David Lee Roth to perform with Boston Pops on 4th of July!

[Kat45]

I just heard that on the news and did a double-take. I'm not sure whether to think it's a fall from being a hot rock star to a geezer doing the family-friendly 4th of July show with the Pops, or whether it's quite a coup, a pretty good gig, for a guy who looks and acts pretty pathetic these days. What do you think?

[AwakeAtLast]

1. I don't think the two go together

I was a big fan of DLR when he was with Van Halen, but I don't think he belongs with the Pops. Maybe he will surprise me, let's hope!

[Gothic Sponge]

2. Arthur Fiedler is rolling in his grave!

[ugarte]

3. David Lee Roth will go down in trivia history

as the dumbest guy in rock 'n' roll. And that's saying a lot.

[Zomby Woof]

11. He's actually pretty sharp

I read his autobiography, and underneath his campy persona and showbiz affectations there is a keen mind with insights to match. No doubt the sex/drugs/rock living for many years took some edge off, but it's there. His insights about doing EMT work in NYC are quite spot-on, knowing full well the sociology of NYC.

Like Neil Young said about rock itself, there is more to Dave than meets the eye.

Then again, maybe because I am a fellow hyperactive, I have some empathy for him.

[ugarte]

14. I admit I spoke out of emotion

I was a big Van Halen fan and when I saw the kind of stuff he left Van Halen for, I was flabbergasted. He left one of the world's greatest rock bands to become a Spandex Barry Manilow??

Not having read his autobiography, I have no idea what he was thinking, but his work since Van Halen is an embarrassment, intended camp or not.

[Zomby Woof]

15. I only like his VH stuff

But actually, his solo stuff looks better in retrospect than any of the VH stuff since. I loathe Hagar and his Journey/ArenaRock-like hackwork, an ethos he poisoned VH with.

Roth's solo work is mostly bad, BUT HE DOESN'T TAKE HIMSELF TOO SERIOUSLY, a grave fault of post-DLR Van Halen.

[ugarte]

16. True dat

:)

[BigMcLargehuge]

4. He's big on the old crooners

like Louis Prima, and does a pretty good job with that sort of material. I think it will be great fun to see him with the Pops!

[proud patriot]

5. knowing David he'll surprise people

:D

[chaska]

6. Great front man for VH. Too bad about that voice though.

Saw him on the Tonight show, I think just after he left VH. He had a sort of big band show with girls in bikinis, and he wore a white suit and had shortish hair, doing his solo hits. VERY Vegas. Oh god, it was awful. I hope he's learned something since then.

[ForrestGump]

7. The news continues to get more and more surreal every day

But, hey, it could be a classic happening.

[Zomby Woof]

8. I like Diamond Dave

I read today that he will be training to be a volunteer EMT for one weekend a month in NYC. His Dad was a surgeon and lots of family members were in medicine. He feels this will be a way to honor his family's work.

I'll take a washed-up DLR doing something civic-minded (and could save lives) over that Repuke rat bastard Sammy Hagar, who is in Round Two of fronting the long-ago washed up Van Halen brothers.

[BigMcLargehuge]

10. I like Diamond Dave too

he's a kung fu and Kendo guy as well :)

[ForrestGump]

12. Yeah, and that makes him okay in my book

Climbs, too, even before it was the trendy thing to do.

[BigMcLargehuge]

13. saw him on the er... what was the name of that record?

had the single "Just like Paradise" on it... He put on a hell of a show, back when he had Billy Sheehan and Steve Vai with him.

[Swamp Rat]

9. Shoving a square peg in a round hole... that's a new marketing slogan.

"Well, I'm just a gigolo, and everywhere I go, people like to talk about me!"

[Bluebear]

17. Also Jennifer Holliday!

http://www.july4th.org/concert/eveningperformers/