VanHalenLive.com

THE ULTIMATE SOURCE FOR VAN HALEN, DAVID LEE ROTH, SAMMY HAGAR & CHICKENFOOT NEWS

Van Halen prints
EVH strap
EVH accessories

Sammy Hagar’s 18-year journey from Baja to the Strip

Thursday, 10 December 2009

From Las Vegas Sun:

Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

By Robin Leach

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009 | 6:02 p.m.

Rocker Sammy Hagar has finally opened his Las Vegas flagship outpost of Cabo Wabo Cantina that he founded in 1991. It’s taken 18 years to bring the party playground up from the Mexican Baja to Sin City. Just hours before its official weekend opening in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops, Sammy flew in from his San Francisco Bay Area home to give me a tour and chat about his near two-decade journey:

Robin Leach: For a man who loves the rock and roll of Las Vegas, why the heck did it take you so long to bring Cabo Wabo here?

Sammy Hagar: Tell me about it. I have been trying to make different deals in this town, and something would always happen. Maybe the guy I was trying to do it with would get fired or the building would get repossessed. It’s crazy, and I didn’t want to be attached to just anything because Cabo Wabo has such a vibe, its own energy and theme, that it doesn’t go along with some of the other themes of the hotels. And these other theme hotels were trying to get me to put a Cabo Wabo in, and I was like no, it doesn’t work there, it has to be kind of standalone. I have just been too uppity.

RL: How long has Cabo Wabo been in Cabo?

Kenny Chesney and Sammy Hagar at Sammy's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

Michael Anthony and Chad Smith at Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

Vinnie Paul and Michael Anthony at Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.
Vinnie Paul and Michael Anthony
Kenny Chesney and Sammy Hagar duet at Sammy's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.
Kenny Chesney and Sammy Hagar duet
Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.
Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.
Sammy Hagar's grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

SH: Since 1991. I started it in 1988 when I wrote the song “Cabo Wabo” for the Van Halen record. I bought the property, and then it took about three or four years to build down there then since everything was done by hand. It’s been a great success story because most people, when you do a business south of the border to start with, who knows how long it’s going to be, but it has been consistently successful from the first year, and I am the luckiest guy in the world to have that.

RL: I go there twice a year because it’s so special, but what is it that attracted you to the place? What did you feel, what did you taste, what did you sense when you went there for the first time?

SH: Well, it’s still there to start with, even though it’s crowded with wall-to-wall hotels and businesses and everything else. To me, the same thing that is still there is something really spiritual and magical about Baja, the whole peninsula and Cabo being down there just has a special feeling. The weather is phenomenal, the water is phenomenal, but what put the hook in me is I went down there in 1982, I was a rock star, I had been on MTV. You know that’s when MTV first started, so I had my videos, and I was pretty famous, and anywhere I went, people would know me. Anyone that knew rock ’n’ roll would be like, ‘there’s Sammy Hagar.’ I went to Cabo and I could have walked down the street in my stage clothes screaming and yelling my biggest hit, and people would have thought who is this crazy gringo and what is he so excited about. That really appealed to me. I thought. ‘Man, this is pretty cool. I can totally go up and sing with mariachis, and nobody wants to come up and take a picture or wants an autograph.’ And I loved that lifestyle and the smells of barbecue chicken and shrimp on the barbie walking down the street, and the mariachi music and the ambiance just gives me goose bumps. And I said I am going to buy a house here, and I did in 1982, and then I said I am going to build a freakin’ place where I can play music, and I did, and I still love the place.

RL: So what have you captured of that magic from Cabo in this Strip-front restaurant here at Planet Hollywood?

SH: It’s kind of early for me to judge it because I have only been there once. The last time I saw you at Emeril’s charity in The Venetian — you know that’s twice in two weeks after not seeing you in 20 years — I went over there right after, which was the first time I had seen it. It was great, but the food, we are trying to keep it authentic. We have the Cabo shrimp, and we use a lot of tequila-based sauces, which give the smells when you heat it up. Like fajitas marinated in some tequila and when you throw them on the fire, and you start smelling the agave coming off and you are drinking tequila, you really do kind of get that smell and that feeling and that little buzz that you get from tequila. And you can maybe close your eyes and think you are in Mexico, at least at the Cabo Wabo.

