During his concert at the California Mid-State Fair on Tuesday, July 22, David Lee Roth, the legendary Van Halen singer, delivered an emotional tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, whose passing at 76 was announced earlier that day. Before performing the Van Halen classic “Atomic Punk,” Roth paused to share personal reflections on his long-standing connection with the heavy metal icon.
Roth recalled Van Halen‘s 22-date United Kingdom tour in 1978, where they opened for Black Sabbath. “I didn’t even know there were 22 cities in the United Kingdom,” he quipped to the crowd, before adding, “Ozzy Osbourne and I became very, very good friends on that tour. And the sad news is that he has departed.”
The singer then shared a philosophical, yet characteristically Roth-esque, thought on Ozzy‘s legacy: “I once asked a Buddhist monk, ‘Do you think there’s laughter in heaven?’ And he told me, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ So Ozzy Osbourne, save me a seat, and when I get to hell, we’ll have a drink, brother.” Following this poignant remark, Roth raised his arms, forming the peace sign with both hands, a gesture famously associated with Osbourne.
The Paso Robles show marked the opening night of Roth’s summer 2025 U.S. tour, which is scheduled to conclude on September 14 in Napa. For this tour, Roth is backed by a talented band featuring Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass, Francisco Valentino on drums, and Danny Wagner on keyboards.
The full setlist for Roth‘s first solo concert in over two months showcased a wealth of Van Halen favorites:
- “Panama“
- “Drop Dead Legs“
- “I’m The One“
- “I’ll Wait“
- “You Really Got Me” (The Kinks cover)
- “Runnin’ With the Devil“
- “Romeo Delight“
- “Dance The Night Away“
- “Mean Street“
- “Atomic Punk“
- “Jamie’s Cryin’“
- “Unchained“
- “Oh, Pretty Woman” (Roy Orbison cover)
- “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love“
- “Hot For Teacher“
- “Everybody Wants Some!!“
- “Jump“
Roth‘s storied career includes his initial departure from Van Halen to pursue a solo career after the success of 1984. He rejoined the band for a period in 1996 and then served as Van Halen‘s frontman again from 2007 until 2020, though the band had not toured since 2015.
In recent months, Roth has been re-recording solo versions of several Van Halen classics. These tracks, including “Jump,” “Unchained,” “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “You Really Got Me,” “Dance The Night Away,” “Panama,” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” were laid down on May 3, 2022. The sessions took place at Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. A remarkable 14 songs were recorded in just two hours, tracked live with “no samples” and without the use of pitch-correction technology like Auto-Tune.
David Lee Roth’s summer 2025 U.S. tour dates continue:
- Jul. 31, 2025 – Davie, FL – Hard Rock Live (in Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood)
- Aug. 3, 2025 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
- Aug. 6, 2025 – Bristol, VA – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol
- Aug. 8, 2025 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
- Aug. 10, 2025 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
- Aug. 13, 2025 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
- Aug. 15, 2025 – Verona, NY – Turning Stone Resort Casino
- Aug. 17, 2025 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
- Aug. 19, 2025 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
- Aug. 21, 2025 – Cincinnati, OH – Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
- Aug. 23, 2025 – Du Quoin, IL – Duquoin State Fairgrounds
- Aug. 25, 2025 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
- Aug. 27, 2025 – Kansas City, MO – Grinders KC
- Aug. 29, 2025 – Thackerville, OK – Lucas Oil Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort
- Aug. 31, 2025 – Catoosa, OK – Hard Rock Hotel And Casino Tulsa
- Sep. 4, 2025 – Chandler, AZ – THE SHOWROOM AT GILA RIVER HOTELS & CASINOS- WILD HORSE PASS
- Sep. 6, 2025 – Las Vegas, NV – Fontainebleau Las Vegas
- Sep. 8, 2025 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
- Sep. 10, 2025 – Temecula, CA – Pechanga Resort & Casino
- Sep. 12, 2025 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
- Sep. 14, 2025 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Napa
