Sammy Hagar is of course legendary for his work with Montrose, as a solo artist, with Van Halen, The Wabo-Ritas, and with his latest band The Circle, but he's also legendary for throwing Legendary Parties at his Cabo Wabo Cantina at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula in Mexico, he's done one every year for his birthday (Rocktober 13th)....until The COVID hit. But the Red Rocker needs to rock, and has put together a high-tech virtual Birthday Concert that airs this Saturday night at 6pm (and all weekend) at NUGS.TV
Americans can't go to Cabo right now, so Sam set his sights on Santa Catalina Island, about a 45 minute boat ride (shorter if you're Sammy and 55 is too damn slow) from Los Angeles. If you've never been, Catalina has one town...Avalon, home to more than a few retired stars like Tony Dow from Leave It To Beaver...it has a beautiful old Casino/Ballroom that opened in 1929...and they wouldn't let him use it. Damn you COVID! But the rest of the island is a nature preserve, and after some greasing of the permitting skids, they agreed to let him use a cove on the other side of the island, build a stage, and hold a BOAT-in concert! They've spared no expense to make this the best COVID-virtual show you've seen since this whole thing started! Listen below as Sammy talks about the obstacles overcome in putting this show on, how it got weird this week with the news of the passing of his former bandmate Eddie Van Halen, and how he and VH basser Michael Anthony felt....and dealt..