Review and Photos by Megan Juarez-Fontana
Promoter: Live Nation
Venue: Chase Field
Date: Wednesday August 20, 2024
Tour: The Best of All Worlds
The night was buzzing with energy. This week was about to be loaded with classic 80s/70s bands. The first bands to kick this amazing week off was none other than Van Halen’s own Sammy Hagar and Loverboy! The night was about to be filled with classic songs that really helped to define the 80s.
Fans were lined up at talking stick Amphitheater, ready to sing their hearts out. The sea of people had shirts ranging from previous tours of both bands over the decades as well as Sammy Hagar’s own restaurant shirts from Cabo Wabo! Once inside the fans ranged from all ages, this became a family event to date night for those in their 20s and up! Friends gathered together laughing and reminiscing about their youth, the shows they saw and experienced.
The night was coming to a close and it was time for Sammy Hagar to hit the stage! The fans flocked to their seats in haste so they do not miss a single thing! The show started with a montage of Sammy Hagar over the years from his time with Van Halen, to his cartoon debut on The Simpsons, ending the introduction with a collage of Sammy over the decades. The fans screamed and rose from their seats!
Hagar rose to fame in the 70s with his band Montrose; from there he launched his solo career. In 1985 Hagar joined Van Halen to replace their vocalist David Lee Roth. He then left Van Halen in 1996 to continue his solo career and rejoined Van Halen from 2003-2005. This Salinas, California native had an amazing career that was filled with many fun moves and memories.
Hagar was joined this night by some of the greats from the music community. Joining him on stage was guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte. Their set was filled with amazing guitar solos, at one point Satriani brought out a power drilled and used it on the strings of his guitar to create a new sound. Hagar even took to the guitar and played for one of his songs. Fans cheered as he began to play, before he played he announced to the crowd that he was not as talented as Satriani but would join him.
Everyone sang along and waved their hands in the air. Hagar played a lot of Van Halen hits such as “Panama”, “Why Can’t This Be Love”, Poundcake”, and “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love”. He also played a few of his own songs : “Eagles Fly”, “Mas Tequila” and “I Can’t Drive 55”. He ended his set with a few fam favorite Van Halen songs, “Jump” and “Why Can’t This Be Love”. Over all he put on one of the best performances of the summer. He engaged with the crowd, moved all around so his fans could truly see his stage presence and played the hits that were loved by all.
Sammy Hagar
Loverboy was the opening band for the night and the fans were excited to start the night with them. The Canadian rock band from Calgary, Alberta had stolen the hearts of thousands in the late 70s and 80s. The band formed in 1979 and had a few hits that really set the tones in the 80s. The band’s current line up is made up by Paul Dean-guitar/vocals, Matt Frenette-drums, Doug Johnson-keyboards, Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve-bass/backing vocals and Mike Reno-lead vocals.
The band opened up their set with “Notorious”, the audience cheered. Everyone sang along from song one all the way to their last song of the night. They ended with probably their most popular song of their career, “Working for the Weekend”. The band moved about the stage but for the most part, they really stayed in their designated areas. The band helped create a lot of smiles during their set and you can tell they loved their fans.
Loverboy
