POP MUSIC REVIEW : Van Halen: Only Surprise is the Locle

Despite the mob scene that resulted Wednesday afternoon when almost 3,000 enthusiastic Van Halen fans surrounded the Whisky hoping to get tickets for the band’s rare club appearance, the performance itself that night was naggingly predictable.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary by returning to the L.A. club scene that spawned the rock quartet, Van Halen had hoped to relay the music to fans outside via a rooftop sound system and video screens.

But that was canceled, lead singer Sammy Hagar announced onstage, after the afternoon uproar, which tied up traffic in the area for more than two hours as law enforcement officers patrolled the area. There were no injuries and one person was arrested for disobeying a police order after trying to enter a secured area.

In order to purchase tickets to the concert, the fans first had to rush from the Whisky during the afternoon to the Palladium, a few miles away, to get wristbands that guaranteed them the chance to purchase one of the 250 available tickets that night at the club.

After all that, the fans were treated to a vigorous spate of hits from Van Halen’s just-released live album. The band’s mood was typically easygoing and casual--a contrast to the urgency and drama of so many hard-rock attractions.

While the band’s low-key demeanor was refreshing, the set’s impact was marred by its lack of surprise. Where the most engaging rock bands gain much of their power and excitement from at least the illusion of spontaneity, Van Halen tends to give you pretty much what you expect.

If ever Van Halen was going to surprise you, you’d think the band would do it on a night when it was celebrating its roots in a hometown club. No such luck.

That doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything to enjoy Wednesday. Highlights of the show included the hard-driving “Judgment Day,” which showcased guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s two-hand tapping technique, in which he uses his fretboard like a keyboard, and the Hagar-led sing-along on “Finish What You Started.”

Proceeds from the concert--which also was a warm-up for an upcoming European tour--will go to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences’ MusiCares, which provides assistance to musicians in times of health or financial emergencies.