Van Halen announce massive U.S. tour, hitting Xcel in St. Paul on May 19th

​Classic rock fans of the Twin Cities, are you ready to dance the night away with Van Halen once again? The legendary arena rock band has reunited with original frontman David Lee Roth, and are set to reconnect with their fans in a big way on a massive U.S. tour that finds the combustible band hitting the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on May 19th. That date comes a couple of months into Van Halen's sprawling American tour, so we'll have to wait and see if Eddie and Alex Van Halen are able to put up with Roth's outsized personality for that long. But here's to hoping that the band doesn't self-destruct once again before they even reach Minnesota.

Original bassist Michael Anthony was replaced by Eddie's son Wolfgang in 2006, and the 20-year-old is going to get his chance to see what life is really like on the road with Roth and company. While I'm sure the band has dialed down on the craziness that followed them everywhere they went during their heyday, if last night's surprise set at Cafe Wha? is any indication, their set list will focus on the big radio hits that fill their back catalog (while obviously steering clear of any of the "Van Hagar" material).

Rather surprisingly, Kool & the Gang are rumored to be the opening acts on select dates of the tour, but it is not confirmed whether or not they will be opening for all of the U.S. dates. Tickets for all dates up to April 1st will go on-sale on January 14th, but there has been no word yet as to when the St. Paul tickets go on-sale.

There is a forthcoming new record from the group in the works, currently titled A Different Kind Of Truth, with a tentative street date of February 7th planned for the release. But other than an old demo which the band has dusted off for the new record, their set last night was devoid of any new material and just concentrated on the arena anthems that made them one of the biggest bands of the '70s and early '80s.

Whether or not that same formula will attract fans nowadays is anyone's guess, but I'm sure the X is going to be jam-packed in May with rabid Van Halen fans who can't wait to hear the band tear it up once again. Let's just hope they don't implode before then.

Van Halen 2012 U.S. Tour Dates

02/18 - Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
02/20 - Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
02/22 - Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
02/24 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
02/28 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/01 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/03 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
03/05 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/09 - Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
03/11 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden
03/15 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
03/17 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
03/21 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
03/24 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
03/28 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
03/30 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
04/01 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
04/10 - Sunrise, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
04/12 - Tampa, FL @ Tampa Bay Times Forum
04/14 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
04/16 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
04/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
04/21 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
04/25 - Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
04/27 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
05/01 - Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
05/05 - Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
05/07 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
05/09 - Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
05/11 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
05/17 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
05/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
05/22 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
05/24 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
05/27 - Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
06/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
06/03 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
06/05 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
06/12 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
06/14 - San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
06/16 - Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
06/20 - Dallas, TX @ American Airways Center
06/22 - San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
06/24 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/26 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena