Review by Zeke - MrZekey@aol.com
I had heard that David Lee Roth just didn't have it anymore - that his voice just wasn't what it used to be. After last night's performance, I have to say NOT TRUE!! Dave's voice was in great shape and I was pleasantly surprised.
Unfortunately, his voice was about the only thing I could hear. I don't know who the soundman was, but whomever it was really blew it.
Ever been in your car at a red light and some homeboy comes rolling up next to you, listening to the Snoop Dogg CD at a volume so loud that his whole car (and yours too) shakes, and all you can hear is bass? That was Dave's show last night, except the vocals were crystal clear. Bart Walsh was up there on stage, and judging from his movements and facial expressions, he was probably rockin' out.
But I'm not exaggerating when I say that the ONLY time you could hear the guitar was during the solos, when they finally turned him up a little. As soon as the solo ended, they'd turn him back down again. Case in point: Hot for Teacher, the very first song they played. The ONLY time you could hear the guitar AT ALL was during the part where the song gets quiet and Dave says, "Whaddya think the teacher's gonna look like this year?"
Other than that, the guitar player may as well have just sat down and twiddled his thumbs. The drums and bass were just an indistinguishable mess (I'm sure they're good players, but the mix was so muddy, it just sounded like a bunch of noise.)
Still, despite a lousy sound, the show was great. Fans booed when Dave made an anti-Sammy comment, but the place roared when the band closed with Jump. Even though a lot of the people there last night had on their Bad Co. T-shirts, Dave had everyone standing and cheering at the end of his set.
One final note...how is it that a hat costs more than a T-shirt???
IP: 205.188.197.59
Review by Eddie - Edhead2@aol.com
In the same city where I've seen him perform many times in the past with the old band, Big Diamond Dave came back to DC last night for an opening spot on the Bad Company reunion tour.
It was like old home week, Dave had it all again the moves, the bottle of Jack, the dancing girls, everything. It wasn't a time travel like the KISS tour was for me, but it was damn close. The band was tight, the music was good and the crowd that has hungered for the old VH for so long was treated to it in mass quantities.
I wish he could have played all night, and by the looks on Dave's face, he would have loved that also.
IP: 152.163.232.41
Review by BrotherQ - brotherq@starpower.net
Well, friends and neighbors, the party is most definitely back. Caught Dave's gig last night in support of Bad Company. A local band played first, then Dave played for a little over an hour...then Bad Company.
I think it's safe to say that my buddies and I were not the only ones in the crowd last night who thought Dave blew Bad Company off the stage. He was really on. He sang better than I've ever heard him sing live. He gave a performance that stands up against anything he's ever given over the past twenty years.
He played to the crowd, flirted with some girl in the front row, threw out one-liners and just kicked ass.
The band was hot, too. Bart Walsh does an incredible imitation of EVH...pretty scary. My only complaint is that I'm not sure which was louder...Dave or his outfit.
All I can say is that it's worth going to the show just to see his set. Sy set list isn't in any kind of order after the first three songs. I didn't think to write them down. All of the songs are there, though.
Damn, he was great. Dave, you've been missed.
IP: 207.172.7.100
Review by Steve - pepperboy_1@yahoo.com
The Dizzy Dizzy DC Two Step, Three Step, Four Beats Per Measure, We’re Too Drunk to Count to "5" -Romp To the TOP!! - Dave Roth ‘s ass Kicking Concert in D.C.
I’m swiggin’ a 2 liter bottle of generic MOUNTAIN DEW TO CALM THE NERVES, slow the heartbeat, and soothe my BLEEDING VOCAL CHORDS! As it turned out, I was fresh outta sugar. But luck had it that Dave Roth’s babes were shitting it out all over the place…
They shit when they were slipping into their tight white leather. They shit it when they brought Dave his JD’s in the middle of Yankee Rose . And they shat sugar all over the damn place when they were MAKIN’ SWEET LESBIAN LOVE FOR THE XXL-TRON during Little Guitars.
Bottom line…the gals nestled throughout the show in Dave’s sidestage "Club Dave/WEED-STASH PIT STOP" were hot! That ten mile wide smile on my face throughout the whole concert…it’s still there baby!! I haven’t fucking laughed all month, and now I can’t stop!
I’ve seen flowers, and I’ve seen rain. I seen rap shows, show tunes, and fleet footed rap stars in pricey shoes. But never, EVER have I seen anyone put on a concert with as much intensity and BELIGERENT ENTHUSIASM as David Lee Roth did last night as the opening act for Bad Company!
