also right Rita: very few frontmen sport an attitude and a torso that well-defined. DLR embodies rock n' roll even if his voice cracks more, his theatrics are a bit more reserved, and so on.

One thing though: he is sporting more hair now than he did a month or so ago! And it looks--don't quote me on this--as if he is going the "regrowth" route (see: Bono). I just wish he would let his bald dome shine. Nothing wrong with it.

[Him]

Appreciate your spirit, Rita. He still does his best and works the crowd like very few frontmen can.

I just wish the dysfunctional VH could settle into a groove and build on the strength of their last album.

You are also right Rita: very few frontmen sport an attitude and a torso that well-defined. DLR embodies rock n' roll even if his voice cracks more, his theatrics are a bit more reserved, and so on.

One thing though: he is sporting more hair now than he did a month or so ago! And it looks--don't quote me on this--as if he is going the "regrowth" route (see: Bono). I just wish he would let his bald dome shine. Nothing wrong with it.

[Him]

Appreciate your spirit, Rita. He still does his best and works the crowd like very few frontmen can.

I just wish the dysfunctional VH could settle into a groove and build on the strength of their last album.

You are also right Rita: very few frontmen sport an attitude and a torso that well-defined. DLR embodies rock n' roll even if his voice cracks more, his theatrics are a bit more reserved, and so on.

One thing though: he is sporting more hair now than he did a month or so ago! And it looks--don't quote me on this--as if he is going the "regrowth" route (see: Bono). I just wish he would let his bald dome shine. Nothing wrong with it.

[Him]

Sorry about the double post. The page keeps crashing.

[Rita]

HIm - I know his voice is quite a bit worse for wear, and I would give my left arm to see those split jumps and samurai sword moves again from a 30 year old DLR, but I know it's just not possible.

You've touched on this subject before a few times but the reality is our heroes are older now and so are we. That often means less hair, more wrinkles and in some cases a few extra pounds. But as long as a little bit of the old magic is still there, I think I'm finally ok with it. I would rather have this version of Van Halen than no version of Van Halen.

I still love DLR and EVH and in my head I always picture the 30 year old versions, and think I always will.

Plus I think I heard they have enough material for a new album, so I think that will happen soon (maybe?).

[fletch]

here, here rita! I was all intent to come on here an post how shallow, narrow-minded, simpletons some of you really are, but to quote meatloaf (rita), you took the words right out of my mouth.

I hope that when I'm 60+, I have the physique, style, comprehension, agility, humor, knowledge, wisdom, comfort, happiness and many more adverbs that david lee roth outputs.

I hope that dave keeps on, that eddie keeps on, that van halen keep on, that keifer keeps on, that bret keeps on, that howard and robin keep on, that him keeps on, that ace keeps on, that Christian keeps on, that allyson keeps on, that my mentors keep on, that we all keep on, and on and on, and on and on....over and over, round and round, again...and to everyone I failed to mention, keep on!

I hope and pray that I'm as well-oiled and defined as roth is (sans tattoo) when I get to that point in my life. It's an escalating, spiral staircase of awareness and understanding. ...and when you get to the top...you gotta get out, or just run back down again!

[Him]

Kudos to both of you, Fletch and Rita. I, too, will take VH--especially this version--over no VH.

DLR still has a lot of the assets. He just needs to play to his strengths and, hopefully, injects a bit of his creativity into the VH Machine that he has signed back on to this time. That, and release and tour that darn solo album.

Rita, you shot me back in time with your comments on DLR and his gymnastics! I still recall his solo spin through Vegas over a decade ago, at the HoB. He had that fake (but majestic) mane, and the sequined jumpsuit. He was swinging a pipe (not a sword) around like a pro and doing those kicks. Time came for him to open up the suit and--I swear--the audience went dead silent. It was as if all of us, men and women alike, were thinking: "Dear me, I hope a flabby belly doesn't pop out." The roar went up when he revealed a six-pack.

And the thing was . . . he understood the audience reaction perfectly and just stood there, smiling and nodding. Not too long after that someone was getting a face blast of his Jack and a slightly blue offer for some off-stage shenanigans. And even when his hair, dripping with sweat, revealed the pluggish underpinnings, no one gave a good gosh darn. The music, the manic energy, the performance. DLR will always be a showman first, a vocalist second.