Concert review: David Lee Roth | 08.25.25, The Factory (with photo gallery)

Diamond David Lee Roth. When you think of some of the best frontmen of all time, everybody loves to put him at the top of their list, myself included. His Dave Show tour brings all the flash, camp, and camera mugging that you would expect from good ol’ Diamond Dave. This show was just him, no opening act, and heavy with Van Halen classics. Roth has meticulously surrounded himself with excellent musicians for this tour that together provide quite a bit of substance for the show, adding tons of vocals, guitar riffs played note for note like the album versions, and immaculate drumming. The stage was super clear and well-lit with very simply, seventies-style white lights, and despite that dude’s age, he covered every inch of that stage the entire night, twirling guitar stands, crouching in what looked like a serious crow-like yoga pose (which included popping up with ease). David Lee Roth will always be an absolute ham… I mean, showman! He’s not afraid to give people that trip down memory lane that they want so bad with music they hold so dear and I think that’s why he chose such great players for this tour: there were no liberties taken with the songs and the notes they played, all songs were true to their original.

And speaking of that trip down memory lane, here’s a rundown of the setlist from tonight‘s show at The Factory:

Panama
Drop Dead Legs
I’m the One
I’ll Wait
Beautiful Girls
You Really Got Me
Runnin’ With the Devil
Romeo Delight
Dance the Night Away
Mean Street
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Jamie’s Cryin’
Unchained
Oh, Pretty Woman
Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love
Hot for Teacher
Everybody Wants Some!!
And of course…JUMP!

I, for one, admire how much hard work it takes to do what he’s doing, and I will never be the person that says an artist should not get up on stage when they have this much energy and vibe for doing what they love to do. Roth is a consummate performer and he’s still having a blast doing what he loves. Wearing a necklace that had a tag engraved with ‘Laugh To Win’ pretty much says it all about David Lee Roth. He’s always going to smile, always going to laugh, and, in so many ways, he’s always going to win.

Looking around the crowd, I saw not just Gen Xers reliving their youth, I saw many little kids in Van Halen shirts that were super-stoked to be seeing one of the greatest frontmen of all time, singing every word to every song.  And if that doesn’t put it in perspective and put your heart in the right place, I don’t know what will. | Laura Jerele