I’m really just trying to bring the rock ’n’ roll aesthetic to the glitz and glamour on the Strip. If I had put the authentic Cabo Cantina in place here, people would say, ‘No, this belongs downtown.’ It’s a little too authentic, so we tried to make it modern, cool, a little more high-tech Cabo Wabo. But the food is still authentic, and the drinks are fantastic. I don’t drink those big slush yard drinks they sell for 39 cents, but the real margaritas are made from hand-squeezed lime, and they are handmade margaritas that are awesome, and the food is great. Like I said, my friends and my music will be predominately played here, and we’ll be live, so people who come are guaranteed to have a good time.

The main thing is that it is a flip-flop, tank top, around-the-clock, nonstop-type vibe that you don’t have to get dressed up for. Come as you are, and you hopefully don’t have to wait in line. Sometimes it might be packed to get in, but nobody is ever going to cut in line ahead of you. You know I like the down home way of life. First come, first served. Hey, I earned this. I deserve it. So that is what Cabo Wabo stands for, and I am going to keep that enforced.

Sammy Hagar’s grand opening of Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile on Dec. 4, 2009.

RL: Are you happy being a restaurateur or a vocalist?

SH: Robin, that is such an unfair question. I really love both. I love all kinds of things. I get excited about an idea, and I just want to do it. My reason for doing things anymore is because I love doing it. I love seeing a project through, and I think if I had to do only one, I would of course be a singer. But I love being able to do the other projects.

RL: You have this new group called Chickenfoot, so you are still rocking. Are you gong to go out like Jagger, 70 years of age and still rocking?

SH: I hope so. It’s not a plan, but every time I go on a big trip or tour, like Chickenfoot we did a world tour this year, the hardest I have worked in so long, and I really got tired at the end of it and thought, “Man, I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.’ Then I take a month off or six weeks, and I am thinking I want to go play the Cabo Wabo, so I go pop into town and jump up onstage. I love doing it, and I don’t want to necessarily just pack up and live out of a suitcase for the rest of my life, but I want to go play. That’s the good thing about having a Cabo Wabo. I can go to my own places and jump up on the stage every night of the week if I wanted to, and singing is a special thing and it really does get in your skin. I hope Mick isn’t doing if for money.

RL: No, I think he is doing it to keep the 470 people on his payroll employed. That’s the problem of touring with a big rock ’n’ roll band

SH: Yes, they have a huge overhead. We are a little more low-key than that. The cool thing about Chickenfoot is that I put together a band of people that I have dreamed of and wanted to play with. I said what’s my dream band: Joe (Satriani) on guitar, (Michael) Anthony on bass and myself singing. That’s my dream band, and it worked. It went gold in every country, and to do that at my age, man, I feel good about it. It shows that my passion is still there for it.

RL: If you were to take your wife for dinner and drinks at this new restaurant, what would you order? What is you favorite?

SH: I would go with the Wabo shrimp, and I bet she would have the chicken fajitas, or I might toss about the beef fajitas. Most fajitas are not made this way, but we have a twist and marinate it in the tequila, and then you put it on that hot pan and those smells are coming off and you take that shot of tequila. That is where you are going to get that ambiance of the true thing walking down in Cabo. If you have two shots, that happens and you smell the fajitas. If you could hear the mariachi music at that moment, you might get transported.

I am straight tequila guy. Margaritas are the best drinks ever invented. I love them, but to me, tequila, I love tequila. I like the way it tastes, no salt, no lime. My way to drink it is you do take salt the very first time before you take tequila because it sets your palate properly, so you use a little sea salt or kosher salt, but a little bit. Then you start drinking tequila, you don’t slam it, you know a couple ounces should get you three or four sips. It’s a great high, a great drink. It makes you a different person, I hate to say it. You know people don’t fight on tequila. You drink whiskey, you start fighting. You drink beer, you start fighting. You start drinking tequila, and you are on the stage taking your clothes off and usually wind up in love.

