Van Halen's Iconic Album & Tour Cemented Life Long Relationships For Several Young Boys

Jeff Walker, Book Review

A chance backstage meeting with the original members of Van Halen in March of 1984 fueled a lifelong passion among a tight knit group of young teens, leading Jim Serger and his fellow rock n' roll enthusiasts to write 'Jump : 40th Anniversary of Attending the 1984 Van Halen Concert'. 

The author of the popular '911 : A Time to Always Remember', Serger has been a tried and true Van Halen follower since age 13, and his latest book chronicles his journeys along with a half dozen of his buddies, as they reflect on that pivotal moment in time, and how it forged their relationships over the past four decades.

Serger and his circle of friends were all around 12 and 13 years old in 1984 when Van Halen's iconic album 1984 came out, and he and his friends saw the tour in Cincinnati for the first time. Due to one of the friend's father being a cop and extending a favor to Eddie Van Halen, he offered the law enforcement officer to have his son and his son's friends come to the concert, with the son enjoying a quick meet and greet with Eddie, Dave, Michael, and Alex. For a young teen it was the chance of a lifetime.

That concert experience lead to a lifelong passion for all the young men to totally bond over Van Halen, with several attending as many shows as physically possible over the ensuing years, and a few collecting memorabilia along the way.

Many rock n' roll fans can recall the very first concert they attended with clarity, whether it dates back to the 1960's or 70's. They may have anticipated the band or the artist coming to town and arranged to take a date or share the experience with college or high school friends, with the end result being something they treasure throughout the rest of their lives.

1984 was the height of the MTV generation, where boys and girls of a certain age were glued to the latest craze, watching videos of their favorite Top 40 songs that they first heard blaring from FM radio. Like a handful of artists Van Halen were easily one of the most colorful rock n' roll acts to embrace the video format, which only lead to the band's popularity.

Jim Serger's look back at Van Halen's most pivotal album and their concert tour of the same name is a wonderful trip down memory lane, not only celebrating an iconic band, but establishing that friendships we develop at an early age often carry with us for a lifetime.

If you're a fan of Van Halen and appreciate their body of work, or if you witnessed the 1984 tour in person, than Serger's book 'Jump : 40th Anniversary of Attending the '1984' Van Halen Concert' might be a nice look back in time. You can purchase the book thru online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. For more visit https://jimserger.com/