buster65
06.29.06, 08:12 PM
Live Review: Sammy Hagar in Gilford, NH
June 29, 2006 02:27 PM
by Jon Zahlaway
liveDaily Senior Writer
Sammy Hagar (tickets | music) has turned the act of making concertgoers feel like they're partying with him and his band into an art form, as he and his group, The Wabos, demonstrated during their Wednesday (6/28) performance at the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center.
Despite Mother Nature's efforts to put a damper on things by blanketing the amphitheater grounds with fog and rain, Hagar and company still managed to give fans a taste of what it's like to see them play live at Hagar's nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a joint dubbed the Cabo Wabo Cantina.
The effect was created partly by a stage designed to resemble the actual club--complete with a bar--as well as a platform across the rear of the stage that was filled with lucky club patrons/fans who watched the entire show from that vantage point.
A stage is just a stage, however, so it was up to Hagar and his cohorts to turn the night into a party, which they did from the get-go by tearing through a set that, appropriately, began with Hagar's late-'90s hit "Mas Tequila." Throughout the song, Hagar showered those close to the stage with Waboritas--a margarita-like drink made with Hagar's own Cabo Wabo-brand tequila--that were served up by three bikini-clad waitresses who kept the singer well oiled throughout the show, answering the call with a fresh drink in hand every time he hollered "Waitress!"
Now nearing his 60th birthday, Hagar is proving to be the Peter Pan of rock and roll; even close up, the blonde-maned, always-smiling singer looks to be 40-something, maybe 50, and his voice sounds exactly the same now as it did 20 years ago. Of course, it's easier to age well when you're entire life is essentially one big party.
It also doesn't hurt that Hagar, who has had tremendous success as a musician over the past 30-plus years, is now a liquor mogul; during the past decade, he has transformed Cabo Wabo tequila from a specialty served only at his Mexican nightclub into one of the top brands on the market.
In order to keep ticket prices for his current tour reasonable (lawn seats go for as little as $10, and the best seats in the house top out at $50), Hagar's tequila company is underwriting the outing. It's a move that is probably more lucrative in the long run, since each concert is two parts rock show, one part Cabo Wabo tequila commercial. To wit: at the end of "Mas Tequila," a giant piņata in the shape of a Cabo Wabo-tequila bottle was lowered from the rafters; Hagar struck it with a guitar to reveal a burst of confetti and a giant faux-worm.
Two things keep the constant Cabo Wabo endorsements from detracting from the performance: one, Hagar really loves the tequila (and for good reason; it's damn delicious); and, two--and most importantly--he puts on a kick-ass rock show.
The first hour comprised cuts culled from throughout Hagar's solo career and his '70s-era stint helming Montrose, including oldies such as "Three Lock Box," "One Way to Rock," "Rock Candy" and his pre-Van Halen signature cut, "I Can't Drive 55," as well as a cover of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women."
It was the show's second hour, however, that blew the roof off the place.
After a brief intermission, the lights went dark and smoke machines engulfed the entire stage in a thick, white haze. A rumbling, distortion-heavy bass guitar suddenly shook the venue, and Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony emerged from the cloud, sending the audience into a frenzy.
Anthony tore through a solo filled with riffs that had largely been shelved since the early '80s, then raised his instrument over his head in a victory pose as the crowd roared. The bassist--who, much like Hagar, appears to have stopped aging--then lowered the guitar to his upturned face and used his teeth to pluck out the opening bass line to the Van Halen classic "Runnin' With the Devil," which further incited the masses.
Hagar, who has always shied away from David Lee Roth-era Van Halen material, sat back while Anthony sang the song, then joined Anthony, drummer David Lauser and guitarist Victor Johnson--a quartet billed as The Other Half--for a second hour of music comprised entirely of Van Halen cuts.
In addition to expected numbers such as "Why Can't This Be Love," "Finish What Ya Started" and "Right Now," the set also included long-buried gems such as "Good Enough" and "5150," two scorching rockers that elicited roars of approval from the Van Halen fans in attendance--of which there were many.
The Van Halen extravaganza ended with "Best of Both Worlds," one of several cuts that showcased Anthony's upper-register background vocals--which, next to Eddie Van Halen's guitar, are the signature sound of the Van Halen catalog.
The show then closed with a finale befitting of a booze-fueled rock-and-roll party: Hagar's goateed tour manager, who had donned a dozen or so chains, shades and a baseball hat skewed to one side, grabbed the mic and joined the band for a rendition of the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)," a song whose title could easily be considered Hagar's mission statement.
Mission accomplished.
Set list:
Mas Tequila
3 Lock Box
One Way to Rock
Rainy Day Women
Shaka Doobie
Girl Gets Around
Rock Candy
Fall in Love Again
I Love This Bar
Sam I Am
Little White Lies
I Can't Drive 55
Heavy Metal
Intermission
Michael Anthony's bass solo
Runnin' With the Devil
Top of the World
Humans Being
Why Can't This Be Love
Good Enough
5150
Right Now
Finish Whatcha Started
Best of Both Worlds
Fight for Your Right (to Party)
http://www.livedaily.com/reviews/Live_Review_Sammy_Hagar_in_Gilford_NH-10322.html?t=1
June 29, 2006 02:27 PM
by Jon Zahlaway
liveDaily Senior Writer
Sammy Hagar (tickets | music) has turned the act of making concertgoers feel like they're partying with him and his band into an art form, as he and his group, The Wabos, demonstrated during their Wednesday (6/28) performance at the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center.