I am not a big drinker. I just get my little buzz and nurse the rest. I take it easy these days!

Sammy’s two-level, 15,000-square-foot flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina is located at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops on the Strip. He performed opening night with the Waboritas, and not only did members of Chickenfoot show up in support, but country pal Kenny Chesney also performed a duet with him.

Ole Mas Tequila por favor! Andiamo!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground. Read more of Robin’s stories at VegasDeLuxe.com.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

PHOTOS By:

Wicked Creative & Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com


Filed under: Cabo Wabo, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar
Leave a comment
trackbackRSS 2.0

67 Responses to “Sammy Hagar’s 18-year journey from Baja to the Strip”

  1. Frank says:

    It’s good to see Sammy make his dreams come true, and having a lot of fun with it.
    Cheers, Sam!

    Frank, NL

  2. johnny beane says:

    Sammy is a great guy and i wish him the best with everything he does!
    JB

  3. Simon says:

    uuuuu, i like that girl on the right holding gently the red Guitar….

  4. mark89coupe says:

    These chicks are so hot!

    So i’m guessing there is not going to be a new DLR/Van Halen album coming out this lifetime.?

  5. Dirty Duck says:

    Guys….It’s not like he’s bangin’ any of these chicks! LOL!
    Sammy’s a happy married man!

    Now if that was dave up there…..

  6. Frank says:

    Speaking of guitars: the 7th picture, is that Sam’s EVH impersonation at the end of the 2004 tour?

    Frank, NL

  7. Bluesbro says:

    It’s Sammy’s world, and we’re just living in it.

  8. Hugo says:

    Andiamo? That’s Italian man, not Spanish… Anyway, cool article for an awesome musician! SH rules!
    Cheers!

  9. Dooley says:

    We can all learn from Sam about the finer things in life!!!

  10. mjc says:

    sam’s got it all goin on,and he’s earned it!

  11. JROD says:

    I think that’s Carrot Top in the picture with Sammy smashing the guitar…he’s looking like a freak!!!

  12. Panama Red says:

    I hope Sammy IS around making music and singing past the age of seventy. I’m sure he will be. It’s like he’s drank from the fountain of youth or something. When I think of other people his age and what they’re doing, their lifestyle, their physical and mental status and energy level, it makes me think something strange is going on with Sammy. Maybe I should start drinking more tequila.

  13. Bo Sox says:

    The cool thing about Chickenfoot is that I put together a band of people that I have dreamed of and wanted to play with. I said what’s my dream band: Joe (Satriani) on guitar, (Michael) Anthony on bass and myself singing.

    No mention of Chad? Hmmm I think my theory might have some legs.

  14. Bo Sox says:

    Hey Dirty Duck he is happily married….just like Tiger!

  15. Mark says:

    Yeah, no kidding, just because Sam is married does not mean he isn’t tasting some of the fruits of his labor.

  16. Dirty Duck says:

    LOL! :)

  17. Dooley says:

    Lyrics from Chickenfoot’s “Soap on a Rope”

    “…I got a woman, she’s fine too
    Let me do anything I wanna do…”

    I’d say Sam has a good wife.

  18. Matteau23 says:

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Sammy fan, but this is where I understand why he drives people nuts. He can be such a hypocrite. He said he wouldn’t put a Cabo Cantina in any of the fit with the “vibe” of the cantina. But didn’t he just sign a massive deal to have Cantinas opened up in airports all over the country?? Anybody ever been to an airport that has a “vibe”?? cuz I certainly haven’t.

    Just come out and say it.. its all about money!!!

    ok, sorry.. that’s my rant.

  19. Matteau23 says:

    PS.. Tiger Woods is gonna be mad that Sammy’s takin pictures with his girls ;)

  20. Adam says:

    Matteau23,

    Actually, you are mistaken. You are thinking of the two “Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill”s that Sam recently opened. But what you didn’t know is that ALL of the profits from those two places go to charity.

