Van Halen Announce Massive North American Summer Tour

Seeing Van Halen live at Madison Square Garden in 2008ish — their first reunion tour with David Lee Roth — was nothing short of magical. I legit cried when they took the stage. Wept like a little boy! Figures, given I’d been waiting since I was a little boy for that moment.

Things have been a little rockier since then, whatwith some canceled dates, health scares and the usual constant speculation on band in-fighting. But it seems as the Van Halen brothers, Eddie’s progeny and DLR are giving it another whirl this summer, this time to promote their new live album Tokyo Dome Live In Concert, recorded last summer.

I realize that VH are considered “dad rock” now — even though EDDIE VAN HALEN FUCKING INVENTED HEAVY METAL GUITAR PLAYING AS WE KNOW IT, SO YOU BETTER BOW DOWN IN RESPECT, SON — but they were such an important part of the development of my taste in heavy music, and I’d be BEYOND stoked to go and see them again. Plus, DLR’s new bald, tattooed torso look — I must see it in person! I have no doubt he’s still got something left in the tank… dude’s 60 years old and in better shape than I was at 20.

Here are the dates, via Metal Injection. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will open all dates.

July
5 – White River Amphitheatre, Seattle
7 – Amphitheater Northwest, Portland, Ore.
9 – Concord Pavilion, Concord, Calif.
11 – San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino, Calif.
14 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, Calif.
16 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.
18 – USANA Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City
20 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colo.
22 – Cricket Wireless Amphitheater, Kansas City, Mo.
24 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Chicago
26 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
28 – First Niagara Pavilion
30 – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion

August
1 – Xfinity Center, Boston
3 – Blossom Music Center, Cleveland
5 – Western Fair District, London, Ont.
7 – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto
9 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, N.J.
11 – Xfinity Center, Hartford, Conn.
13 – Nikon At Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, N.Y.
23 – Hershey Park, Hershey, Penn.
25 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y.
27 – Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J.
29 – Jiffy Lube Live, Washington, D.C.
31 – Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati

September
2 – Klipsch Music Center, Indianapolis
4 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit,
6 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, N.Y.
9 – Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, N.C.
11 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte
13 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
15 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla.
17 – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Birmingham, Ala.
21 – Austin360 Amphitheater, Austin
23 – Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas
25 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston
28 – Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix
30 – Sleep Train Amphitheatre, San Diegop

October
2 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles