New Sammy Hagar interview....

[Kenny]

At 56, Sammy Hagar is showing no signs of slowing down. (Knight Ridder Newspapers)

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The summer of Sammy

Red Rocker busy with Van Halen tour and a new club

By Tony Hicks

CONTRA COSTA TIMES


LAKE TAHOE - The once and future singer of Van Halen sits like a conquering hero in a corner booth of a cantina here that's so new, one can almost smell the sawdust mixing with the salsa. For two hours there's been dancing, screaming, blaring music and streaming spigots of tequila.

By the way, it's barely noon.

At 56 years old, Sammy Hagar is leading the life people 30 years his junior can't even imagine. Hundreds began lining up hours before the grand opening of his new Cabo Wabo Cantina on Saturday at Harvey's Casino in South Lake Tahoe, where they were pouring drinks from Hagar's new reception desk upfront. Just because they haven't officially cut the red ribbon doesn't mean the margaritas will wait.

"Well, buddy, what do you think?" Hagar says, beaming and spreading his arms wide. "I can't believe this (expletive) is open."

In conjunction with the 1,000-seat theater across the street at Harrah's -- which Hagar promises will be graced by appearances from lots of his rock friends -- the idea is that this place will immediately become a well-trod summer destination for Hagar's main demographic: -happy adults with disposable income who are a bit too old for spring break, but far too young for Sunday bingo.

His signature "Cabo Wabo" brand of tequila is everywhere, as are his videos, photos, and gold and platinum records. The place is packed with Sammy's friends, most of whom he's never met, yet still greets with high-fives and hugs. There's already a long line at the gift shop.

Call 2004 the Summer of Sammy.

And the new Cabo Wabo isn't even half the story.

Back with Van Halen

What's really got people talking about Hagar these days is a big 80-date tour with Van Halen kicking off next month (pulling into Hagar's native Bay Area for at least two mid-August shows). You probably remember Van Halen. That was the band he quit -- or was fired from, depending on whose version one believes -- back in 1996. Still, Hagar had it in the back of his mind this day would come.

"I'm a psychic," Hagar says, referring to a 2002 conversation with the Times when he asserted, despite a nasty breakup resulting in years of silence with Van Halen, they would one day reunite. "It's like calling 1-900 Sammy."

About the time Hagar started kicking around the idea for a Tahoe Cabo Wabo last November (he already owns one in Cabo San Lucas), he took his family to a Laguna Beach resort, where he unexpectedly found himself face-to-face with his former drummer.

"I ran into Alex (Van Halen), and we spent about 10 hours together, talking and having the time of our lives," Hagar says. "I just knew I'd see one of those guys somewhere, and it would either be '(Expletive) you, man,' or 'I love you, man.' We called Eddie (Van Halen) the next day, and it just came together."

The reunion became possible when Van Halen fired manager Ray Danniels, whose hiring back in the '90s fueled the split. Among other issues, Hagar has said that Danniels pushed the band to demand the singer work on a greatest hits package instead of spending time with his wife and new baby after a grueling tour. Hagar says he chose his family.

This is still a sensitive subject, something about which the band has agreed to disagree, though Hagar admits, grinning, that there have been a few "I told you so" moments.

"Oh yeah," he says, laughing. "It was something like, they said 'I told you so' about something, and I said 'Yeah, yeah, OK, but I told you about Ray.'

"We still haven't really hashed (the split) out. We tried to talk about it, but some people have different memories about what happened. But we decided to leave it at that. We started out like it never happened."

So there won't be any group therapy sessions, a la Metallica before last year's release of the appropriately titled record "St. Anger." The sessions were filmed for the documentary "Some Kind of Monster," which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

"Hey, we should see that," Hagar says, laughing. "We should get a copy. But as far as (writing music about band troubles), no. Your personal life better be great to the world, or else who the (expletive) cares?"

The band had plenty of trouble while Hagar was away making tequila and solo records. After one poorly received record with former Extreme singer Gary Cherone, there was a brief attempt at a reunion with original singer David Lee Roth. There were also reports of substance abuse problems and Eddie Van Halen's bout with cancer, which is now in remission.

'We're having fun'

Hagar says everyone is healthy and ready to go, which was a prerequisite to his return. Yet it's not quite the same as the 1985 lovefest, when Hagar replaced Roth. Things are moving a bit more deliberately now. "We're having fun," Hagar says. "The first day back there were hugs and we shot the (expletive) in the other room and just laughed." But the true test, he knows, will be "when we hit the stage."

"I'm all out there," Hagar says. "You know where I'm coming from. When you're trying to make it, you're trying to convince people what you stand for, and half the time you don't even know. But now, I know what I stand for. I walk in the room (now with Van Halen), and it's all out there. If anything interferes with the music, you get slapped around by the other three guys. We're serious, man. We've got to do it right. The legend has built itself up."

The band just started rehearsing before Hagar flew to Tahoe for the Cabo Wabo opening and a three-night stand at the Harrah's showroom with his post-Van Halen band, the Waboritas. Then it's back to Los Angeles for more rehearsal. The plan is to release a greatest hits record with three new songs-- the first Hagar/Van Halen music in eight years.

"In the old days, we did it all pretty fast," Hagar says. "Now we're more careful. We're asking ourselves now, 'Hey, is this really good?' Anything we do, it's got to be great. We don't want to come back as a 'comeback band.' We want to kick (expletive)."

The fans are ready

The fan reaction has been tremendous, with Hagar rattling off a number of tour stops selling out the first day. He says the new music is "vintage Van Halen with a modern twist" and is comparable to their first record together. "It's going good. The new stuff will blow people away. It's about time this happened."

Hagar swears he'll rest this fall, after the tour. Judging from his hyperactive, fun-at-all-costs demeanor, one assumes it's wishful thinking, whether Hagar knows it or not. He owns two clubs, a tequila company, has a solo band he won't abandon and a family. While planning the Van Halen tour, he oversaw everything at Cabo Wabo from the very red, South-of-the-Border decor to the menu. At his show later that night, he manages to drink margaritas, sing and play guitar, run around the stage and sign just about everything thrown on-stage -- often while trying to sing at the same time. By the end of the night, he looked tired ... but satisfied.

"I'm going to take some time off after the VH tour," he says, prompting Christie Brinkley-look-alike wife Kari to roll her eyes. "I think I'm going to reflect on everything. I can't say for sure what I'm doing next. I'm sure (the reunion) won't be a one-time deal, but I can't make any decisions right now. I'm going to play music the rest of my life. I'm doomed to be a musician the rest of my life."

Like he'd have it any other way.

[CureTheSane]

I wish he would stop using the word expletive.

Kids read his interviews

[ltbob]

You can hear it on KSHE 95. Sounds like Sammy is pretty hyped up for this tour.

[Robonez]

Gatta love the Samster!!