    As for Cabo Wabo Cantinas, there are 3: Cabo, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas. There used to be one in Fresno, but he closed it down because he didn’t like how the manager was running it.

    That said, of course Sammy likes money, as everyone should. There is nothing wrong with making money, despite what some of the VHND regulars think.

  21. Matteau23 says:

    Oh I don’t disagree with that at all Adam.. more power to them, we’d all do the same if we were in that position.

    Sometimes though I think (and this is all musicians/athletes/hollywood types) they think the fans are dumb and they can feed them these lines about “vibes” etc., when we all know they’re just doing what makes the most money. They’re not going to acknowledge this of course, but then just don’t say anything instead of feeding us these lines.

  22. TheArtist says:

    That’s so great, to see a great guy having fun!
    2009 was Sammy’s Year!!!!!!!!

  23. Snoova says:

    Dude, that DOES look like Carrot Top in the background?!?!?!

    Snoova

  24. phillster says:

    That IS CARROT TOP!! He hangs out with Gene $immon$ too.
    Or i guess pretty much anyone who`ll pay attention to him.

  25. Dirty Duck says:

    Sammy hagar is a buisness man not a rockstar.

    That’s not a jab….just see the above pics to prove my point!

  26. Kevin Malone says:

    Raise your hand if you want to be Sammy Hagar -

    Look at all those hands!!!!!

    LOL

  27. Dirty Duck says:

    I sware this whole things looks so phoney and un rock and roll to me, except the pic of vinnie paul ;) (Relax sam fans I’m just giving my opinion)
    Sam standing, waiving, LOL….it’s…just….fake.
    Carrot top in the background…ugh!
    Where’s emerl…the chef? Or whatever his name is?
    Is whoppi goldberg somewhere in that crowd?
    Why does everyone look so old in the audience?
    Again…just observing “sams world” as bluesbro pointed out earlier. LOL!
    What a funny planet!

  28. Michael says:

    Has it been 18 years? Wow. I guess I really am getting old. Either way…congrats on continued success, Sammy. A great musician and maybe an even better businessman.

  29. shawn says:

    sammy is a great businessman, but he dresses like shit.

    robin leach is an idiot. its been 19years, not 18.

    cabo opened in the spring of 1990.

  30. phil says:

    i wanna be the guitar that girl is holding!

  31. Bo Sox says:

    I am a DLR VH fan all the way, but I have been to the orginal Cabo Wabo Cantina and it was awesome! I like Sammy’s Tequila too.

  32. Dooley says:

    Yeah, Duck. Really, everything in Las Vegas is fake,
    But it’s still a great place to go on business/vacation.
    Sam was a rock star before he was a business man.
    He’s really good at both.
    Had a Wabo-Rita (just one)last time in L.V. at his mini-airport bar & grill. It gives you a real good buzz that’s for sure.

  33. Andrew says:

    I saw Sammy last year, and one of the many guitars he uses was a EVH Wolfgang, strange. I guess even with his average skills he knows a great axe.

  34. kayser sozay says:

    That’s Sammy’s wife standing next to Carrot Top. No idea who the dude in yellow is though.

  35. MA=VH says:

    Ain’t nobody more fucked up looking than Carrot Top. For such a ‘roid freak, he looks like a real pussy in that picture… “Oooooh, Sam’s smashing a guitar… better hold my hands in front of my shrunken testicles”.

    Is this the same obnoxious, bloated Robin Leach that used to wish you champagne wishes and caviar dreams at the end of his god awful show from the 80′s? Shit, I didn’t even know he was still alive…

    Sam is the man though.

    MA=VH

  36. Pat G says:

    Some people bitch about Sammy doing things just for the money, like opening his clubs in Vegas or airports, but was anyone bitching when he got 80 million dollars for controlling interest in his tequilla company??? I think not. But he still rocks and does other things as well. The guy has to make a living, doesn’t he??? Keep rocking, Sammy.

