David Lee Roth // Vogue Theatre

At 71 years old, you would expect anyone to be enjoying a peaceful, quiet life. David Lee Roth is not one of those people. Instead, he is on a 27 city World Tour that made a stop in Vancouver, on July 13th at the Vogue Theatre. 

No opener was needed for the Van Halen frontman, David Lee Roth also known as Diamond David. He was the only singer that night, as he strutted onto the stage accompanied by a 10 piece backing band. The crowd was instantly on their feet ready for a night of rock and roll. 

If you were hoping to hear some Van Halen classics, you wouldn’t have been disappointed. Roth immediately jumped into some classics like “Panama”, “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “Hot for Teacher”. The crowd was eating up every minute of it! Obviously the Van Halen classics didn’t stop there, 16 out of the 18 songs on the setlist were some of Van Halen’s best. “Ain’t Talkin Bout Love”, “You Really Got Me” and closing the show off with “Jump”.

This wasn’t your typical revival show, where the retired artist stands (or sits) at center stage, sings the classics, and leaves. For 90 minutes straight, David Lee Roth did not stand still. He did not stop moving, dancing and doing the limbo across the stage. Diamond Dave has not lost his touch (or so I heard from the crowd around me). Roth regaled the crowd with some of the shenanigans he got up to throughout his years of coming to Vancouver; all the insider scoop was being given to the fans and they couldn’t be more thrilled. 

Everything about this night felt like a fever dream, where I stepped back into a smokey cabaret bar, but instead of a jazz band it was a hard-rock legend. It was a night no one will forget. 

9.87/10

Review and Photos: Michaela De Ciantis-Wong