Hagarbets on Las Vegas

Legendary rocker,stillfull of energy at 74,says he’s ‘asstrongasahorse’ashebeginshissecond residencyon The Strip

BY GEORGE VARGA

SammyHagar haslearned to rollwith thepunches,as befits a former boxer turned Rock & RollHallof Fameinductee whoin 1995 was fired fromhis decadelong gig asthelead singer in Van Halen. The veteransolo starhas alsolearned to stay extremelyactive,on stage andoff.

“I’maboutasbusyas a man canbe and I don’tknow why.

I’m confused!”Hagarsaid,speakingbyphone recently from his MarinCounty home.

How busy?Here area few examples.

In January, he was namedthe first-ever honorary tourism ambassador ofLosCabos,the once-sleepy Mexicanmunicipality-turnedresort-hub where heopened his highlysuccessfulCabo WaboCantina nightclub and restaurantin 1990.Hagar was also awarded a Los Cabos MedalofHonor, in recognitionofhis decadespromotingthe area,where he firstbeganspending wintervacationsinthemid-1980s.

Lastfall,helaunched a lineof canned rum cocktails,Sammy’s Beach BarCocktail Co.It’sa successor to hisCabo Wabo Tequilaline,which hesoldmore than adecade ago for$91 million and hismore recentSammy’s Beach BarRum.

Alsolastfall,hebeganthe first Las Vegas residencyofhiscareer atTheStratHotelCasino & SkyPod.Hissecond residencythere begins WednesdaythroughSaturday, followed byperformances March 23-26

He’ll beaccompaniedatThe Stratbyhislongtimeband The Circle.It teamshimwith onetime

LedZeppelin drummer Jason Bonham,lead guitaristVic JohnsonandbassistMichaelAnthony, whoisHagar’s formerbandmate in Van Halen.Their first residency saw them joinedbyanarrayof guestsmusicians,including GratefulDead co-founderBob Weir, former teen idolRickSpringfieldandRatt singerStephen Pearcy,a formerSanDiegan.

‘Areyou a Deadhead?’

“Areyoua Deadhead?Bob isa very very spaced-out guy, Hagar saidwith a chuckle.

“Youaskhim,‘Whatdo you want to play?’He’llsay, ‘Figure it out,’and tell you 120 songs. You rehearsethem,and comethat night he wants to play a differentsong.So you rehearsethat. Then,when you get onstage,Bob says,‘I want to change the tempo onthatsong,andthe key.

“With guitarsolos,hisfamous lineis,‘Letstakea long walkinthe woodsonthissolo.’”

Hagarspoke to The SanDiego Union-Tribune fornearlyanhour. Here are edited excerptsform that conversation. A longer versionoftheinterview canbe read onlineatsandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment.

Q:You are playingatThe StratTheateratTheStrat

Hotel,Casino & SkyPodin Las Vegas,so I have to ask: Are you playing a vintage FenderStratocaster, or a specialnew Fender Stratocasterattheshows?

A:You know, I’m a GibsonLes Paul guy. I can’tplay a Fender Vic,mylead guitarist,playsa Fender. For me,playinga Strat islike trying to wrestlea professionalwrestler. I was raisedon Gibson guitars,andmyhandsfeel rightwhenI’mplayingone.

Q:Whatdoes a Las Vegas residency allow you to do that a one-off concert doesn’t?

A:I thinkthat,outofthesix nights I playedatTheStrat lastfall, I onlydidmaybe 10 songs twice. We were doingabout20 songsa nightandprobablydida totalof 140 orsodifferentsongs. Onenight, we didthewhole first Montrose album.Anothernight, we did a dozen Van Hagarsongs, and two orthree songs from a new Circlealbum coming outlaterthis year tentativelycalled“Crazy Times.” We reallypushourselvesin Vegas,and I love mixingitup.

Q:Ifsomeonehad told you 50yearsago,or even 10

SammyHagar& Friends

When: Wednesday,FridayandSaturday;March 23,March25andMarch 26

Where: The Strat Theater, The Strat Hotel, Casino&SkyPod,Las Vegas

Tickets: $100-$150;VIP packagesare$600

Phone: (800) 998-6937 Online: tickets.thestrat.com years ago,that in2021 and2022 you’d beplaying a residencyin Vegas,how would you have reacted? uponshore.

