Ahead of Las Vegas Strip residency, Van Halen legend halts tour talk
He’d just played a sound check before a set at a new Las Vegas rock club and is mentally mapping a nine-show spree this spring on the Strip. He also wrapped a 33-date world tour in August.
There is no denying that Sammy Hagar is a rock ‘n’ roll marvel. But you wonder how long the 77-year-old Red Rocker can keep such an accelerated pace.
He wonders that, too, and is making allowances to keep rocking in ‘25 and beyond.
“I don’t think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that, because I don’t want to piss my fans off,” Hagar said after sound-check at Caspian’s Cocktails & Caviar at Caesars Palace, where he was the surprise (well, unbilled) guest at Friday’s grand-opening party. “I’ll go out and do a one-off show and do things like that, but the residency is going to give me a good extension of my career. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
That reference is to the upcoming, Van Halen-peppered “Best of All Worlds Tour – The Residency” scheduled for April 30-May 17 at Dolby Live.
Don’t be misled by the title. This is a residency, not a tour. As Hagar says, this run is an ideal format to continue his live-performance career.
“With this, I don’t have to travel, I don’t have to unpack and pack and get on an airplane every day,” Hagar said. “You know, at my age, it hurts my shoulders to do all this. And I have to perform. I’m a performer, at the end of the day.”
Hagar says the Dolby Live dates won’t be his final such extended engagement in Las Vegas.
“I keep telling my manager, ‘Don’t take any tours, let me do this residency,’” Hagar said. “If I like it enough, I’ll do another one. And if that’s successful I’ll do another one, and I can squeeze a few more years out of my career.”
The “Best of All Worlds” set list will draw from the tour’s song roster, heavy with Van Halen classics during the Hagar era (“Best of Both Worlds,” “Right Now”) with solo favorites (“There’s Only One Way to Rock,” and the one about violating the speed limit). Hagar is joined by his all-star, touring band of Van Halen original bassist, Michael Anthony; guitar great Joe Satriani; and thunder-clap drummer Kenny Aronoff.
A new song, written by Hagar and guitar great Joe Satriani, “Thank You,” is planned for the shows. The song is on target to be released just before the run. As is his custom, Hagar wants to bring the buoyancy.
“If I bring home what I’m going to try to do, it’s for people to leave my shows now with the warmest, happiest feeling,” Hagar said. “This is about the right lyrics, the right performance, to feel the love. I want them to feel it, feel it, feel it.”
Rocking Caspian’s
As was reinforced during Saturday’s performance, few defy their age as impressively as Hagar. He and a backing band of Radio XX members Ben Carey on guitar, bassist/vocalist Bryce Soderberg and drummer Al Serrato blazed through such rockers as ““Finish What Ya Started,” “Why Can’t This Be Love” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s hit “Simple Man.”
Caspian’s opened to the public on Dec. 20, and we spent some of NYE at the hybrid cocktail-caviar lounge and rock venue. Cocktails/caviar-infused noshes are served out front, with the club concealed behind an unmarked entrance (a portrait of a dude who looks like Sgt. Pepper). The club, and Caesars, serves the Red Rocker’s Santo Blanco Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, hence the connection.
Hagar showed even in sound check he could fill the room with sound, joking from the stage, “I don’t even need a PA!” Sound techs out there will get a rise out of that.
The 100-seat club was suited to Hagar’s tastes. This is because he can play anywhere.
“I play my Cabo Wabo (rock club), that’s my go-to place, and I know how to play that 800 capacity,” Hagar said. “But I haven’t been in a place this small, long time. I’m just worried about volume in a place like this, because you need a certain amount of volume to play rock and roll. But it sounded great.”
Carey celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday. He took most of last week off. Not to celebrate. But to practice Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts. The Warburton, Australian musician offered, “It’s bloody difficult.”
Carey pulls dual duty as the booking rep and performer at Caspian’s and Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at the Cosmopolitan. Both are operated by Clique Hospitality. A plug here: Catch Radio XX on Jan. 25 at Barbershop, where I groove frequently and also get my hair cut.
Might we recommend …
Gabie Lopez’s “Turn the Beat: A Gloria Estefan Tribute” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Freedom Hall Theatre at Sun City Anthem. Lopez is a fierce talent, taking on a compelling subject in Estefan, among the top Latin artists ever (eight Grammys, 100 million records sold, Oscar nomination, Kennedy Center honor, American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement). Lorena Peril, Anne Martinez and Jen De La Torre guest. Go to scahoa.com for intel.
And, in an only-in-VegasVille connection, there is a through-line between Estefan’s career and the Las Vegas: Bernie Yuman, who was Siegfried and Roy’s manager throughout their record-setting run at Frontier and the Mirage, and is co-producer of “Awakening” at Wynn. Yuman was also co-producer of the Broadway musical “On Your Feet!” the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, which ran on Broadway from 2015-2017 and has toured internationally.
Cool Hang Alert
The Laura Shaffer Quintet plays The Underground at The Mob Museum from 7-11 p.m. Sunday. Shaffer has been a favorite cabaret singer for many years in VegasVille. Ace players Brian Triola, Chris Davis, Mike Mechem and Bill King fill out the lineup. No cover (but access bears research). Go to themobmuseum.org for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.