FAN REVIEWS

Yesterday I spent the day in Cabo. Starting at 3pm the parking lot of the DTE Energy Theater turned in the Cabo Wabo baby!! Sand volleyball, girls in bikinis, donkeys wearing sombreros, Cabo Wabo Tequila flowing like it was water Sammy fans in his words "looking like we just stepped off a plane from Cabo" and of course "Sammy-OKE". As Sammy would say "now that's what I call a party!".

Sammy and the Wabo's took the stage at 8pm sharp. And yes it was "8:05 and time to rock". I have seen Sammy well over 10 times and this was by far the most fun I have ever seen him have on stage. It was truly a party atmosphere. Sammy ran through many of his classics and played 2 songs that he said he has never played in concert before "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" and "The Girl Gets Around" (from Footloose). The crowd was worked up into a frenzy with these 2 songs. He also played for the first time in concert a song I believe he called "The Way We Live" which he said was inspired by the "Redheads" who will sleep on the streets in front of the Cab Wabo to wait in line for tickets to his annual Birthday Bash. The song if and when released will no doubt be a hit with the fans.

Sammy and the Wabo's played for 2 hours and then after a short break Sammy came back on stage with Montrose and played for another 45 minutes. This was nothing short of awesome!! The band ran through classic Montrose songs such as "Rock The Nation", "Rock Candy" and ended with a monster version of "Bad Motor Scooter". All 4 band members including Sammy looked as if they could play all night they were enjoying themselves so much. This was an experience I will not soon forget as a loyal "Redhead"!

If you get the chance to see this short tour you cannot pass it up. Sammy promised to make this an annual event with continued affordable ticket prices. But get there early for the fun as in Cabo the party starts in daylight and ends at sunrise!!

Sammy, thank you for the best concert yet!!

Ron Price
Warren, MI

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Here is a review of the Sammy Hagar show at DTE in Detroit.

DTE Energy Music Theatre August 6, 2005 Sammy Hagar Concert PARTY

What is a concert? For a typical concert you go somewhere and watch a live band play.

What is a Sammy Hagar concert? It’s a PARTY, the best party in town. Gates opened at 3:00 PM for 13 thousand of Sammy’s closest RED HEADS. RED HEADS are not just fans, they are truly family. At this party you got a Rocker. Not just any Rocker, but the one and only legendary RED ROCKER. Yep, the one with the curly, golden blonde mane of hair.

Now take that party and put it on a Sammy-made beach with lots of sand, palm trees, beach volley ball, a dunk tank, Sammy-oke, mariachi music and donkeys. Add in some face painting, a convertible car area and not one, but two rock-n-roll radio station booths. Don’t forget about the Cabo Wabo Tequila flowing and Sammy’s waitress staff in Bikinis attending to his thirst during the show. Sammy can throw a party like no other!

Where would you hold a PARTY like this? Well, if you are in the Detroit area, there is only one place that can hold a party like this -- DTE Energy Music Theatre. What is it that makes DTE special? I think it’s a combination of the smiling, friendly staff that is always trying to help, the cleanliness of the facility, and the great food.

How do you get ready for this PARTY? That’s a good question best told in story form. My favorite “Poundcake” “Gets Home From School And Starts To Get Undressed” to get ready for the party. She puts on her Cabo gear while I find the key to open my “3 Lock Box.” I just know it is made from “Heavy Metal.” Now that we’re ready “We Go Out Driving In My 6.6” to get to DTE. What color is my 6.6? “Red! Red! I Want Red. There’s No Substitute For Red.”

Usually a concert starts at 7:30 or 8:00 PM, but a party starts at 3:00 PM so “I Can’t Drive 55”, I have to get to the show on time.

If you are going to the show alone just keep thinking “I’ll Fall In Love Again.” I looked at the time and what do you know, “It’s 8:05, It’s Time To Rock.”

After “One Shot, Hey! Mas Tequila. Two Shots, Hey! Que Veneno. Three Shots, Arriba! Mas Tequila.” We don’t need a doctor, we’re feeling just fine!

Sammy dug in and just lit the place on fire. Full of energy, he and his band, the Waboritas, looked like they were having fun. The band played tight and they sounded awesome. Sammy’s vocals were clear and true. His voice is still one of the best in rock-n-roll. Sammy and the Wabos unleashed a killer set list. Check it out:

1. Shaka Doobie
2. One Way To Rock
3. Sympathy For The Human
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. Serious JuJu
6. When The Hammer Falls
7. Give To Live
8. Let Sally Drive
9. Top Of The World
10. Runaround
11. I'll Fall In Love Again
12. Three Lock Box
13. The Way We Live (new song)
14. Let Me Take You There
15. Right Now
16. Little White Lies
17. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
18. Girl Gets Around
19. I Can't Drive 55
20. Mas Tequila
21. Heavy Metal

After a day and night of Sammy giving more than 100%, “Sunday Morning 9:00 AM” came much too quickly. We have truly been to the greatest party of the year. But, it got even better. Sammy closed out the evening with Montrose. They played:

1. Space Station #5
2. Rock Candy
3. Rock The Nation
4. Connection
5. Bad Motor Scooter

One thing is for sure, when Sammy told us “Let Me Take You There” he meant it. Sammy, you took us there, and we ‘get it’.

