September 2007 Featured User

AlbertR

Chelle: Well, Albert, why don't you tell us a little about yourself. Tell us about all your various duties you've performed (ie photographer for Atomic Punks, etc) and experiences in the VH/DLR world.

AlbertR: As far as duties... well, one of my business cards says "Music Fan and Collector". Some people ask what I collect and I say music and music memorabilia, but I thought it would be redundant to say "Music Fan and Music Collector".

In the VH/DLR world, I guess I started as a moderator of the live music section of DLRarmy.com around 1999 or 2000. I then helped out creating and maintaining a radio station they had. Eventually I was trusted to be Sarge's backup when he was traveling or couldn't get to certain things in a timely manner.

That lead to him contacting me about the VH tribute band I was already a fan of. Sarge wanted to create a good website for the Atomic Punks, but he also wanted someone local to the band to help be in contact with the band to help maintain it. I was able to maintain the website, add pictures and video, send out newsletters, add links to new stories, moderate the fan forum, etc. So from mid 2000 to mid 2001 I was the webmaster of www.TheAtomicPunks.com which led many great musical experiences.

In late 2000 I went to check out Ralph's other band, then called Metal Shop (now Metal Skool) which was also awesome because it had David Lee Roth's drummer at the time, Ray Luzier. I never had any official duties with Metal Shop or Metal Skool, but I created a yahoogroup for them and I still run the yahoogroup for Metal Skool fans (signup is easy at metalskool.albertr.com ).

Until earlier in 2007 I was one of the moderators of the dlrml (David Lee Roth mailing list) yahoogroup (signup is easy at vhdlr.albertr.com ), which is an unofficial fan list that was formed from a previously official DLR fan mailing list.

I've met David Lee Roth a few times including one very interesting encounter at the Sunset HOB after a New Years Eve show, which you might remember since you were a witness to a memorable moment (for me). I had just finished taking a picture in front of Dave's name on the marquee near the valet and parking lot and we were standing around talking about how great the show was when out of nowhere David Lee Roth and his bodyguard appear. I think he said something like "gentlemen" and stuck out his hand to shake my hand. Wow! My friend at the time then asked if he could take a picture but Dave declined and walked away.

The first time I met David Lee Roth was on 6/11/2003. This was also chronicled with a picture and detailed caption from a link you'll find at http://vhdlr.albertr.com

Here is an excerpt:

"With a lot of patience, perseverance, luck, and thanks to the ingenuity of a friend at the time, I finally met David Lee Roth in-person after his Anaheim House of Blues show and had this picture taken with him. They say "never meet your idols" but Dave was very nice, even posing for a second photo when the flash didn't go off on the first attempt. I've been a huge Van Halen fan since the early 80's, so this was a long time coming, but was well worth it! A brief moment in time I will NEVER forget!!"

I've met Michael Anthony several times, including the first time I met you at one of his Cinco de Mikeys, at NAMM, the backstage of his second appearance with the Atomic Punks and at a few in-store appearances. He really impressed me by being extremely nice and fun loving, with a great sense of humor.

I've met EVH once at that golf tourney and had an interesting experience with him, which you might remember since you attended it and saw a different side of him.

Chelle: Please expand on the story about Eddie, for those who weren't there.

AlbertR: My encounter with Ed is documented in my series of pictures and captions from a celebrity golf tournament on 5/18/2002 that you can find at http://vhdlr.albertr.com

Here is an excerpt:

"The actual golf tournament started at 10 AM, but the golfers were scheduled to arrive starting at 8 AM. When I walked up around 8:15 AM I looked over my right shoulder and noticed that Eddie Van Halen was also walking in about 10 feet away!! "Wow!" I thought, but hesitated to take his picture or ask him to sign something, as I wasn't yet sure what the setup was. I walked up behind them to an area where fans were lined up with photos, programs, index cards, albums, even nicely framed items. Who knows how early they had arrived. They politely asked Eddie for autographs, but he declined them all. After he entered the clubhouse I walked to the fans to see if they had any luck with taking a photo or getting an autograph. They seemed disappointed. I didn't see any of those fan items again. I left the tournament around 4 PM and I would have guessed that Edward still had probably another 2 hours to go before he was done, so if any of these early morning fans stayed around for autographs after the tournament, they would have been waiting for at least 10 hours.

"Before the next few pictures, Eddie had walked right past me. As he did, I smiled and asked if he could stop for a quick picture. He said "I'd prefer you take it after the tournament" (nice blow off, Eddie). I understood he was probably busy and said "sure, sure". After all, it was 8:30 and he only had another hour and a half before the start of the tournament. Well, he walks maybe 15 feet away, when suddenly he has all the time in the world to stop, chat, take pictures and even sign some autographs.