Despite Mother Nature's efforts to put a damper on things by blanketing the amphitheater grounds with fog and rain, Hagar and company still managed to give fans a taste of what it's like to see them play live at Hagar's nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a joint dubbed the Cabo Wabo Cantina.
The effect was created partly by a stage designed to resemble the actual club--complete with a bar--as well as a platform across the rear of the stage that was filled with lucky club patrons/fans who watched the entire show from that vantage point.
A stage is just a stage, however, so it was up to Hagar and his cohorts to turn the night into a party, which they did from the get-go by tearing through a set that, appropriately, began with Hagar's late-'90s hit "Mas Tequila." Throughout the song, Hagar showered those close to the stage with Waboritas--a margarita-like drink made with Hagar's own Cabo Wabo-brand tequila--that were served up by three bikini-clad waitresses who kept the singer well oiled throughout the show, answering the call with a fresh drink in hand every time he hollered "Waitress!"
Now nearing his 60th birthday, Hagar is proving to be the Peter Pan of rock and roll; even close up, the blonde-maned, always-smiling singer looks to be 40-something, maybe 50, and his voice sounds exactly the same now as it did 20 years ago. Of course, it's easier to age well when you're entire life is essentially one big party.
It also doesn't hurt that Hagar, who has had tremendous success as a musician over the past 30-plus years, is now a liquor mogul; during the past decade, he has transformed Cabo Wabo tequila from a specialty served only at his Mexican nightclub into one of the top brands on the market.
In order to keep ticket prices for his current tour reasonable (lawn seats go for as little as $10, and the best seats in the house top out at $50), Hagar's tequila company is underwriting the outing. It's a move that is probably more lucrative in the long run, since each concert is two parts rock show, one part Cabo Wabo tequila commercial. To wit: at the end of "Mas Tequila," a giant piņata in the shape of a Cabo Wabo-tequila bottle was lowered from the rafters; Hagar struck it with a guitar to reveal a burst of confetti and a giant faux-worm.
Two things keep the constant Cabo Wabo endorsements from detracting from the performance: one, Hagar really loves the tequila (and for good reason; it's damn delicious); and, two--and most importantly--he puts on a kick-ass rock show.
The first hour comprised cuts culled from throughout Hagar's solo career and his '70s-era stint helming Montrose, including oldies such as "Three Lock Box," "One Way to Rock," "Rock Candy" and his pre-Van Halen signature cut, "I Can't Drive 55," as well as a cover of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women."
It was the show's second hour, however, that blew the roof off the place.
After a brief intermission, the lights went dark and smoke machines engulfed the entire stage in a thick, white haze. A rumbling, distortion-heavy bass guitar suddenly shook the venue, and Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony emerged from the cloud, sending the audience into a frenzy.
Anthony tore through a solo filled with riffs that had largely been shelved since the early '80s, then raised his instrument over his head in a victory pose as the crowd roared. The bassist--who, much like Hagar, appears to have stopped aging--then lowered the guitar to his upturned face and used his teeth to pluck out the opening bass line to the Van Halen classic "Runnin' With the Devil," which further incited the masses.
Hagar, who has always shied away from David Lee Roth-era Van Halen material, sat back while Anthony sang the song, then joined Anthony, drummer David Lauser and guitarist Victor Johnson--a quartet billed as The Other Half--for a second hour of music comprised entirely of Van Halen cuts.
In addition to expected numbers such as "Why Can't This Be Love," "Finish What Ya Started" and "Right Now," the set also included long-buried gems such as "Good Enough" and "5150," two scorching rockers that elicited roars of approval from the Van Halen fans in attendance--of which there were many.
The Van Halen extravaganza ended with "Best of Both Worlds," one of several cuts that showcased Anthony's upper-register background vocals--which, next to Eddie Van Halen's guitar, are the signature sound of the Van Halen catalog.
The show then closed with a finale befitting of a booze-fueled rock-and-roll party: Hagar's goateed tour manager, who had donned a dozen or so chains, shades and a baseball hat skewed to one side, grabbed the mic and joined the band for a rendition of the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right (to Party)," a song whose title could easily be considered Hagar's mission statement.
Mission accomplished.
Set list:
Mas Tequila
3 Lock Box
One Way to Rock
Rainy Day Women
Shaka Doobie
Girl Gets Around
Rock Candy
Fall in Love Again
I Love This Bar
Sam I Am
Little White Lies
I Can't Drive 55
Heavy Metal
Intermission
Michael Anthony's bass solo
Runnin' With the Devil
Top of the World
Humans Being
Why Can't This Be Love
Good Enough
5150
Right Now
Finish Whatcha Started
Best of Both Worlds
Fight for Your Right (to Party)
http://www.livedaily.com/reviews/Live_Review_Sammy_Hagar_in_Gilford_NH-10322.html?t=1