David Lee Roth and three unidentified fans. |
Next up on the block for our amusement: one-time Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth, touring behind his latest album of mostly cover tunes, Diamond Dave. The forthcoming issue of Rolling Stone (July 24, 2003) calls the album "forgettable," but the same cannot be said of the poster boy for '80s
DAVID LEE ROTH 7pm Wednesday, July 23 $28 512-389-0315 www.frontgatetickets.com Stubb's Bar-B-Q 801 Red River, Austin 512-480-8341 |
Unlike most other come-back attempts, Roth does not take himself seriously. Even in his heyday, Roth's comic talent was obvious in the lascivious lyrics of songs such as "Hot for Teacher" and "Panama" as well as in the Benny Hill-esque babes and camp of his solo videos "Just a Gigolo" and "California Girls." Fans can expect all the shtick with a side of schmaltz that endeared him to audiences way back when. And don't forget his trademark jump kicks. Roth certainly hasn't. This is one case where the joke may not necessarily be on the aging rocker, but rather the aging rocker is the joker. In other words, it's OK to laugh. •