CONCERT REVIEW: DAVID LEE ROTH Turns The Stone Pony Summer Stage Into A VAN HALEN Victory Lap
By Robert Cavuoto
June 8, 2026

David Lee Roth is alive, well, and running with the devil on his 2026 Don’t Love Me, Rent Me Worldwide Tour, a 27‑date run that kicked off April 16th in Airway Heights, WA, and will finish up on August 6th in Sturgis, SD. No opening band, just Diamond Dave, one of rock’s most iconic frontmen.

On June 5th, he and his 10‑piece band played the legendary Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ. It was an 18‑song, Dave‑era Van Halen’s show right in front of your steamy eyes. His band features Al Estrada on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass, Francis Valentino on drums, K.C. Knight on keys, and a five-man powerhouse quartet of backing vocalists that help bring Van Halen’s lush harmonies to life.

As the sun set behind the stage, Dave’s unmistakable voice rang out from backstage; it felt like the floor tilted, and for a moment, the crowd at Stone Pony held their breath. Dave suddenly appeared, to a flurry of musical accompaniment like a late-night TV show host. He didn’t say a word, just stood center stage grinning ear-to-ear, surveying the crowd, deciding whether to greet them or pounce on them. The audience erupted with a wave of cheers that rolled forward and hit the stage like the surf from Asbury Park’s beach. He then unleashed “Panama” and then “Drop Dead Legs.” Dave had the crowd locked in with the first two songs.

For 90 minutes, he moved constantly, but never in straight lines. He prowled the stage, walking back and forth to the drum riser, seemingly to watch his own show! Every gesture he made was grandiose, theatrical, entertaining, and completely magnetic.

Read more: https://www.sonicperspectives.com/concert-reviews/david-lee-roth-june-2026/