David Lee Roth flew from Washington state, where he started his tour last Thursday, to join Teddy Swims for the second weekend in a row at the Coachella festival in Indio, California.
As they did the first weekend of the festival, Roth came out for a version of Van Halen‘s “Jump.”
In an interview with Spin magazine after last weekend’s performance, Roth said the 1984 song represents his state of mind.
“Lead with your forehead. I’ve been places with my forehead you wouldn’t go with a Glock pistol. And that’s the larcenist’s sense of humor that goes with ‘might as well jump.’ Take your best shot. It’s about confidence, whether or not you’re fully prepared. That’s how my career has always been. We always did things before I thought I was fully prepared.”
Asked about playing the festival, Roth said, “This is the most freewheeling, forgiving audience in terms of style, pizazz. I personally have an aura like a burning tire. Frequently amongst my prior [hard rock] milieu—I’ll tell you how to spell that later—the obligatory amp wall, leather, leather everywhere, has become like any other musical art form, very restrictive. It becomes a ghetto. And here is a launching point for many different kinds of music that I can go out there and trigger that kind of a response.”
Roth and Swims met just before the festival at an L.A. rehearsal facility.
As for Roth’s tour, he did his second show on Saturday in Oregon.
He’s backed by a four-piece band and five male backup singers as Roth clearly can no longer sing as he once did.
For the opening show he did 15 songs — 11 Van Halen originals, two they covered — “Ice Cream Man” for the first time since 2020, and The Kinks‘ “You Really Got Me” — and a cover of Billy Joel‘s “New York State of Mind.”
On Saturday he added Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” and “Hot for Teacher.”
Up next is Tucson on Wednesday.
