St. Pete Times Forum | Tampa, FL | 04/14/2012
My first ever concert! Growing up, Dad raised me on all the classic rock and hair metal bands he enjoyed. Guns 'n Roses, Aerosmith, and Motley Crue were amongst some of his favorites, but none of them compared to Van Halen. When Dad caught wind that Van Halen would be touring with original singer David Lee Roth to promote their new album A Different Kind of Truth, he swore he needed to go - but most importantly, he knew I needed to see them with him and Mom.
I will admit I didn't appreciate Van Halen that much back then. Around this time I liked heavier music, the emo bands whose t-shirts hung proudly in Hot Topic. Most kids my age were attending concerts for artists and bands they liked such as Taylor Swift or Black Veil Brides. There was a period of time where I was ashamed to tell people that the first concert I attended was Van Halen. Did anybody my age even know who Van Halen were? Not to mention I was probably the youngest person in the audience. The second youngest person was none other than Wolfgang Van Halen, a member of the band!
But now that I actually enjoy classic rock music and have gained an appreciation for Van Halen, it's like wow... I saw Van Halen! And with original singer David Lee Roth too. Lots of Van Halen's classics graced the setlist - "Unchained", "Everybody Wants Some!!", "Dance the Night Away", and of course, "Jump", the show's final song. I remember David Lee Roth waving around a giant checkerboard flag for some reason. Also, I think I witnessed a side of my mother that up until that night I had never seen before. While Eddie was ripping into a solo, she screamed, "I love you, Eddie!" from our seats somewhere in the 100s section. Needless to say, 15 year old me was slightly flustered!
Click here to see pictures and videos from the concert!