Sometime during a recent encore of the reunited, recharged Van Halen tour, David Lee Roth put on a ship captain’s hat, urging the crowd to “Jump” along with him as he ventured out onto the extended catwalk that jutted out from the stage.

The headwear fit snugly, and the trademark smile that launched what seemed like a thousand hits was firmly in place, as if he had never left the group at the height of its stardom in the mid-1980s.

In fact, the whole “Love Boat” vibe is exactly what sold-out crowds have been seeking and paying top dollar for, and despite Roth’s very public fights and power struggles with guitarist Eddie Van Halen through the years, the two now appear to be as cozy as Gopher and Julie McCoy as the S.S. Van Halen steams out toward a sea of mega-millions in concert revenue.

Right from the get-go, the band, and particularly Diamond Dave, is taking control of buildings all over the nation and getting the good reviews to match. The key players might have AARP cards, but they’re proving that they rock harder than just about any new band trying to win fans in this iTunes, emo, alterna-era.

Roth’s now-short hair, coiffed conservatively and featuring blond highlights where that out-of-control mane used to be, is the least rock-star part of his refined 2007 look, which also includes a parade of sequined, patterned toreador jackets and top hats. But the lead singer still maintains that elusive combination of carnival barker, used car salesman, auctioneer, open-mic comedian and, yes, kick-ass performer.

That, and the musical prowess of the slightly reconfigured original quartet — Eddie’s brother, Alex, resumes drumming duties and Eddie’s 16-year-old son, Wolfgang, steps in ably for Michael Anthony on bass — becomes immediately apparent once Ed rips into the filthy opening riff of the Kinks cover, “You Really Got Me,” which helped put VH on the map on its monstrously successful self-titled 1978 debut album.

There's only on Diamond Dave
Even though the song is more than 40 years old and Roth continues to butcher the words night after night, it doesn’t take long to realize that when Van Halen is on — and iterations that included Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone shouldn’t even be considered Van Halen — they’re flat-out one of the best bands around, no matter how old they might be.

With Roth and shirtless Eddie sporting legitimately ripped physiques that they aren’t ashamed to show off, not much has changed over the years when it comes to the music or the show.

Eddie still dazzles with his innovative guitar playing, his tap harmonic wizardry and jazz-fusion, outer-space-influenced soloing undoubtedly still inspiring stoned-out, basement-dwelling YouTubers into seeing who can pull off the best “Eruption.”

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Alex is still one of the most powerful, nimble and underrated drummers in the business. In fact, when he launches into an extended solo mid-way through the show, there isn’t a mass exodus for the beer line or souvenir stands. In other words, true VH fans know when to stick around, and they know when they’re watching true VH.

Dave, meanwhile, might be a bit of Dave Light, with the karate kicks not quite as limber as they used to be, but he still twirls the mic stand around like a martial arts tool and has been all smiles throughout the tour.

Hardcore Van Halen fans are getting everything they want in the form of a fast-paced barrage of loud, perfectly played classics spanning every album that Roth appeared on, and thankfully the band is not coming close to touching the catalog of any other regrettable Van Halen incarnation.

From most reports, the set lists have been the same, including “I’m the One,” “Runnin’ With the Devil,” and “Romeo Delight,” in which on more than one occasion, proud papa Ed plants a kiss on young “Wolf” as Roth riffs into a few bars of the Who’s “Magic Bus.”

To the delight of the faithful, Van Halen is playing “Somebody Get Me a Doctor,” a spot-on “Beautiful Girls,” which highlights the street-savvy, L.A. hustler side of Roth’s personality better than most VH songs, and “Dance the Night Away.”

During that radio hit, Roth impressively balances his yellow-and-black top hat on his crotch and leaves it there hands-free, the first of a few strategically chosen, libido-charged moments that don’t quite compare to his wild 1980s days but nonetheless provide a pleasing safe-sex-era alternative for the aging audience.

Vintage Halen continues with “Atomic Punk,” “Everybody Wants Some,” “So This is Love?”, “Mean Street,” “(Oh) Pretty Woman,” “Unchained,” “I’ll Wait,” “And the Cradle Will Rock,” “Hot For Teacher” and “Little Dreamer.”

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