01 May Seeing Red

Background: I had the pleasure of interviewing Boston’s guitarist Gary Pihl a few weeks back, and inevitably Sammy Hagar came up in conversation. Pihl, who has played with Boston since 1985, caught his first big break playing in the Sammy Hagar band.

In the interview, Pihl kindly attributed his team mentality, guitar skills, and sobriety to Hagar. In the moment, I had difficulty placing the Red Rocker in my mind. I pictured a wise and gentle guitar-strumming grandfather offering priceless life advice. This completely naive thought was quickly dispelled after a quick search of the Google.

Sammy Hagar is a rock and roll god.

The unruly haired singer-songwriter, musician, and rum distiller took the Tire Kingdom stage last night and rattled the foundation (and his fans) like a train.

Moments before Hagar and his Circle (Van Halen’s original bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham, and guitarist Vic Johnson) stepped to center stage, old videos and concerts flashed and flickered on the screens. Their fans, decked in well-worn Van Halen and Montrose tees and jerseys (more on this in a moment), roared until the wildcard band arrived.

“The first time I played this city was with a band called Montrose!” Hagar boomed, and dove into his hit, “There’s Only One Way To Rock.”

In the front row, side right, I had seen two couples camp out early for Hagar. It was not difficult to spot them, as they all wore matching “55” Cardinals jerseys with “Hagar” on the back. As Hagar kicked off the show, one of the fans tossed the jersey to the Van Halen veteran.

“You must have got lost!” Hagar heartily laughed, looking at the logo. “We’re in Florida now!”

Still, he slipped the white jersey on over his red Beach Bar Rum shirt. Later, he would squat on the drumstand, sign the shirt, and return it to its rightful owner. This, I quickly noticed, was a theme throughout the night. Fans threw baseball caps and T-shirts to the stage, where Hagar would hold them up, or maybe even wear them, before signing the article (mid-song) and tossing it back.

Hagar and his Circle quickly treated the audience to “Rock Candy,” during which Johnson wailed on his guitar. I’ve honestly never used that term before, but there was no other word for it. The guitar screamed, Hagar screamed, and the crowd screamed louder.

Throughout most of the Circle’s set, old videos played in the background, showing off big hair, curvaceous women, and loud clothing. During “Good Times, Bad Times,” a trippy rainbow honeycomb swirled behind the band. Hagar reared back into a chill-inducing rock scream.

Of course they also played Van Halen’s 1994 hit “Poundcake” and Hagar suggestively licked his fingers for the crowd.

“Are we having any fun yet,” the singer roared. “We’re going to drive you crazy with a set list from rock and roll heaven!!”

Hagar also shared a quick story about Bonham’s recent cop encounter. The drummer was pulled over and ticketed for speeding in his hellcat, an event Sammy bragged would not have happen to him. Bonham’s response to the story was to thrash on his kit. Hagar laughed and turned to the crowd, “1984, you remember that?” He squealed into “I Can’t Drive 55.”

Toward the end of his set, Hagar would unveil a “party cannon,” that shot fire-engine red streamers over the crowd. He shared his next hit was written on his birthday years ago in Mexico. He slipped on a Hawaiian shirt and sang “Mas Tequila.”

Later, he would perform a stripped down version of “Dreams” with Johnson, with soothing floating candles looped in the background. I could hear the crowd celebrating the band’s return for the encore, but I had to head back to Paramore. If you were there, I hope it was epic.

Sammy Hagar and his troupe of talent are a forced to be reckoned with. Their show was a true rock extravaganza. Their unstoppable energy, hard rock roots, and dedication to their fans is the reason they have soared for decades. Sammy Hagar’s personality is too big to be contained, his powerful vocals too loud to not be shared.

There is no stopping the Red Rocker, but then again, who would want to?