Sammy Still Knows One Way to Rock
photo (c) Bolognabrain.com, 2010
With all the press Aerosmith has received lately, some have forgotten about the rock and roll royalty along for the ride. Last night Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Sammy Hagar, played his last scheduled show with the Aerosmith tour. His storied career began with the band Montrose in the early 1970’s and included stops as lead vocalist for Van Halen and others. Now, more than 35 years later he is still rocking.
The Red Rocker, as he is known, took the stage a couple of minutes before his scheduled start time and hit rock and roll over-drive from the first note. Although he was only given access to a small portion of the stage and lights, you would have never know it from his show. He jammed from one end of the stage to the other and even took a moment to don a Cincinnati Reds baseball jersey. Sammy didn’t seem to mind the role of opening act as he said he would only consider “opening for Aerosmith or the Rolling Stones.“ Even with the limited stage, Hagar managed to have room for a tiki bar with a couple young bartenders in miniskirts. His voice is still remarkably strong as he did many of his solo hits as well as blazing through some of the memorable tunes from his days with Van Halen. He opened with “There’s Only One Way to Rock,“ and quickly built momentum to the final nod to his days with Van Halen at the end of his set. His band was a well oiled rock machine and did not seem to mind their roll as the opening act. Sammy’s charisma, blended with his camaraderie with his band and the audience, made for one of the most potent rock and roll sets I have seen. With all of the turmoil in the world, rock and roll is a great way to escape all that troubles you. And for Sammy’s hour long set, all was right with the world…like checking out a Mexican sunset while throwing back an icy shot of Cabo Wabo.
Fast Tube by Casper


