High-volume Vegas: Wallen walks with Tyson, Brady; Hagar walks with Van Halen
Sammy Hagar and Morgan Wallen have torn through Las Vegas with sold-out performances.
One scrambles across the stage with the boundless energy of a teenager, seemingly determined to rock for eternity. The other is Morgan Wallen.
Jesting aside, these superstars owned their nights. Wallen packed Allegiant Stadium twice, more than 100,000 taking in the shows Thursday and Friday. The 31-year-old artist from Sneedville, Tennessee, walked into Allegiant flanked by a pair of heavyweights and A-list Vegas celebs, Mike Tyson and Tom Brady.
Wallen wore a Maxx Crosby No. 98 home jersey, resisting the temptation to sack the seven-time Super Bowl champ.
Morgan for the win
I caught Wallen’s show on Thursday. He comes across as a young guy who has already lived a life, stepped in it a few times, pushed back and maybe learned some lessons. He feels like the guy you’d need to pull away from the bar to make it to sound check, then crushes it on stage.
Wallen sings of “chasing sunsets like I chase my whiskey,” and I’d bet that’s drawn from life experience. His hits speak to self-examination, “I Thought You Should Know” and “Whiskey Glasses,” and no doubt his fans empathize.
To deliver his message, Wallen is not reliant entirely on talent. He’s not blowing your mind like Keith Urban or Brad Paisley on guitar, or commanding a venue like such generational icons Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan or Blake Shelton.
Instead, Wallen’s appeal is remarkable as it is fueled by his ability to connect to a crowd. The country superstar who fell short on “The Voice” a decade ago can reach your seat from across a football field. His band roars, but you can’t take your eyes off Wallen as he roams the runway, and sings from the replica of his grandma’s house in Tennessee, “We held hands and waded into that blue water, she left her flip-flops by my Red Wings on the beach.”
That’s from “Sand In My Boots.” Wallen didn’t sport the Red Wings in Vegas, though. Looked like vintage Air Jordan’s from my seat, for a guy who is dunking on everyone right now.
Slammin’ Sammy
In his return Friday, Hagar showed his spirit of 76 (that’s his age) at MGM Grand Garden Arena, selling out his tour stop on his “Best of All Worlds” tour.
Hagar is one who gets it. The Red Rocker knows that infusing his own hits (and those from his Montrose days some 50 years ago) with Van Halen will fill arenas. He recruited a guitar superstar in Joe Satriani to play the iconic Eddie Van Halen riffs, and keyboardist/vocalist Rai Thistlethwayte, to bolster the band’s live sound.
Of course Van Halen original bassist Michael Anthony and thundering drummer Jason Bonham are along, both members of Hagar’s regular band, The Circle.
The musical challenge in this tour is such that Satriani won’t drink on stage. He can’t play the Van Halen parts if at all impaired (and Bonham has been sober for decades).
The Van Halen front man from 1985-‘96, Hagar dug deeply into his years with the band, and even sampled the David Lee Roth era. “Right Now,” “Why Can’t This Be Love?” and “Top of the World” shared a set list with “Panama,” “Aint’ Talkin’ ‘bout Love” and — the penultimate song — “Jump.” (Somehow, this synth-happy number is Van Halen’s all-time, best-selling single).
Naturally, Hagar mixed in “Mas Tequila,” “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55” from his solo days. You don’t have to be a fan — though it helps — to appreciate a guy in his late-’70s throwing it down on a Saturday night in Vegas.
The Red Rocker’s weekend party spread across the city, including a fan event at his Sammy’s Island at the Palms, and gosh it was great to receive word during the show from Cynthia Kiser Murphey during the performance. She initiated talks with Hagar for the pool deck party spot, and opened just before she left the company in June.
Catch Hagar in October, at the island that bears his name, for more frivolity.
Cool Hang Alert
“The Celebration of Life” for Elvis is Friday at The Composers Room at Historic Commercial Center. Live performances, artifacts, Elvis-inspired food and drink specials are on the bill. Friday marks 47 years since Presley’s death (and yes, he did really die). Doors are open at noon, and performances are at 4 p.m. with Elvis is a Punk Rocker, followed by Big Elvis himself, Pete Vallee, at 7 p.m. Go to TheComposersRoom.com 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.