It was never really supposed to happen.
As an admirer, fan and ardent supporter, there is nothing I wanted more than for it to happen. I've spent countless hours deliberating the possibility, while daydreaming in classes, spinning vinyl or during those long nights when sleep eluded my grasp.
I dreamed this day would come. I even predicted it in this very column, way back on Oct. 13, 2003-but there was always a tiny, sinister voice in the back of my head saying, \Dream on, man. This is never going to happen and you know it."" Today I am happy to say that dreams do come true.
Van Halen is going on tour.
After six years of false reports, legal discrepancies, an absolute dearth of concerts and a bevy of broken hopes, the band is back together. On June 11, 2004, in Greensboro, N.C., the streak ends, the naysayers lose and the disrespect shown by every media outlet from Rolling Stone to VH1 will cease. My life, or at least the musical portion of it, will once again be vindicated.
I love Van Halen. For those of you who missed the ""subtle"" hints in this column, those of you who have never read my column or those who have yet to participate in a 10-minute conversation with me, you are now up to speed. If you don't care for Van Halen or don't want to read any more about my passion for one of the greatest rock bands ever, turn the page-you aren't going to enjoy the next 286 words. Not that I sympathize with you, anyway.
A few years ago, while toying with the remote possibility of a Van Halen reunion with either Sammy Hagar or David Lee Roth, I promised myself that no matter where I was or what I was doing, I'd drop everything and go on tour with the band. Never did I imagine that such a glorious time would come so soon.
Now that the new album is primed to ship and Eddie, Alex, Michael and Sammy are hitting the 5150 studios to hammer out the set-list that will be rocking this beautiful country all summer, I realize that my ""drop everything"" scenario will most likely not be a reality. Well, unless the band agrees to let me tag along on tour and chronicle its mammoth awesomeness through my writing.
I will, however, be glued to my computer this Saturday morning at 9 a.m. sharp. Hopefully the Ticketmaster and ClearChannel gods will be kind to a young college student who has been waiting all his life to see his favorite band live. If I'm lucky and score some seats for the first VH show of the millennium, so be it, but the bottom line is that everything will be put on hold for at least one night this summer so I can indulge in my very own auditory nirvana.
So if you run into me sometime during the rest of the semester and find a spacey look on my face, don't fret. I won't be worrying about some useless essay assignment or stressing over another fleeting exam grade-I'll be playing all those beautiful guitar solos in my head, preparing for when I finally hear them from the man himself.