"When Eddie had stopped to take those photos and sign autographs, I used that opportunity to also take some pictures of him from a distance. Right after I took this picture he walked up to me and asked "Why'd you even bother asking?" I replied, "you had already stopped to take pictures" and he said "yeah, for friends". Right Eddie, I am sure your "close friends" were asking you for autographs. I had bothered asking him for a picture earlier to be respectful of his time, but when I saw he chose to stop for others, I saw no problem taking a few photos, since I was not the one holding him up!"

Chelle: You're right, Albert, I did see a different side of him that day. You mention in your account that you "didn't stalk him from hole to hole..." but I did...LOL...and he was very friendly and willing to chat the whole time. He even joked with me that I was lucky to be wearing a hat after he got shit on by birds. I feel bad that you had such a different experience and I've often wondered what happened to cause that. What were you wearing that day...DLR shirt maybe?

AlbertR: I was wearing the Van Halen t-shirt with Ed's red & white striped shoes, same as the one in the attached picture with Mike. Keep in mind that I was alone and at most going to take up 5 seconds of his time. I am also very friendly when I approach any celebrity, especially one I was in awe of.

Chelle: Wow, that's too bad. I wish you could have met the same Eddie I did. What's the funniest/craziest/most interesting thing that happened at a Punks' show?

AlbertR: I think I've been to between 150 and 200 Atomic Punks shows over the years, so they kind of blur after awhile. I guess the time that Michael Anthony joined them at the Anaheim House of Blues was the most memorable. I can't think of a better validation of the talent of a tribute band but to be joined on stage by a member of the band they pay tribute to.

Chelle: How many Van Halen shows have you been to?

AlbertR: I have never seen the real Van Halen, as in Dave and Ed. One of my biggest regrets is that I missed out seeing my favorite band of all time despite growing up less than 10 miles south of Pasadena. I had friends who would show up at school on Monday wearing an US Festival shirt and other shirts, but I couldn't go because I was too poor, didn't have older siblings or older friends, didn't own a car until I was 20, etc. I had a late start in watching concerts, but once I got hooked I tried to make up for a lot of lost time. So there you have it, one of my few regrets in life: I never got to see my favorite front man perform with my favorite band. It could explain why I see so many tribute bands (I'm the king of tribute bands and cover bands), especially various Van Halen tribute bands, because even though they aren't better than the real thing, they were the next best thing available until the VH w/DLR show actually takes off. I think that qualifies me to be a "tormented VH fan". And even after David Lee Roth's return to tour with the band, there is an original band member missing from the lineup, also adding to my torment of never seeing the original lineup touring together.

Chelle: How many DLR shows?

AlbertR: It has to be several dozen, but I've never counted. I saw him during his 1986 and 1988 tours then after seeing him again in 1999 in San Diego I became hooked on seeing him as often as I could. This has led to some travel including Santa Cruz, Fresno, Tahoe, Brian Young's first show in Atlanta, a great show in Philadelphia, a couple of TV show appearances, many trips to Vegas and an amazing New Years Eve show in Orlando.

Chelle: What did you think of Van Hagar/Van Cherone?

AlbertR: It is an understatement to say that I'm not a fan of the Van Hagar and that I wasn't impressed with the Van Cherone stuff.

Chelle: ...or apparently with Sammy's clown suit LOL

Chelle: What are your feelings about Mike being out of the band?

AlbertR: I don't know of any fellow fans who prefers that Wolfgang is part of the upcoming tour instead of Mike. It seems that most David Lee Roth era fans like me are still interested in seeing Dave back on stage with the Van Halen brothers and will see it despite Mike's absence. I could understand Ed being concerned about his mortality and wanting to have his guitar playing legacy carried on by his soon as soon as possible, but they could have pleased almost all the fans by including Mike in the tour and putting Wolfgang on rhythm guitar. Wolfgang could also have played lead guitar when Ed was playing keyboards (or tuba). I would think most classic VH fans would support the 4 original band members touring with the guitar player's son in some support role. That tour would have been huge. Filling the stadium with all those old farts like me with a lot of disposable income to drop on seeing this highly anticipated reunion.

Chelle: Will you go see them this Fall?

AlbertR: Yes, I bought a ticket to see the second VH concert of the tour in Greensboro, NC. Hope I am also able to catch some of the local shows. Thinking of the upcoming Dave Halen tour I can't help think of the part of “Could This Be Magic?” that goes “Could this be magic? Or could this be love? Could this turn tragic? You know that magic often does”.

