By “Tampa” Earl Burton, Journalist and Chyrisse Tabone, Photographer – Rock At Night Tampa
Review: Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds Tour-Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, Jason Bonham– Mid-Florida Amphitheatre, Tampa, Florida – July 14, 2024
You have got to be a pretty dedicated fan of an artist or band to sit through drizzling rain and lightning in an outdoor amphitheatre to partake in their wares. That is just what occurred on Sunday at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre when Sammy Hagar and a host of his friends gathered onstage for a celebration of Hagar’s career. From all appearances, the 10,000 or so that were packing the stadium rocked all night long and into the next morning.
“The Best of All Worlds” Celebration of Hagar AND Van Halen
From the start, it was obvious that the evening’s musical entertainment would not only be a celebration of Hagar’s career but also a way of celebrating the life and achievements of the late Eddie Van Halen. Hagar even stated this fact during the show, commenting, “This is a celebration of my career – with a HEAVY emphasis on VH (Van Halen, the band he was with along with the guitar virtuoso)” and bassist Michael Anthony (who became quite close with Hagar during his time with Van Halen) even called out “This is for you, Eddie!” as he performed the classic “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love.” Down to the merch – the logo for the show was an “SH” worked into the familiar “VH” logo format – it was plain to see that this was just as much Eddie’s show and remembrance as it was Sammy’s. (Writer’s note: according to Hagar, Alex Van Halen was asked to join the show but is still in mourning following the passing of his brother. When Van Halen recently sold a great deal of his musical equipment, Hagar knew he would not be a part of the show.)
Kicking it off with “Good Enough” from Van Halen’s 1986 album 5150 (the first album to feature Hagar as the vocalist, replacing David Lee Roth), the band – Hagar on vocals, the occasional guitar, and master of ceremonies; Anthony on the bass and more vocals than you would expect; second-generation drum basher Jason Bonham; and a guitar legend in his own right, Joe Satriani – powered through fifteen total songs from the Van Halen catalog. There were a couple of questionable choices – “Judgment Day” and “The Seventh Seal” were not big hits for the band – but overall the band carried these tunes off very well, as to be expected with half of the ‘Van Hagar’ lineup in the show.
There were a few tunes from Hagar’s solo career and his work with The Wabos, but not as many as I would have preferred. Of course, there was “There’s Only One Way to Rock” and Hagar’s claim to fame, “I Can’t Drive 55,” but there was only one tune from his Montrose days, and it wasn’t the one that you might expect – it was “Space Station #5,” rather than “Bad Motor Scooter” or “Rock Candy.” There was also only one song from Chickenfoot, “Oh Yeah,” odd because three-quarters of that band was on the stage (Hagar, Anthony, and Satriani). In a way, it might have been a bit better show to drop a couple of the Van Halen tracks and include more of the other works from the team (Satriani’s “Satch Boogie” was nice but would have also liked “Surfin’ with the Alien”).
Camaraderie and Joy Between Audience and Band
Throughout the 21-track, nearly two-hour show (Loverboy was supposed to serve as the opening act, but lightning would force the cancellation of their set), the love, camaraderie, and joy between Hagar & Co. and the audience was palpable. The crowd genuinely enjoyed singing along with Hagar through his historical look back, probably because the show itself was close to being canceled in its entirety. Hagar joked about this, stating “I laughed…hard,” when officials at the Amphitheatre asked if he wanted to cancel the show. Hagar was also gracious in handing out the accolades to his fellow bandmates.
After the completion of “Only One Way to Rock,” Hagar looked over to Satriani and told the story of how they produced their treatment of the song. “Joe looked at me and said, “Why don’t we do it like you did it with Eddie (Van Halen),” Hagar remarked. “If I had the balls to do it with Eddie, I got the balls to do it with Joe!”
Bonham also got his bouquets from Hagar, as well as a reminder that everyone on the stage (save keyboardist Rai Thistlewayte) was closer to retirement age than the drinking age. “If you’d have told me, when I was seventeen and seeing Van Halen in 1984,” Bonham began, “that I would be playing with THAT GUY (pointing at Anthony) and THAT GUY (Satriani) and with you, I’d have said you were f*****g nuts!” (The pics of Bonham’s father, the legendary John “Bonzo” Bonham, were also a nice touch.)
By the time the final notes of “When It’s Love” echoed through the Tampa night, the drenched (both rain-wise and musically) fans moved towards the exits of the Amphitheatre, thoroughly entertained at having witnessed a great rock and roll show. There were a few hiccups – this was only the second stop of the “Best of All Worlds” tour – and the band seemed to still be figuring out how to close some songs. But overall, it was a memorable concert from a group of friends that looked to celebrate not only the success of Hagar but the success of one of the greatest American rock bands in history, Van Halen.
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