  37. Keith says:

    I’m not sure I’m keen on another Cabo. Sammy should have kept it the one and only original in Cabo. There is no “vibe” if it’s not in Mexico and near a beach. It has ruined the mystique, just like all the hundreds of Hard Rock Cafes in unless places around the world. Those chicks with big fake boobs are pretty cool though. Do they help with the Tequila shots ? Please ? Pretty Please ?

  38. Dirty Duck says:

    Dooley:

    I know man….vegas is vegas….
    This whole thing just seems like very unrock and roll to me is all. The whole picture of sam smashing a guitar? Standing waiving with his bottle of tequila. Carrot top for christ’s sakes!! Man do I miss the 80′s….

  39. Russ says:

    I wonder how long and how many dollars were waved at Sammy before said uncle? Sure it would be nice to have a special one and only Cabo but how long could he hold out? He seems like a pretty smart businessman. Likewise, if somebody wants to give EVH $$$ to put the frankenstein image on a pair of sneakers I mean…why not. I don’t blame either for the opportunity to make a buck. Surprized the DLR cologne hasn’t come out yet (each bottle has a drop of perspiration from the diamond one himself). Oh yea that’s right….he’s not allowed. Get ready…there’s a Cabo coming to mall near you….

  40. Jim says:

    If this was Ed, everyone would be calling him a jerk, a-hole, greedy, out of touch with fans, and just doing it for the money.

    The similarities are that the both are getting their product/brand out and making money at the same time. Nothing wrong with that. Sammy appears to be a better businessman but cheers to both.

  41. Top Jimmy says:

    Frickin’ Carrot Top. What a weirdo.

  42. Panama Red says:

    I’m glad after years of making music Sammy Hagar has had the ability and opportunity to turn some of his other interests into really cool business ventures. I’m especially thankful for the Cabo Wabo tequila, it’s one of the best out there.
    I hope all of his Cantina locations do well. His fans and people who enjoy that same vibe, food and tequila, I’m sure are happy about more Cantina locations.
    Lookin forward to the next Chickenfoot album.

  43. Frank says:

    OK, you guys made me curious: WTF is Carrot top??

    Frank, NL

  44. Dirty Duck says:

    Frank….you dont want to know man!

  45. Russ says:

    Frank -
    Carrot top (veggie-named comedians news desk here)is comedian Scott Thompson aka stage name carrot top for his red hair, prop comedy (must have seen a lot of Gallagher), and often self depreciating humor. Most recently he is known for his recent dramatic muscle gain (steroid rumors) and facial change.

  46. Big AL says:

    Where’s Joe? Was this before or after their final concert?

  47. Chief says:

    Is it a pre-requisite to have big fake boobs if you’re a chick and you want to hang out in Vegas? Sounds to me like this place is a glorified fast food joint. What does it run you for a plat of fajitas? My guess is $20+. I can make fajitas at home. If I’m going out to eat, I’ll go somewhere where they actually put some thought into the food.

  48. Frank says:

    Ahh ok, i already noticed he looked like an oversized fraggle but now i know what caused it.
    Thx guys!

    Frank, NL

  49. Dirty Duck says:

    Pat G:

    There’s “making a living” and then there’s just greed.
    You’re a sam fan right? Can you honestly say that this cat NEEDS the money? C’mon….

  50. Dirty Duck says:

    Frank:

    Oversized fraggle is the “perfect” description man! LOL!

  51. Bluesbro says:

    Dirty Duck says:

    December 12th, 2009 at 6:49 am
    Pat G:

    There’s “making a living” and then there’s just greed.
    You’re a sam fan right? Can you honestly say that this cat NEEDS the money? C’mon….

    People that do … do, people that don’t are envious and complain. C’mon …

  52. Dirty Duck says:

    Thats where you’re wrong bluesbro…

    I’m one of the most humble men you’ll ever meet.
    This could be dave up there (if he was in sam’s shoes)and I’d be saying the same thing.

    There’s a big problem with this country. People like you and 51yearold feel that it’s called “making a living”
    Call it what you want… but a spade is still a spade my brother!

    I have NEVER been envious of sam ….you can trust me on that one!

