LI bands pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen on new album

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen passed away from lung cancer in October 2020 and the rock music community from Long Island was stunned. As a reaction, local bands came together under the direction of producer Fader Istheman of Lido Beach to make "The Long Island Van Halen Tribute Album." The project serves as a fundraiser for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation of New York.

"When Eddie died in October, it really hit me. I grew up with him as my guitar icon," says Istheman. "His playing, his style, his techniques and his sound inspired tons of genres. Whether you are in a rock band, blues band, reggae band or jazz band, you cannot deny that Eddie has come up with something that you’ve used."

The 17-track album features hits and album cuts from both the David Lee Roth (1978-1984) and Sammy Hagar (1985-1996) eras of the band. Long Island artists each selected a track to cover: Zebra ("Pretty Woman"), Bottoms Up ("Runnin’ with the Devil"), Adam and the Metal Hawks ("Somebody Get Me a Doctor"), Pamela Lewis ("Love Walks In") and Van Hagar ("5150").

"One thing about Long Island bands, they all support each other," says Istheman. "I love that sense of community. It’s not really a competition. It’s about, ‘What can we do to help you?’ "

Van Halen tribute band Completely Unchained takes on bluesy grinder, "Little Dreamer" from Van Halen’s 1978 debut album featuring Eddie Van Halen doppelgänger Jake C. Miller on guitar.

"I looked up to Eddie almost as a father figure. He guided me through life in an indirect way. His music spoke to me and his persona reflected on me as a young man," says Miller of Middle Island. "Being a part of this album was our way of saying thanks to Eddie for all the memories and the best rock-n-roll music ever recorded."

Another LI rock cover band Hellgate blended instrumental "1984" and rock anthem, "Panama" both from the diamond status (over 10 million sold) album, "1984."

"We chose ‘Panama’ because we just love the vibe of the song. It has a great groove and shows the fun side of Van Halen," says drummer Corrado Mazzuca of Hauppauge. "Plus, it felt great playing the tune and knowing it was going to be put on an album for a good cause."

A big surprise on the album is reggae legends Steel Pulse’s new spin on the Hagar-fronted hit, "Finish What Ya Started."

"Steel Pulse blew me away. I didn’t know what to expect," says Istheman. "The groove is reggae, but it still has that Van Halen thing going on."

The album can exclusively be purchased for $24.95 on livanhalentribute.com. All proceeds go directly to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation of New York.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.