David Lee Roth has canceled most of his remaining summer tour dates, scrapping shows in Dillon, Colorado; Clear Lake, Iowa; Louisville, Kentucky; and East Moline, Illinois. Only his previously scheduled August 7 appearance at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota remains on the calendar, per Roth’s official website. No reason was given for the cancellations, though reports of empty seats at multiple June and July dates have fueled speculation that low ticket sales played a role.
Roth’s current tour, promoted under the banner “Don’t Love Me, Rent Me,” launched April 16 at Spokane Live! at Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. His current backing band consists of Al Estrada on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass, Francis Valentino on drums and Danny Wagner on keyboards. McNabb joined as bassist, replacing Ryan Wheeler.
Later the same day, Sammy Hagar — the singer who replaced Roth in Van Halen — shared a video message on social media addressing the cancellations (transcribed by Blabbermouth). Hagar said: “Hey, Dave. Sammy here. I just got a call from [ex-Van Halen and current bassist for Hagar’s solo band] Michael Anthony…about your tour getting canceled. And I wanna say from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I hope you’re well. I hope there’s not a physical problem.”
“Honestly, Mike and I love the fact that you’ve been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of,” Sammy continued. “And, yeah, I’m really sorry. That’s f***ed up. Supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive You and I, Mikey, Al [Alex Van Halen], Ed [Van Halen] cannot be replaced. So, when you’re ready to carry on, you go, brother. Mike and I support you.”
Hagar then extended an invitation for Roth to join him and Anthony at their upcoming Las Vegas residency in September. “Come on, join us. Sing a couple of songs, M.C. the damn show. Come out and just do what the f**k you do [laughs], which is pretty damn entertaining. Anyway, hope you’re well. I really do. God bless, brother.”
Roth, 71, originally departed Van Halen following the commercial peak of the band’s 1984 album to pursue a solo career, returning for a brief stint in 1996 before rejoining as the band’s frontman in 2007 — a run that effectively ended when Van Halen ceased touring in 2015. In January 2021, Roth publicly announced his retirement, citing planned farewell shows at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; that residency was subsequently canceled due to COVID. He reversed the decision in 2025, making his return to the concert stage at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland on May 3, 2025. His 2025 summer U.S. tour concluded September 14 in Napa, California.