  53. Panama Red says:

    You mean greed like the last ticket prices for Van Halen? Sammy gives A LOT to charities, Sammy has given free concerts, and Chickenfoot could have sold out huge arenas. It’s not about the money. He was rich and famous before he ever joined Van Halen. It’s about having fun, the music, and the fans.
    And what’s so rock and roll about DLR in his vests, slacks, his lounge act in LAS VEGAS which according to you is fake. Or the bluegrass versions of VH songs – “Strummin with the Devil” and his creepy bigger than life smile.
    And by the way Hagar helped DLR get back into the rock scene ,where Roth is most successful, by touring with him after all of the failed attempts at other genre’s. Let’s try to be a little more fair and balanced or realistic about the shots you take.
    Sammy was rock and roll way before he owned restaurants and a tequila co. I don’t see what’s so fake about these pictures. He’s opening a new cantina and promoting his tequila and having fun. People are taking pictures of this, it’s all normal. I don’t know what you expect.
    When people take shot at other people because of their success, it just comes across as jealousy, and bitterness. Relax, chill out smoke some weed or drink something. I’m just trying to keep it real.
    DLR and Sammy have both done some Awesome things in their career in my opinion. But they have also done some cheesy things too, in my opinion. The cool shit outweighs the cheesy stuff so I don’t focus on it. I don’t get why people focus so much of their negative energy at someone who has never directly harmed them. I think you need a little taste of Sammy’s world like bluesbro said. Because he’s all about being positive.

  54. Ron says:

    Dirty Duck says: “There’s “making a living” and then there’s just greed. You’re a sam fan right? Can you honestly say that this cat NEEDS the money? C’mon….”

    Okay, so running a successful business that lets you enjoy what you do and make money from it is greedy? Would you prefer he just gave away the tequila, the food & drinks in his restaurants, his music and anything else he’s selling?

    Or maybe you’d prefer he just sat on his ass and lived off the royalties from music he recorded years or decades ago, and maybe whatever crap someone convinces him to slap his name on?

    That sounds kind of familiar… Why does that ring a bell…

    Oh, right – Van Halen.

    Sure, Sam’s making a lot of money from it all. And he’s also employing a lot of people, contributing to the local tax base and various other things that are actually helping other people.

    I doubt that all the people he’s employing would be too happy if he started giving everything away for free and wound up broke, or just shut it all down because people think he’s being greedy.

  55. Keith says:

    Like I said before, Thank God for Sammy Hagar to keep rock’n’roll alive, because there will be NO NEW VAN HALEN. Eddie said it himself in the latest Guitar World interview.GO READ IT. He’s pissed that the fans didn’t like VH3, or his random new songs, porn soundtrack, etc., so he’s just gonna make money off us while we hopelessly hope. Sadly.

  56. Skutch says:

    Did you really just say that Sammy is the one keeping rock n’ roll alive? That’s the most delusional thing I’ve ever read. LOL

    I do agree that there won’t be new VH anytime soon. Oh well.

  57. Sandman says:

    Sammy has longevity and Dave does not! It was great to see Roth with VH again but with Sammy they could go on as long as they want to. Dave’s voice has just…….well has gone to shit!

  58. Skutch says:

    Unreal. If you want to defend Sammy because he’s a cool guy and down to earth, fine. But don’t act like his voice isn’t wraspy either. Get a clue. zzzzzzzzzzzz

  59. Dirty Duck says:

    Sam fans can be very delusional themselves at times.
    Sam’s voice is nowhere near what it used to be. Just like dave’s. BUT sandman…his voice isnt shit brother. If you’ve taken time to read the reviews of the last tour they were extremely positive. Especially how it was pointed out that dave’s voice sounded strong and sounded better than previous tours.
    Look…its very simple. If you dont like dave thats fine. But enough of the unintelligent remarks just to prove you’re a “true redhead” (yawn). Like skutch mentioned above, defend sam all you want for being “such a great cool down to earth guy who will one day save the planet because kids and small animals find him oh so loveable” but enough of the sam is perfect shit ok. Knock dave all you want but when was the last time he sold something with his name on it or involved in a product he was promoting? This is what I was trying to explain to bluesbro. There is nothing wrong with making a living or making money. And I think that bluesbro made some good points and im not gonna argue with his views on money. But as dave would say: “Sam would sell the rights to his butthole if it got him any regonition” And I wonder as time goes on if that was more than just a jab. Dave calls em like he see’s em….and I’m the same way. Sam could get back with VH tomorrow and it wouldnt ruin my day or my year. Dave already proved to millions that he “still has it” and many agreed by paying to see those shows “no matter how expensive” those ticket prices were. I think that pretty much sums up where I’m coming from.

