Watch Van Halen Rock The Orpheum in 1979
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 13: Singer David Lee Roth speaks at the Van Halen press conference announcing their new tour at the Four Seasons Hotel on August 13, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
May 14, 1979. Van Halen headlined the second of two sold-out shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston. And we have 13 minutes of footage from the gig.
The show was part of Van Halen’s World Vacation Tour, and there’s not a lot on the ‘net that has to do with the Boston shows on May 13 and 14. I was, however, able to find some fan-shot Super 8 footage of the band making their way through part of the set. So revel in the glory of Diamond Dave 40-plus years ago.
I wasn’t able to find a setlist online for this particular gig, but I did find a setlist from one of their Palladium shows in New York City a few days earlier, so you can take a look at that for reference.
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.