Sammy Hagar brought his latest superstar band The Circle to the AVA at Casino del Sol Friday night for an evening that felt like a soul-satisfying marathon through the Red Rocker's greatest hits and
The concert narrowly missed being whiplashed by Mother Nature, who dumped a late spring rain storm on the valley just before the concert began at 8 p.m. But by the time Hagar and his band — ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, longtime Hagar guitar player Vic Johnson and legendary drummer Jason Bonham — took the stage, the rain had turned to a barely noticeable sprinkle.
Hagar promised Friday's show would have something for everyone, from Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love" to his solo monster hit "I Can't Drive 55." He opened with the blistering rocker "There's Only One Way to Rock" then dug deep into his past with a cut from Montrose, a band that introduced Hagar to the world.
"The Circle at your service," he told the cheering crowd that nearly filled the 5,000-seat amphitheater. "I love this place. A lot of crazy things have happened here and I guess I've been a part of some of them."
He was, of course, referencing a show he and bandmate Anthony did in 2004 with Van Halen in which Eddie Van Halen smashed his guitar and reportedly punched a hole in a wall back stage.
"Let's go back to 2004 and see if we can redeem ourselves a little bit," he said, nodding to Anthony.
Redemption was theirs in a 90-minute show that played like a greatest hits soundtrack of Hagar's life, with a side celebration of the life of drum great John Bonham.
The Circle played several Led Zeppelin hits — "Whole Lotta Love" and "Rock and Roll," which closed the evening — in honor of the Brit hard rock band's drummer, whose legacy is being carried on by his son.
Seeing Jason Bonham behind the drum kit was like walking back to the 1970s when his father was the standard bearer for rock drumming. The younger Bonham inherited his father's instincts. He didn't so much channel his father as perpetuate him with a style that mirrored John Bonham right down to the feeling that at any moment he could burst into a frenzy of mad, crazy pounding fireworks. It was exciting and a bit surreal to witness live.
Hagar happily ceded the spotlight on Bonham, but Friday's show was all about Hagar. He jumped and bounded about the stage like he was 28, not 68, ribbing longtime buddy Anthony and sharing a quiet moment with Johnson, who has been with him since Hagar fronted the Waboritas in the late 1990s.
As he sang all those hits that criss-crossed his four-decade career — Van Halen's "Right Now" and "Poundcake," Montrose's "Rock Candy" and Hagar's "White Lie" among the 15 or so songs he sang — his true age creept into his voice. He couldn't hit the higher notes on his register as easily and several times Anthony stepped in to give Hagar a vocal assist.
But it didn't matter that Hagar didn't sound like he did 30 years ago. Friday night's concert wasn't about reliving memories; it was about making new ones.