  60. Panama Red says:

    Sammy’s voice has actually gotten better. I’m serious, it sounds better to me now than it ever has. And I remember hearing everyone say how Dave’s voice was gone. But when I heard him sing during the Sam and Dave tour he sounded really pretty fricken good. A lot better than I expected. He’s never really been known for his pipes anyway, but he’s got a cool sound.
    In fact I actually thought he put on a better show than Sammy, which I was kinda surprised about.
    It was so Awesome to hear all those old Van Halen classics sung by DLR. He’s a great showman, entertainer and frontman and just an interesting dude. That’s enough. He doesn’t have to be the best singer.
    His band he toured with back then (I think it was a Van Halen cover band- The Atomic Punks, I could be wrong) was BADASS. That was the next best thing to seeing Roth with Van Halen. They Kicked Ass!

  61. Russ says:

    I agree. I also saw DLR during the Sam and Dave tour and his voice was surprisingly good. He play every song from VH1 sans 2 songs. It was awesome.

  62. Panama Red says:

    Yeah, Sammy put on a good fun show that I’ve seen many times. But Roth and his band tore it up! He was in top Van Halen esque form. The martial arts, the I’ll kick your ass and f**k your girlfriend attitude. It was an aggressive, fast-paced, memorable performance. I was in the mood for a more ….Van Halen-ey show, so I think I thought it was cooler than Sammy’s show.
    I kinda pretended it was Eddie up on stage with him, which wasn’t that hard to do cuz the dude on lead guitar could shred. I mean it wasn’t Eddie but it was still Awesome. If it doesn’t work out with Van Halen Roth should definitely tour with that band again

  63. MARK KRIVICH says:

    I MET SAMMY 2 TIMES!!! WE LOVE HIM AS MUCH AS HE LOVES US!!!!!! SAMMY IS THE BEST. THANKS FOR THE HUG SAMMY!!!!

  64. Dirty Duck says:

    Thanks for the hug sammy?

    Ah jeeez….

  65. Aarxn82 says:

    i like the boobies on the girl holding the broken guitar, they distracted me from reading the article…

    wait come to think of it, Sammy sort of distracts me from listening to Chickenfoot! all this time ive been wondering what about CF that i didnt like and i think its Sammy! dont discredit me yet, im a fan of the Van Hagar era, but man this current Jimmy Buffet verion of Sammy is pretty lame. no one can talk bad about Eddie selling stuff when there is a guy like this around!

    ….i forgot what else i wanted to say because i started looking at those love jugs again

  66. Pete says:

    Ease up on my bud DUCK…he calls them as he sees them. What do you care if he has a different opinion? I respect DUCK’s take on things (even though I often have a different opinion) because he’s not one of these “I hate Sammy and that’s all there is to it” guys. I thought it was cool to hear the DUCK quack on about a few Van Hagar things he liked, even though he doesn’t care for the Sammy-thing in general.

    I think Sammy is the coolest…but I think anyone that met him would feel the same way. I’ve gone to his shows with some Dave-only fans who had a good time in spite of themselves. They might never be fans the way some of us are, but he has a contagious “joy of life” that people pick up on.

    Love his tunes, love his bars, and he’s got the best set of pipes I’ve ever heard. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

    Frankly, after reading all this, I feel like a couple of shots, some of those Fajitas, and listening to some great tunes!

  67. Dirty Duck says:

    Thanks for getting my back pete! ;)

Leave a Reply

Van Halen Store