Stop Missing Shows

David Lee Roth in Washington DC

454 users on tonedeaf are tracking David Lee Roth

Never miss another David Lee Roth show near Washington DC.

David Lee Roth
Warner Theatre — Washington, DC
Tickets+CalendarText Friend

About David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth is the former and periodic frontman of Van Halen, a band that basically invented stadium rock excess in the 1980s. He joined Van Halen in 1977 and helmed their rise through the decade, trading vocal duties with the band's guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen on tracks like "Jump" and "Panama." He split from the band in 1985 to pursue a solo career that produced hits like "Just a Gigolo" and "Yankee Rose," proving he could carry a tune beyond Eddie's shadow. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, he rejoined Van Halen for reunion tours and recordings, then left again. His voice has aged noticeably over the years—not always gracefully—but his swagger and stage presence remain oddly intact. He's also done other things like acting, painting, and, inexplicably, circus training, but people mostly care about whether he can still nail those high notes live.

Roth shows up expecting to own the stage and most crowds let him. He struts, high-kicks, makes eye contact. Energy depends heavily on how his voice is holding up that night. Fans sing every word. Expect some covers mixed in. He'll talk between songs like he's the only person who matters.

Known for Jump, Panama, Eruption, Runnin' Down a Dream, Yankee Rose

David Lee Roth + Washington DC

David Lee Roth at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC on May 27, 2003 is the kind of booking that makes you do a double take. Twenty songs in a room that holds maybe 1,200 people. He opened with Hot for Teacher, ran through Goin' Crazy and Shoo Bop from the solo years, and pulled D.O.A. and Oh, Pretty Woman out of the deeper Van Halen catalog. California Girls and Somebody Get Me a Doctor sat comfortably next to Unchained and Panama. He closed with Jump. Diamond Dave at the 9:30 Club. That's a story.

David Lee Roth in Washington DC News

Live Music in Washington DC

Washington DC's hard rock scene has always been tied to arena-ready touring acts passing through on their way somewhere else. The 9:30 Club became the institution it is partly because it could host both punk and hair metal with equal credibility. By 2003, David Lee Roth represented a certain stripe of eighties excess that DC audiences either grew up with or respected enough to revisit. The city's music culture thrives on that duality—serious about its underground roots but not precious about its stadium rock heritage.

Washington DC road trip to see David Lee Roth?

Stay in Georgetown or Capitol Hill, both walkable neighborhoods with excellent restaurants and bars. Book a table at Kinfolk in Capitol Hill for refined New American cooking, or head to Pineapple and Pearls for something more elaborate if you want to splurge. During the day, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden offers world-class contemporary art without the crowds of the main Smithsonians. Walk the C&O Canal towpath if the weather cooperates. Hit up one of the city's serious record shops like Smash! Records before the show.

Stop missing shows.

tonedeaf. reads your music library and emails you when artists you actually listen to have shows near Washington DC. No app. No ads. No noise.

Sign Up Free