Diamond in the Doo-Doo

My first concert ever was Van Halen in 1982. I was 13 and almost definitely wearing feather earrings, with bandannas hanging from my belt loops and wrapped around my wrists. The show was at The Capital Centre (where, four years later, the legendary Heavy Metal Parking Lot was filmed) in Landover, Maryland. It felt significant then and it has stayed significant, marking the beginning of something important in my life. They kicked ass, or at least I think they did. I was kind of blown away by the whole experience and only have fleeting memories of the actual performance. However, I saw them again at the same place two years later, and I am quite sure they kicked ass. By then I was a seasoned rocker and stood right up front. Van Halen and I have both been through a lot of changes in the 23-plus years in between, but they are now on tour with close to their original lineup. The bass player is Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, but the revolving door of singers has come home to David Lee Roth. The whole dysfunctional gang will be coming to Dallas to kick some ass 8 p.m. Saturday at the American Airlines Center. Tickets are $49.50 to $149.50. Visit ticketmaster.com.
Sat., Jan. 26, 8 p.m., 2008