COVIDprotocols: Allticketholdersaresubject torestrictionsand requirementsputinplace by venues teams or governmentauthoritiesasit pertains to proof of COVID-19 vaccination, proof of anegative COVID-19 test, socialdistancing, wearingpersonalprotective gear,age restrictionsand similarmeasures.

A:I wouldhave laughedthem outofthe room! When I was ayoungbuck,trying to bethe coolest guy inthe world, Vegas was nottheplaceforthat Anditstill isn’t.ButI’m 74 And I’msitting here going, ‘Yeah, myfansare old enough to come to Vegas now, and I’m old enough.’But Vegas really has changed.Everyoneplaysthere now, including the youngest, coolestbands inthe world.Every concert tourstopsthere,and Vegas has great restaurants, great hotels and some ofthe greatest shows. Ithink Vegas hasbecome a very hip, coolplace.Butitisone of thosethings where peoplemight stillthinkofdoinga residency there asbeingforpeople inthe retirement community. Well hell, I’m one of them!AndI’mhavinga goodtime.

It’s likeI wouldthink, “Thisis kindof a goodidea,”andI’ve learnedhow to doitandmake it happen.Butbeinganentrepreneur? I hadnoideawhatthat meant. I didn’t grow uplike that. Inmyfamily, wewere blue-collar, hardworkingpeople steel workers dish washers, cooks.I’maddicted to work, success, goodideas and gettingthemdone.

Q:

In 1995 you toldme:“I’m going to be48andI’mproud ofit now.When you firsthit40in thisbusiness,peoplesay, ‘Hey, say you’re only 36.’AndI thoughtthat was bull.Butthere wasa five-year periodinmy early 40swhereI didn’t tell peoplehow old I was. Now I’mproudofmyage.I’m strongandhealthy andI’mdoing better shows 2½ hourslong— thanI could doin 1973 when I was in Montrose.I’minshapenow and Iknow how to take care ofmyself. ...I’mplanning on takingitasfar as I can.” You are now 74 How muchfartherdo you plan to take it?

A:

Q:

In 1990,I interviewed you here inSanDiego about yourthen-new Red RockerHyperActive Wearline,which followed yourRedRocker Mountain Bike line Now, you haveyournew canned cocktaillineand you’ve had a lot ofbusinessesinbetween, including your restaurant chain. When you were sittinginhigh schoolin Fontana, did you ever imagine you wanted to be an entrepreneurofanykind?

A:I didnot even know the word “entrepreneur.” I don’t like to take inventory and reflectonmy life,but you can’thelpitatmyage. There are somanydreamsthatI didn’t dreamthatdidn’t cometrue for a longtime. I alwaysthought it wouldbe great to be a rockstar. Andit’s great to beintheRock& RollHallof Fameandhave gold andplatinum records, and to go on tour and berich andfamous.But allthisotherstuffcame to melike amessage in a bottlethat washed

Oh,man, you’re killingme! Theseare greatquestions; you’re makingmethink. To answer yourquestion, I reallydon’t know. But I amproudofmyage. I’mhealthy.I do 50 pushups and 100 cruncheseach morning. I walk 4to5 miles every day.I don’t run anymore becausemykneesare beatup from jumpingoffstages witha 22-poundLesPaul.

Icanstillsing every song I ever wrote. I putthemin a lower key now, and tunedown a wholestep, not a halfstep,which ismyadvice to anybodywithsemi-perfect pitch I have goodpitch andI know whenI’m off. I toldsomebody recently “Idon’tknow how much longer I can do thisandstill be good.”Because I don’tneed money...it’s notmymotivation anymore.It was,when I was young. But now, I’m justmotivatedbydoing coolthings that excite me,andmusicstilldoesthat....

If I couldn’tsing well, I would notdothat to myfans.Ticket pricesare sohighthat,if I wasn’t good, I wouldn’t dothat to people. Iwillnotembarrassmyself,ormy fans,orfamily But,rightnow, I’m asstrongas a horse,man! george.varga@sduniontribune.com