That’s right, I’ll admit he was the opening act. Dave’s name wasn’t even on the tickets! Before the show, I’d yelp out to people about how much ass the man was going to kick, and ¾ different people returned with their little "what’s he gonna do, play Just Like Paradise 10 times?!", little half-hearted, limp dick, "all the spine of a chocolate eclair" insults.
The crowd’s energy tipp-toed forward with all the force of a runaway tractor trailer on the Beltway...
Utterly stunned until halfway through Hot For Teacher… Yelpin’ after Dave told them "I heard ya missed me so I’m back..UHHHH!!!!!!" Dave took the train to Panama, and it was over! With every naysayer hooked, leaping off the drum risers in full split eagle splits, voice in TOP form, all the martial arts in check, Dave gave a firm kick too the skull of every 7 foot tall naysayer basketball player in the arena (AKA high, DEFIENT bitch slapping, non-apologetic karate kicks to the psyche!)
THE HIGHLIGHT REEL:
- DAVE SWIGGIN JD’S WITH THE LADIES IN THE FRONT ROW, THE BREATHTAKING, BABY LIKE QUALITIES OF THE "MIDDLE OF YANKEE ROSE ‘ACCOUSTIC SET’ WHICH LASTED ALL OF 8 SECONDS (Thank god!!!)
- DAVE HOLDING THE WHISKEY BOTTLE IN HIS CROTCH AND URINATING JACK DANIELS OUT INTO AUDIENCELAND
- Karate KICK, roundhouse SCHMACK, drum riser LEAP, AFTER LEAP AFTER LEAP!!! During the middle of Jump, Dave ripped apart the microphone stand and went into a sword (well, ripped apart microphone stand) dance!!! Fists’a were’a flying! (For more information on this subject matter refer to videos, Panama c1984)
For further backround imagery, use this phrase "Like a twenty year old Manchurian punting enemies off the Great Wall in the 1500’s!!!"
"The music should look like it sounds," to quote Dave, and visuals were defiant, belly ache-laughing in tone, and CRACKERJACK in execution! Did I mention his voice was impeccable!! Everything on tone and in key - even with all the martial arts!!!"
When was the fucking last time you ever heard of the opening act getting encores from the crowd!@#?@! I’m telling you all …people were fucking NUTZ by the end of the set.
Audiowise and visually; moves designed to fight, to physically demolish your opponent. REALITY!! What I like to CALL, the "FIST IN FACE FACTOR"…would you be doing this LIVE, in front of 10,000 of your closest friends??
An evening well spent..YOU FUCKING BETTER BELIEVE IT.
Really only two thoughts on the concert. First, I pray to all my pagan toilet freshener gods that when I’m 40 something years old, I have 1/10th the enthusiasm Dave has for life, and that many more "aftershock second flushes to put down leftover turds" won’t be needed (because when you take as big a crap as I just took, you always pray to "2-Thousand Flushem" that that shit goes down.)
Lastly…DAVE!!!!!!! PLAY WOODSTOCK!!!! DAVE!!!!! PLAY WOODSTOCK!!!!! DAVE!!! PLAY WOODSTOCK!!!!!! DAVE!!!!! Zen Buddhist God of everything Soda Pop and over the top. Whisky Pee-er Extroirdinare with your Jujitsu punts in the air!!!! The Youth of America needs you !!!!!!!! DAVE !!!! PLAY WOODSTOCK!!!!!!
Steve - 22
www.expulsion.com
"…and the meek shall inherit SHIT!!"
-DLR "The Bottom Line"
Ohhh…and after Dave played, these old fat guys, like, jammed or something.
IP: 129.174.102.232
Review by Vincent Caiozza - vcaiozza@dominionsc.com
Roth is a shining example of the phrase "Legend in his own mind". For a 40+ year old man to act like he does is really ridiculous. I will say that if you took out the crap with using the J.D. bottle as a phallic symbol, and he didn't put down Sammy Hagar, he would have gone up a notch in my eyes.
I expected him to just talk through all the lyrics as I heard he did the last tour, however I will say he covered the Van Halen songs pretty well. He's not a great singer, nor does he have great range, but the band was tight and the guitarist was note-for-note perfect.
Except for a one time reunion tour I don't believe there is any way Roth can fit in with Van Halen today. I'd like to know what his problem with Sammy Hagar is? Sammy was not responsible for him leaving Van Halen.
All and all Roth's show was pretty damn good. I think if he changed his persona on stage he might gain enough credibility to get back in Van Halen.
IP: 208.233.12.99
Hot For Teacher
Panama
Little Guitars
Runnin' With The Devil
Slam Dunk
Mean Street
Yankee Rose
Tobacco Road
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
So This Is Love?
Eruption
You Really Got Me
Unchained
Jump
DLR Solo: 03
Van Halen: 11
Total: 14
