(Charlotte, NC) October 2, 2007 - With a blazing and defiant guitar run, rock legends VAN HALEN lit the torch on the opening night of one of the most highly anticipated tours in rock history. More than 18,000 fans, including those lining the rafters, stood on their feet at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, as original lead vocalist David Lee Roth took the stage with the band. It was a celebration of more than 22 years in the making.

"For more than two hours, the gods delivered," writes Rolling Stone magazine's Mark Kemp.

https://app.bronto.com/static/static/mail/buttons/save.gif Guitar innovator Eddie Van Halen, his drum legend brother Alex, and Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolfgang on bass joined Roth for the festivities, breathing new, invigorated life into a jaw-dropping canon of material.

The Hollywood Reporter noted "for one perfect night in Charlotte, Van Halen was nothing short of spectacular."

The blistering delivery of hit after hit played out like the soundtrack to countless sun-drenched summers and a wealth of more to come. Starting with the familiar strains of the band's groundbreaking interpretation of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", VAN HALEN weaved in and out of its catalog, pairing iconic anthems like "Jump," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Panama" along with other fan favorites including "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Jamie's Cryin'." All of this was delivered amid a myriad of fanning laser lights, an earth rumbling onslaught of sound and a stage-spanning screen perfect for capturing Eddie Van Halen's intricate fret work.

Roth, who Rolling Stone describes as evolving with "style, grace and his eternally smart sense of flamboyant irony," pranced and preened like a possessed flamenco hitting the notes with a power and precision like never before. Jim Farber of the New York Daily News cites Eddie Van Halen as displaying his innovative style at the top of his game. "More than 25 years since he first pioneered his two-hands-on-the-fretboard approach," Farber wrote, "Eddie remains a technical wonder. Again, last night he did loop-do-loops around the melodies, and peeled into wheelies in the choruses."

USA Today reporter Mike Snider says Alex Van Halen, armed with sticks and pulse thumping grit," continued to stoke the band's fire." And Rolling Stone recalls that the headband-shrouded arsenalist "pounded his kit with a constant smile."

All eyes were on Wolfgang Van Halen who, according to Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun, "displayed a confidence and musicianship well beyond his age, even venturing out on the band's S-shaped catwalk by himself to get closer to the crowd." Wolfgang's spirited delivery echoes the timeless youthfulness found in the band today and tomorrow. The cradle will rock, indeed.

Up to the show's sparkling confetti-laden encore, VAN HALEN "filled the arena with hard rock energy rarely generated since, well, the band's previous forays," says USA Today.

At the launch of this momentous occasion, VAN HALEN proved not only can you go home again, but it sometimes elicits the sweet sound of new beginnings.

And the capacity crowd in Charlotte answered the age old question. Yes, everybody wants some. Shows in other cities including LA and New York sold out in minutes.