Sammy Hagar after 40 years, still can get the rock done.

I'm a little over a week removed from the last Sammy Hagar concert that I've went to.  I've been a fan of Sammy since before he joined Van Halen.  When he joined Van Halen I became a bigger fan, then when the split with Van Halen came, I became an even bigger fan.  I was 11 or 12 when I heard I Can't Drive 55, so that was the first song I remember by Sammy.  My brother Kev bought the VOA cassette and got to listen to a little more Sammy.  A couple of years later I remember Kev coming home and saying turn it to 96STO, they are going to have Van Halen's new song, the first one with Sammy as the lead singer.  We waited and then coming out of my little boom box speakers the deejay says, "From the as of yet untitled album, Why Can't This Be Love by Van Halen."  I remember it as if it was yesterday.  What a great song, it didn't sound like the Roth Van Halen.  I liked it, maybe better.  Now I want to be the first to say I love Roth's Van Halen, but I just loved Van Hagar better.  Sammy had more range, they wasn't as flashy, they rocked, and they had ballads.  This isn't about who's better, both versions are classic in my opinion, and long after most of us are gone, the argument of who is better will be going on.

After Sammy left, quit, or was fired by Van Halen, he recorded "Marching to Mars".  When we heard he was coming to Riverport in St. Louis, we had to get tickets.  So on August 1st, 1997,  Kev, Rob, and myself got lawn tickets, fired up my Lumina and headed to St. Louis.  All I can say it was way more than we could've ever expected here's the set list:

SETLIST

Set 1

• 1. Marching to Mars
• 2. There's Only One Way to Rock
• 3. Returning Home
• 4. I'll Fall in Love Again
• 5. Salvation on Sand Hill
• 6. Why Can't This Be Love
• 7. Who Has the Right?
• 8. Standin' at the Same Old Crossroads
• 9. Bad Motor Scooter
• 10. Good Rockin' Tonight
• 11. Finish What Ya Started
• 12. Kama

Set 2

• 13. Cabo Wabo
• 14. Right Now
• 15. Little White Lie

Set 3

• 16. I Can't Drive 55
• 17. Three Lock Box
• 18. The Yogi's So High (I'm Stoned)
• 19. Red
• 20. Heavy Metal
• 21. Eagles Fly
• 22. Dreams
• 23. Rock 'N' Roll Weekend
• 24. Marching to Mars
  
  
  Man, what a show, the Wabo's (although they weren't yet the Wabo's) were awesome, the songs were awesome, and Sammy was awesome.  Never have I been to a concert where someone signs as much as Sammy did. When he talked to the crowd, it was like he was talking to me.  Since that concert I've seen him, with a few exceptions, when he has toured St. Louis.  I saw him in Evansville, Indiana once, the crowd was disappointing, but Sammy rocked.  The first concert I took my then girlfriend, now wife, to was Van Halen with Sammy in 2004.  I loved seeing the show, but it just quite wasn't Sammy on his own.  I saw the Sam/Dave tour.  Surprisingly, Roth was pretty good, although Sammy is pretty much always on in St. Louis.  My favorite concert was Hagar and the Wabos then  with Montrose.  It was August 23rd, 2003.  It was my favorite concert, seeing the original Montrose together was one of those moments you think you would never see.  Here's the setlist:
  
  

  SETLIST

  Set 1

  • 1. There's Only One Way to Rock
  • 2. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
  • 3. Three Lock Box
  • 4. The Seventh Seal
  • 5. Best of Both Worlds
  • 6. I'll Fall in Love Again
  • 7. Shaka Doobie (The Limit)
  • 8. Red
  • 9. Heavy Metal
  • 10. Hallelujah
  • 11. Right Now
  • 12. Little White Lie
  • 13. Dreams
  • 14. I Can't Drive 55
  • 15. Mas Tequila

  Set 2

  • 16. Rock the Nation
  • 17. Bad Motor Scooter
  • 18. Rock Candy
  • 19. Space Station #5

  Encore 1

  • 20. Make It Last
  • 21. Good Rockin' Tonight
    
    
    
    This past weekend the show was great, seeing Sammy and the Wabo's, and the surviving members of Montrose(RIP Ronnie), plus Mikey Anthony playing over 40 years of Hagar music, just awesome.  I think if you can't see Sammy in Cabo, then go see him in St. Louis, the crowd is always great and Sammy always puts a great show on.  Sammy's 65, but he rocks like he's 25. 
    
    
    One last thing, the band Rival Sons opened and were pretty good, and it's good to see that there are bands still putting some good rock out.  Also, in between the son's set and Sammy's, the crowd endured lightning, rain, hale, and wind, but we all stayed and we were rocked!