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Customer Reviews for Van Halen
Customer Reviews for Van Halen
Review 1 for Van Halen
Overall Rating:
Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!
Date:November 18, 2010
This was 19 years ago, but it is something I will never ever forget. In 1988, Sammy Hagar performed at an annual summer music festival called the Texxas Jam. He decided his performance was awful (I think he wasn't feeling well and had vocal troubles). He vowed that he would do a free concert to make up for the bad show. Every time he came through Dallas or appeared on Q102/KTXQ, he mentioned that he was working on trying to set up the free show. A couple of times, it was scheduled but plans always fell through.
I went to work at Dallas Alley (aka Step III Entertainment) part-time and was hired full-time in 1991. Our then-vice-president Jerry Thompson had gone to a 'secret' meeting in October 1991. When he came back, he looked like the cat who swallowed the canary...LOL! He said he had a special surprise for us that would take place in December, and he bet that no one would guess what it was. Having been a devoted and longtime Q102 listener, I guessed it right off the bat. WooHoo for me! Jerry looked extremely shocked and surprised (he normally had a great poker face!) but quickly recovered and denied that was it was Sammy bringing Van Halen to do the long-promised free show. Lots of preparations were made, even down to greasing the light poles around the plaza of Dallas Alley. Dallas Alley employees were given very strict instructions as to when to get to work, where to park, and how to gain access to the building, etc.
Of course, a few weeks later, there was a big press conference in Take 5, one of the clubs that made up Dallas Alley, where Sammy, Eddie, Alex and Michael talked about the show. They flew into Dallas to perform this one show during their Christmas break; they were scheduled for perform at Reunion Arena in February 1992.
I woke that morning sick as a dog, but I was damned if I was going to miss this event....LOL! The morning was hard to get through as the phone rang incessantly from people trying to get information about the show and roadies were trying to set up the stage. People were constantly coming and going through the office. The streets were lined with people as far as the eye could see. Finally, the big moment arrived. Sammy and the guys performed an hour-long set that included Van Halen classics as well as cuts of their new CD 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.' I was lucky enough to go down to the plaza to stand backstage and watch the show for a little while. The rest of the show I watched from upstairs. That was the best show I EVER saw at Dallas Alley. Alas, Dallas Alley is no longer open, but I still have my memories.
BTW, I was so sick that I ended up missing the next couple of days of work, but it was sooooo worth it! :-)
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