Brad Hallveck, known to his fans as “Shredward VanHallveck,” rips through a Van Halen song at a past concert.
Brad Hallveck and his band Unchained play for a packed house at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland.
Battle Ground’s newest dentist Brad Hallveck is at his office on Main Street last week. When Hallveck isn’t working on teeth, he can often be found tearing through some of classic rock’s most complex guitar solos.
People generally don’t go out of their way to see a dentist — something that was likely an adjustment for Battle Ground’s newest dentist, Brad Hallveck.
The 54 year-old has been a doctor of dental surgery for close to 20 years but his rock ‘n’ roll roots run much deeper. Before opening Town Dental on Main Street Hallveck played the role of Eddie Van Halen in “Unchained,” a Van Halen tribute band where he was known as “Shredward VanHallveck.”
Hallveck and Unchained quickly cemented themselves as a top tier tribute band soon after forming.
They started with smaller venues around Clark and Cowlitz — Prairie Tavern is one example — but were soon playing major concert halls and festivals in the area and a few stops around the country. They played Hairfest, a two day festival for hair band tributes in Canby, Oregon; they played the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas — which Hallveck describes as the “crowning jewel” in his career — and their last show was at the Crystal Ballroom, one of Portland’s premiere venues, where they headlined with a full house of about 3,000 people.
Hallveck first fell in love with rock ‘n’ roll in high school. He continued to sharpen his musical craft after graduation during his time as owner of “The Music Rack,” a music shop out of Longview, before deciding to go to dental school at age 28.
Hallveck has always been a Van Halen fan and decided to start a tribute band six or seven years ago while he was still only running one dental practice out of Longview.
“The tribute scene seemed to be a happening thing in the Portland area. So, since I love Eddie Van Halen, I decided ‘I’m going to start a Van Halen tribute,’” he said.
They started out only covering songs but soon took it full throttle. From their musical prowess to their flowing wig-locks, they tried their best to match Van Halen in every facet.
In old concert footage Hallveck play’s Eddie Van Halen’s famed guitar ballad “Eruption” flawlessly and in other videos, he and the rest of his bandmates put on a show of uncanny resemblance through their stage presence and backup harmonies.
In all, Shredward VanHallveck and Unchained brought the glam metal tones of Van Halen to about 30 shows.
Along with wife Michiko (the patient care coordinator for Town Dental) and their two daughters, VanHallveck has lived in the Battle Ground area for 10 years. When they made the decision to open a second office about a year ago, he figured it was time to give Shredder VanHallveck a break.
Now, although operating as the primary physician at both his Longview and Battle Ground office, Hallveck hasn’t pulled the plug on his musical career completely. He’s part of a smaller 70s cover band that plays local venues and a variety of different artists.
