The Mighty VH Podcast

Guitarist, EVH artist and Nerd Halen founder Caleb Rapoport joins us for a conversation filled with personal stories, chance encounters and, of course, Van Halen. Caleb takes us back to his teenage years and a chance encounter that would change the course of his life: spending several hours with Edward and Alex Van Halen during a taping of One Day at a Time. He shares what it was like meeting his...

What’s Sammy doing in Las Vegas? What’s Alex doing in the Netherlands? And what’s Dave doing…period? In Episode 021, Tommy & Tor are back with a Fall 2026 Van Halen News Round Up, covering the latest from Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth, along with the upcoming return of A Different Kind of Truth on vinyl and a few other stories making news in the Van Halen universe. There’s ple...

40 years ago, Van Halen gave fans a front-row seat to the 5150 tour with Live Without a Net, a concert film that became one of the defining documents of the Sammy Hagar era. In this episode, Tommy and Tor focus on everything that made Live Without a Net so memorable. From the performances, gear, stage setup, and band chemistry to the camera angles, editing, production choices, and packaging, they...

In the spirit of “Back to School” season, Tommy & Tor head back to the classroom for a deep dive into one of the great anomalies in rock music: Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher.” From Alex Van Halen’s legendarily epic opening drum assault and Edward Van Halen’s blistering guitar work to David Lee Roth at his most outrageous, the guys break down a song that somehow became a Van Halen classic despit...

Plenty of legendary bands have changed lead singers. Some survived, some became even bigger, and others were never quite the same. But decades later, few of those changes continue to generate headlines, arguments and passionate reactions the way Van Halen’s still does. For the first-ever Mighty VH Round Table, Tommy and Tor are joined by comedian Don Jamieson and SiriusXM’s Keith Roth to ask a dif...

What if Sammy Hagar turned down the offer to join Van Halen? What if Van Halen fully reunited in 1996? What if the band never recorded “Jump?” In this episode of The Mighty VH Podcast, Tommy and Tor head into the alternate universe of Van Halen history and ask some of the biggest “What If?” questions from throughout the band’s legendary career. From lineup changes and missed opportunities to songs...

RATT founder and frontman Stephen Pearcy joins Tommy and Tor for a Van Halen-focused conversation built around his personal encounters with the band over the years. Stephen shares stories of crossing paths with Edward Van Halen and David Lee Roth, offering a firsthand look at his experiences with two of rock’s most iconic personalities, both before and after RATT became one of the biggest bands of...

Tommy and Tor dig into Van Halen’s explosive third album, Women and Children First, going track by track through the 1980 classic that pushed the band into heavier, darker and more adventurous territory. Along the way, they share the story behind the album’s iconic artwork, dig into Warner Bros.’ unusual decision to release just one single from a record that would go on to sell more than three mil...

Legendary rock photographer Mark "Weissguy" Weiss joins Tommy London and Tor for an unforgettable conversation about one of rock's greatest eras and his front row seat to Van Halen's rise. From their first headlining tour to their last, Mark's camera captured some of the band's most iconic moments, creating images that have become part of Van Halen history. Mark share...

From David Lee Roth's surprising tour cancellations and his reunion with Alex Van Halen at TEDxFargo, to Alex's viral comments about Roth and his work with Steve Lukather on unreleased Van Halen recordings, there's no shortage of news surrounding the Van Halen camp. Tommy & Tor cover all that plus, Sammy Hagar's invitation for Roth to join him in Las Vegas at his Best of Al...

In this somewhat extended episode, Tommy and Tor welcome acclaimed guitarist, composer, producer, and life long Van Halen fan and friend, Dweezil Zappa, for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond the surface. From growing up with and befriending some of the greatest musicians in rock history to forging his own path as one of today's most respected guitarists, Dweezil shares stories,...

From hard rock staples to Motown classics and everything in between, Van Halen had an incredible ability to take someone else’s song and make it unmistakably their own. Some became radio staples, others remain hidden gems, but every officially released cover tells a unique story about the band’s influences and creativity. In Episode 011 of The Mighty VH Podcast, Tommy London and Tor dive into ever...

Mark Goodman has been a pioneer in music broadcasting for more than four decades. From his beginnings in radio in the late 1970s to becoming one of MTV's original VJs, and later helping pioneer internet radio and satellite radio, Mark has remained one of the most respected voices in rock music. Today, he continues to connect music fans with the stories behind the songs as the host of SiriusXM...

Released in the summer of 1988, OU812 proved that Van Halen’s successful reinvention with Sammy Hagar was no fluke. Debuting at No. 1, the album showcased a band that was growing both musically and lyrically, blending arena rock anthems with more melodic songwriting and impressive musicianship. In this episode, Tommy London and Tor take a deep dive into Van Halen’s eighth studio album, examining e...

Greg Renoff has become one of the most respected voices in Van Halen history. As the author of Van Halen Rising and Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music, he has uncovered stories and firsthand accounts that have helped reshape what fans know about the band's remarkable journey. In Episode 008 of The Mighty VH Podcast, Tommy London and Tor sit down with Greg for a wide-rangi...

Michael Anthony’s fingerprints are all over the Van Halen sound, even if his contributions have not always received the recognition they deserve. When people talk about Van Halen, the conversation usually begins with Eddie Van Halen’s groundbreaking guitar work, David Lee Roth’s charisma, Sammy Hagar’s powerhouse vocals, or Alex Van Halen’s incredible drumming. Yet throughout it all, Michael Antho...

Richie Kotzen, acclaimed guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer known for his solo career, Mr. Big, Poison, and The Winery Dogs, joins Tommy London and Tor for a fascinating conversation about the deeper musical roots of Van Halen. Richie reflects on meeting Eddie Van Halen for the first time and shares stories about his friendship with Eddie’s longtime guitar technician, Zeke Clark. Together...

When fans talk about the sound of Van Halen, the conversation usually starts with Eddie, David, Alex, and Michael. But behind the board was a man whose fingerprints were on every classic Van Halen record: Don Landee. In Episode 005 of The Mighty VH Podcast, Tommy and Tor explore the career of the engineer and producer who helped capture one of rock’s most recognizable sounds. From Van Halen I thro...

What happens when the two most anticipated albums in Van Halen history arrive just months apart? In Episode 004 of The Mighty Van Halen Podcast, hosts Tommy London and Tor dive headfirst into the ultimate 1986 showdown: David Lee Roth’s Eat ’Em and Smile versus Van Halen’s 5150 . Following one of rock’s most dramatic breakups, both camps had something to prove and neither disappointed. From the mu...

If you’re like us, you can’t hear the words, “Memorial Day Weekend” without thinking of Van Halen playing the US Festival in 1983.  Between the epic tour they had just come off of, the music they were in the middle of creating for their next album (1984) and their massive pay day, amongst many other things, the band had their hands full when they hit the stage on that faithful day.  Would they ris...

Jump back, it’s Episode 002 of the Mighty VH Podcast. Tommy London and Tor keep the moving parts clean and see what makes viral sensation VANAMA run. From the paint job to what’s really powering this thing under the hood, the guys take a ride straight into one of the most creative and unexpected VH inspired creations to hit the internet in a long time. The episode also touches on the new Walgreens...

Co-hosts, Tommy London & Tor share their stories of how they came to met the members of Van Halen over the years. From a 3 hour conversation with David Lee Roth to dinner with Sammy Hagar and a chance meeting of Alex Van Halen in a supermarket. All of that and more in this, the very first episode of The Mighty VH Podcast. Follow @mighty_vh_podcast on Instagram & @MightyVHPodcast on Youtube...