Awesome Van Halen

Van Halen and Tesla were both rocking out stadiums in the 1980s. The latter even opened for David Lee Roth at one point. Franzoli Electronics brought VH and Tesla together for a brief performance, but in this case, we’re talking about a trio of high-voltage tesla coils playing some of Eddie Van Halen’s epic guitar riffs.

During the Buckeyes’ game on 4.16.22, the Ohio State University Spring Athletic Band paid tribute to Van Halen with a half-time performance of the band’s hits “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Dreams,” “Panama,” and “Jump.” We’re guessing “Hot for Teacher” would have been awkward at a college game.

The Van Halen track Jump sounds so wrong it’s right when you lower the music’s 3rd and 6th intervals by a half-step. YouTube finally let Andy Rehfeldt post his minor-key revamp of the track after three years of trying. If you like what you hear, buy Andy a cup of coffee.

We can’t decide if Bill McClintock’s Van Halen-Hank Williams musical mashup belongs on There I Ruined It or if it’s the work of a mad genius. You’ll never hear Jump the same way again after you hear it turned into the twangy country ballad Your Cheatin’ Heart. Imagine if Eddie Van Halen played the slide guitar.

When he was 14, musician Mike Dawes heard Eddie Van Halen play guitar and says it rocked his world. Now, put on your headphones and let the sound envelop you as Mike pays tribute to Eddie’s namesake with an acoustic cover of the 1984 hit Jump. Perhaps Mike will inspire some young musicians with his impeccable playing too.

If Van Halen made disco music, it might have sounded something like this crazy mashup by DJ Cummerbund that blends together the hair band’s rock hit Jump with Gloria Gaynor’s dance floor anthem I Will Survive. It’s hard to believe these songs were released just 5 years apart.

Jump back, what’s that sound? It’s a banjo and an upright bass! The bluegrass wizards of Finland’s Steve ‘n’ Seagulls turn in another insanely delightful cover, this time taking on Van Halen’s hit Panama with their trademark rapidfire twang.

Two songs enter, one song leaves. Remixer Bill McClintock seamlessly combined Van Halen’s Jump with AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, resulting in the perfect interplay between two of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Gloria Gaynor and David Lee Roth have a beautiful musical baby in DJ Cummerbund’s latest mashup masterpiece, which manages to blend two of the most iconic tracks of the ’70s and ’80s into an insanely wonderful disco-rock cocktail.

YouTuber Andy Rehfeldt managed to turn Van Halen’s classic Running with the Devil into a mellow jazz track more fitting of Steely Dan than David Lee Roth. If you enjoyed it as much as we did, buy Andy a beer.

Watch in awe as 14-year-old Tina S. shreds a bit of Van Halen’s Eruption on her Vigier Excalibur Custom guitar. If Eddie Van Halen ever needs a stand-in, we think she’s got him covered. (Thanks Everyone!)

The legendary hard rock family is back. David, Eddie and Alex look more Rolling Stones than U2, but they haven’t lost their trademark sound. Their album A Different Kind of Truth drops 02/07.