Chelle: How many shows do you plan to attend on this tour?

AlbertR: Unfortunately I don't have vacation time accumulated to attend as many as I'd like, but hopefully I am able to get to a few.

Chelle: How many of those will be 4/5 star packages?

AlbertR: I tried to get a 5 star for the 2nd night but I didn't have any luck and I was unfamiliar in using the ILAA website (ended up wasting a lot of time after the tickets had sold out thinking I still had a chance to get something). I hope I have some luck getting a 5 star ticket to a local show.

Chelle: Speaking of local shows, every time I've seen you at a show, you've had WAY better seats than me. How do you do that? And can you get me some?

AlbertR: I think you had a better spot than I did at the Morongo Casino. Arriving very early to general admission shows helps me get a better spot. I don't mind waiting in line and through some awful opening bands for several hours to secure a good spot near the front of the stage. Also because I go to nearly all the concerts alone I am able to get a better single seat than those who buy tickets in sets. I've also sometimes used ticket agencies to get better assigned seats.

Chelle: Ah, single seats, hmmmm...I'll have to keep that in mind. Do you play any musical instruments?

AlbertR: No. I joke that I play keyboards, but only the kind you type with.

Chelle: Did you play any instruments as a child that you don't play any more?

AlbertR: I learned some music theory by playing piano and organ.

Chelle: What was the first record, tape or CD you remember buying?

AlbertR: I think it might have been single “Beth” by KISS. My first album might have been Kiss Alive II or Diver Down. When CDs first came out I remember wanting to buy the best of OMD.

Chelle: What is your favorite song right now?

AlbertR: My myspace profile song is currently “Yours in a Simple Rhyme”.

Chelle: What one song would you want to have played at your funeral?

AlbertR: David Lee Roth's cover of "That's Life".

Chelle: What was the last concert you went to?

AlbertR: Last Saturday I went to Jack FM's 2nd show which had Sugar Ray, the Stray Cats, Tone Loc, The Pretenders, ZZ Top and Stevie Nicks. Their musical styles were almost as varied as my musical taste.

Chelle: What is the most memorable concert you've ever been to? What made it memorable?

AlbertR: I have seen hundreds of concerts, both large and small over the years. Several stand out as somewhat life changing. David Lee Roth at the LA Forum in 1986 from a new section that was opened up near Steve Vai's side really impressed me as an over-the-top show. Great music, big stage, big sound, lot's of energy, humor and all that makes a concert great. On a much smaller scale, I was very fortunate to see the Atomic Punks open up for the Foo Fighters at the Troubadour. Both Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins from the Foo joined the Atomic Punks to perform a couple Van Halen songs. Almost everyone else in the crowd was there as a result of a contest from the Foo Fighters fan club, so they didn't seem as familiar with my favorite tribute band but because I am big fan of both bands I will always remember that show. Of course that show in Anaheim when Michael Anthony joined the Atomic Punks on stage was great because I had access to them backstage and could capture some pictures of the event. Other memorable concerts that aren't so VH/DLR related included seeing UB40 at UC Berkley from under the stars on a clear night with a great view of the SF bay, the first time I saw Earth Wind & Fire performing with Chicago at The Greek blew me away due to their size and powerful sound because both bands started the show on stage together, performed each other's songs, then they split off and performed their individual sets, then returned again at the
end to combine and play each others songs. I remember thinking after the show how I could manage to return to one of the sold out shows later that week. Seeing Depeche Mode at the Rose Bowl (where the live video and CD called 101 was recorded) was also memorable as it was the largest concert crowd I have ever seen. The energy that night, especially as lightning punctuated some of the songs was electric.

Chelle: Let's move on to some more personal questions now. Where were you born?

AlbertR: Born in East L.A. about as far from "Easy Street" as you could get.

Chelle: Were you named after anyone?

AlbertR: Not that I know of, but I'd like to think it was after Einstein.

Chelle: What is your earliest memory?

AlbertR: Maybe looking over a balcony when a train passed by.

Chelle: Do you have any siblings?

AlbertR: One younger sibling.

Chelle: Are you an uncle?

AlbertR: Yes, from half-siblings

Chelle: What was your childhood nickname?

AlbertR: Most called me Albert. I hate the abbreviation Al because it applies to so many other people including Alfred, Alfonso, Allen, Alex, Alejandro, Alan, etc. Al also sounds like someone is stepping on your foot when someone says it loudly. After high school someone called me Alby and that nickname has kind of stuck.

Chelle: Broken any bones or had any freaky accidents as a kid?

AlbertR: Nothing major, although I've "been up and down and over and out".

Chelle: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

AlbertR: Back when I was a "little dreamer" I wrote "a scientist is what I want to be, imagine all the possibilities, I could study the moon, the stars and the sun, gee wouldn't that be fun?".

Chelle: What do you want to be now?

AlbertR: I am pretty happy with my career so far, thanks to Lady Luck

Chelle: What IS your occupation, by the way?

AlbertR: I'm a computer programmer/analyst.

Chelle: Where do you live now?

AlbertR: I am fortunate to live in Orange County, California where everyday is "just like living in paradise".

Chelle: Are you single or in a relationship?

AlbertR: "I ain't got nobody".

Chelle: If single, do you love it or hate it?

AlbertR: Since my divorce in 1998"I've learned my lesson baby, and it left a scar" but these are "good times, damn good times".

Chelle: If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

AlbertR: Not sure I'd be able to keep up with myself, which would make it difficult to be friends with myself.

Chelle: What is the thing you like most about yourself?

AlbertR: I suppose my intelligence has led to a good career where I don't have to dig ditches.

Chelle: What is the thing you like least about yourself?

AlbertR: I wish my metabolism was higher.

Chelle: Would you bungee jump?

AlbertR: No I wouldn't "jump". The craziest thing I've done like that is para sailing, and I'm not sure how I did that.

Chelle: What's the weirdest present you’ve ever received?

AlbertR: As part of my 40th birthday Ralph Saenz gave me a VIP table at Metal Skool which included drinks and a dessert. What was weird about this "present" was that the show that night included a stunt by Steve-O that was not allowed in the movie Jackass 2 because it involved exposing a certain body part and an unusual "talent". That was weird but overall that present was awesome!

Chelle: Do you think Barbie is a negative role model for young girls?

AlbertR: I have never given that any thought, but in general anything that tries to push unrealistic stereotypes seems to be "no good, no good, no good"

Chelle: What word or phrase do you say all the time?

AlbertR: Bottoms up!

Chelle: What is your favorite smell?

AlbertR: Fresh baked bread or cookies. They got me so I don't know what I'm doing.

Chelle: Favorite sound?

AlbertR: I enjoy the sounds that signal the start of good times, such as the opening of a beer can, the winning of a jackpot, or an announcer saying “I give you the mighty Van Halen!”

Chelle: Favorite food?

AlbertR: Chinese food, empanadas from Argentina and mizithra spaghetti from the Old Spaghetti Factory. I eat 'em and smile.

Chelle: Favorite dessert?

AlbertR: Ice cream, man! (coffee and cappuccino ice cream flavors are guaranteed to satisfy)

Chelle: Favorite sport to watch?

AlbertR: Raiders football, LA Kings ice hockey and professional tennis. I especially like seeing these sports in person.

Chelle: Favorite sport to participate in?

AlbertR: I play tennis and racquetball every week.

Chelle: Favorite movie of all time?

AlbertR: Probably the original Star Wars (episode 4, a New Hope).

Chelle: Favorite comedian?

AlbertR: Maybe George Lopez or Carlos Mencia at the moment.

Chelle: Favorite superhero?

AlbertR: Isn't Diamond Dave a superhero?

Chelle: If you could have a super power, what would it be?

AlbertR: Immortality would help me catch up on all the things in my backlog.

Chelle: What book are you reading right now?

AlbertR: Several books about musicians are stacked up on my coffee table including books about Motley Crue, Michael Hutchence and Van Halen, but I don't know when I'll ever make the time to sit down and read.

Chelle: Most visited webpage?

AlbertR: My name is Albert and I'm a myspace-aholic...

Chelle: HI ALBERT!!!

AlbertR: ...Love the way it helps me keep in touch with bands, the way it notifies me of upcoming shows, and it is really nice to be able to review at my leisure what various friends are up to from their new pictures, blogs and bulletins.

Chelle: What is the farthest you've been from home?

AlbertR: I've been all around this great big world", but I can only say I've been as far West as Honolulu, North as Victoria, Canada, East as DC/New York/Philly and as far south as Acapulco, Mexico.

Chelle: Any strange phobias?

AlbertR: Nothing strange. I try "to live my life like there's no tomorrow".

Chelle: What do you want in your life right now?

AlbertR: Here I am, ain't no man of the world, no. All I need is a beautiful girl. And a true Van Halen reunion.

http://vhdlr.albertr.com

http://www.myspace.com/albertr