The party is over so go grab your “Hot Sweet And Sticky” date and remember, if you have been drinking, to “Let Sally Drive.”

Vince Ballew

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Sammy Hagar | August 6, 2005 “The Tequila Made Me Do It!”

Revue’r: Ben

The long road to CABO this year was filled with the summer’s biggest pre-show party for concert-goers, when Red Rocker Sammy Hagar brought his “The Tequila Made Me Do It!” show to DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, MI on Saturday, August 6. The Gates opened at 3 p.m. and the amphitheatre’s parking lot became a virtual Cabo San Lucas with a pre-concert tailgate party and a variety of activities before Hagar and the Wabos, with special guest Montrose, hit the stage. Admission to the best tailgate party of the summer was included with concert admission. Hagar fans were wearing their best Cabo clothing and the party outside the gates was transformed into Clarkston’s version of Cabo San Lucas. There were giveaways and prizes galore, including trips to Sammy’s Cabo Birthday Bash.

“The Tequila Made Me Do It!” parking lot beach party and activities included: Beach Volleyball in Parent’s Park, Convertible Car Area for concert-goers to show off their topless automobiles for prizes, Cabo Wabo girls in bikinis, Donkeys in sombreros for fun photo ops, a “Sammy-oke” stage where concert-goers sang a Hagar hit for prizes, Mariachi music, Suntan lotion areas where bronze-skinned bodybuilders of both genders applied the treatment, Zesty Mexican fare and, of course, cocktail stands featuring Cabo Wabo tequila and tasty blue “Waboritas.”

Following the festivities, Hagar and his band the Wabos, composed of Victor Johnson (guitar), Mona (bass), David Lauser (drums) and Gibby Ross (percussion), hit the pavilion stage and rocked! Rather than a traditional concert, Hagar, who's done stints fronting the bands Montrose and Van Halen in addition to his solo work, created what he called a "lifestyle concept." It's basically a Sammypalooza, a harder-rocking version of what Jimmy Buffett does in Key West.

"We have a direction and a lifestyle and a way we want to live," explains Hagar, 57, a Monterey, CA native. "It's beach by day and dancing all night, tank tops and flip flops. It's all about keeping my fans happy, giving them a little direction if I can find it for them and turning them on to anything I get turned onto, and that's it."

Opening the show was Sammy and Wabos playing "Shanka Doobie" and continuing through over two hours of hard cord Sammy hits. The Red Rocker was extremely excited to have finally been able to create his virtual Cabo party atmosphere where over 15,000 fans enjoyed an afternoon of tailgating and an evening of traveling down the long winding road to Cabo.

"I'll go out and play an hour and a half, two hours with the Wabos, and then, for the encore, we'll bring Montrose, the original Montrose--you know, [drummer] Denny [Carmassi], [bassist] Bill [Church], myself and [guitarist] Ronnie [Montrose]--and we'll play about 40 minutes of Montrose stuff," he said.

It was obvious that Sammy was excited about his Cabo festival, celebrating an upcoming birthday, rocking out in Detroit rock city and enjoying a summer evening with 15,000 of his friends. I don't think Sammy Hagar disappointed anyone that night. Yes, he did some tunes from the Van Halen days, even explaining how some of the songs, like "Right Now," just seemed meant to be, but a lot of this show was the solo material, old and new. Whether he actually deviated from the set-list or not, it's still fun to hear him say something like, "We haven't played this song in 25 years,” as the band kicked into "Fast Times At Ridgemont High.”

Sammy played like he had a very specific purpose and message to send as all 15,000 fans were reminded about the road to Cabo. The road to Cabo that night was paved with hits like “Three Lock Box,” “Heavy Metal,” “Little White Lies” and his new hit “Let Me Take You There,” which topped Mediabase’s National Classic Rock charts at number one just two weeks after its release.
As Sammy brought the first half of the show to a close he prepared everyone for the second half that featured Montrose. Montrose played their well known hits “Rock Candy,” “Space Station No. 5” and “Bad Motor Scooter.” Rounding out the Detroit Montrose line-up with Sammy and Ronnie, were Bill Church (bass) and Denny Carmassi (drums).

In October, Hagar and The Wabos will make their annual pilgrimage to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the site of Hagar's Cabo Wabo nightclub. There, they'll celebrate Hagar's 58th birthday with several live performances. See you in Cabo!

August 6, 2005 - Detroit, MI

Set list
1. Shaka Doobie
2. One Way To Rock
3. Sympathy For The Human
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. Serious JuJu
6. When The Hammer Falls
7. Give To Live
8. Let Sally Drive
9. Top Of The World
10. Runaround
11. I'll Fall In Love Again
12. Three Lock Box
13. Way We Live
14. Let Me Take You There
15. Right Now
16. Little White Lies
17. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
18. Girl Gets Around
19. I Can't Drive 55
20. Mas Tequila
21. Heavy Metal

-10 MINUTE BREAK-
MONTROSE
1. Space Station #5
2. Rock Candy
3. Rock The Nation
4. Connection
5. Bad Motor Scooter