A David Lee Roth concert in 2026 is the human embodiment of a concept my high school English teacher taught, the willing suspension of disbelief. The idea is that you get to a plot point in a book so farfetched that it makes no sense other than to further the plot. However, you are willing to suspend your disbelief because you want the plot to progress. David Lee Roth on stage in 2026 is a caricature of what he once was, but for some weird reason, we are willing to overlook that because he is playing some of the greatest rock songs ever written.
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Van Halen is arguably the greatest American rock band ever. The six albums with David Lee Roth, released between 1978 and 1984, are the blueprint for every rock band that came after them. A thundering rhythm section, one of the greatest guitarists in history, and the frontman that topped them all. Their catalog is unmatched, but since the death of Edward Van Halen in 2020, the songs have mostly remained unplayed. David Lee Roth announced his retirement in 2021, and it seemed to be the final nail in the original Van Halen. In 2025, however, Dave returned to the stage. After witnessing his current tour, perhaps it’s time to finally say goodbye.
David Lee Roth no longer looks like he did back in the day (whom among us does?), but he did look fit and healthy. The kicks may not be there, but he never stood still, ever the showman playing to the crowd. He put together one of the greatest setlists in memory, 17 classic Van Halen songs that reach over all six releases from his original run with the band. The hits like “Jump” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” were there, but so were deep cuts like “Drop Dead Legs” and “Little Dreamer”. Nothing was played from 2012’s A Different Kind of Truth. The smile never left his face; no one is more at home on a stage than David Lee Roth.
The problem came as he tried to sing these classics. To be fair, very few singers his age could still sing those songs, but at times, the performance bordered on embarrassing. Most songs saw Dave sing a word or two each line, but most of those were completely off key. While Van Halen changed the world with just 4 guys, Roth’s current band features guitar, bass, drums, keys, and five, yes five, additional vocalists. The band and vocalists try to keep the songs moving as Dave adds his “flourishes”. A lot of songs seemed to lose the lyrics in their verses with the background singers picking up the choruses.
A trademark if Van Halen songs is the mid-song breakdown, think “Panama”, “Unchained”, and others. In this show, Roth tends to extend those breakdowns with stories or monologues that don’t fit the tone or tempo of the song and tend to ramble. “Romeo Delight” and “Hot For Teacher” both sort of devolved during the breakdown to something almost unrecognizable. The latter featured a chant from a Parliament song that felt totally out of place.
The band Roth has out with him, while capable, is unremarkable. Sean McNabb, a bass player who has also been in Great White, Quiet Riot, Dokken, Zo2, and others, holds down his position well, handling the classic Michael Anthony bass lines. The key to Van Halen, however, is the guitar. Al Estrada is a good player who plays his parts, he is not Edward Van Halen, Steve Vai, or Joe Satriani. His playing came off like that of a million guitar players in Van Halen tribute bands across the country. The plethora of singers are all talented and ham it up on stage with Dave but can’t match the magic needed for these songs. Again, capable but unremarkable.
The crowd was sparse, with entire sections of the theater in empty darkness. It was interesting to watch the people who were there. About half looked on with almost a sadness in their eyes as their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon was a shell of his former self. The rest of the crowd, however, bought fully into the willing suspension of disbelief. They sang and danced along to every song and were beyond thrilled to see Diamond Dave playing these incredible songs.
I never saw David Lee Roth with Van Halen back in the day, but I did see his legendary first two solo tours when he was at the height of his powers. There was no better frontman in the business. Eventually, age gets us all and if some are still willing to buy a ticket just to see Dave on stage, then good for him. Hopefully, though, at some point he’ll realize he is damaging on of the great legacies in rock.
