Hagar, on the other hand, looks like he has forgotten what it means to rock and roll, and has surprisingly become more of a parody of his former self than Roth. Once the scrappy boxing glove clad singer for Montrose and later Van Halen, Hagar is now the goofy and affable Cabo Wabo guy. Bringing onstage two sets of bleachers filled with the most drunken fans available from Philadelphia, a makeshift bar, and waitresses delivering drinks in skimpy outfits, it was Hagar, and not Roth, who went for the cheap cheers by getting the titty-cam started. Hagar ambled across the stage in a display of shameless self-promotion with his "Cabo Wabo" T-shirt on, intent on playing the role of "the working man's rocker."
Opening with the horrendous "Shaka Doobie" from his latest album, Ten 13, Hagar weaved in and out of too many numbers from his less than prolific solo outings along with his standard fare of Van Halen songs that his backing band seemed intent on butchering. Telling stories before many of them about how he and Eddie originally came up with the compositions, Hagar seemed like a man pining for an ex-wife, playing with more or less resignation than emotion. By the time he closed his set with "Dreams" from the Van Halen landmark 5150, much of the crowd had already begun to walk out. Perhaps it was for the best, as they missed his multiple failures to reach the high notes of the track.
"Song for a song," the evening clearly belonged to Roth. The quality of music, the stage presence and the selection of hits played all pointed to a win. Hagar was spent and didn't care about the sound of the band or his appearance. Going through the motions was painfully Sammy's show, while Dave was out to prove himself.
If Hagar can ever get over his hatred and jealousy of Roth and accept that he was not the original frontman for Van Halen. Maybe he can salvage his dismal solo career.
The constant mentioning of Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and the band itself just shows his insecurities and fears.
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