The latest version of a Sammy Hagar-fronted band is called The Circle, but Saturday night at the Aztec Theatre, it could have been referred to by a number of other names: Sammy Hagar & The Signatures. Sammy Hagar & The Autographs. Or by the essence of its nature, something along the lines of Sammy Hagar and the Just Know How To Have Funs.
During Sammy Hagar & The Circle’s four-date December trek strictly devoted to Texas, a packed Aztec repeatedly returned the loyalty and approval for Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham. So Hagar took it upon himself to give his John Hancock to whatever was thrust upon him on stage including hats, shirts, banners and towels, never losing a beat as he vocalized 17 songs dominated by his stints in Montrose, a storied solo career and that little era in Van Halen (see setlist in 32-photo slideshow below).
Sammy Hagar & The Sharpies? OK, maybe not.
In their return to the Alamo City following performances in 2019 and 2020 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (coverage here), the famed quartet went on shortly after 8 p.m., with a significant contingent of fans still getting their tickets scanned outside during second song “Rock Candy.”
The Aztec and/or Live Nation would be wise to swallow their pride and abandon, or at least alter, their policy of not releasing set times and simply stating that the ticket time (7 p.m. in this case) reflects when the doors open. Moreover, the Aztec’s Facebook page didn’t even make reference to the show on the day of, so those believing they were showing up during the opening act may have been surprised to find there wasn’t one.
The show ended at about 9:50 p.m., begging the question: when’s the last time a concert ended prior to 10 p.m., particularly on a Saturday? Hagar and Co. were mindful of the fact its fanbase is comprised of an older generation that doesn’t want to stay out past midnight watching a gig. Hagar and his crew undoubtedly count themselves, too, as performers who don’t want to be on stage around that time.
But don’t mistake those vignettes as a sign the 74-year-old “Red Rocker” is going to be rocking out of a rocker anytime soon. On the contrary. Maybe it’s Hagar’s penchant for always seeing the positive out of life. Perhaps it’s all those trips to Cabo Wabo. Or maybe it’s just that he’s naturally wired by “Mas Tequila” (ATM Facebook Live footage here).
Sammy Hagar & The Circle certainly had their share of competition throughout San Antonio on this night. Right around the corner performing at the Majestic Theatre was comedian George Lopez. There were also other rock and metal shows such as a rescheduled August Burns Red metalcore gig at Vibes Event Center and Dallas natives To Whom It May headlining Fitzgerald’s. But the Aztec was the place to hear classic party anthems and even a few jokes and anecdotes from Hagar, Anthony and Bonham — the unassuming Johnson notwithstanding — for roughly 90 minutes.
And The Circle didn’t disappoint.
Seven of the 17 tracks were of the Van Halen variety, including “Right Now" and “Why Can’t This Be Love” before The Circle devoted the lone Led Zeppelin tune to Bonham — the son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham — “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (ATM Facebook Live footage of all three here). Anthony dedicated “Right Now” to Eddie Van Halen, but surprisingly, that appeared to be the only time the late iconic guitarist was mentioned by name.
Van Halen died Oct. 6, 2020, of a stroke at a time he and Hagar remained mostly on non-speaking terms, though the frontman of Montrose, Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas, Chickenfoot and the era often referred by others — affectionately or not — as Van Hagar had frequently stated he would be open to returning to Van Halen with Anthony.
The Circle also gave the Aztec patrons what they came for with “Three Lock Box,” “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55” (ATM footage below) and more Van Halen tunes such as “Top of the World,” “Best of Both Worlds” and “Finish What Ya Started,” the latter featuring Hagar’s patented cry of “I need some PUSSY!” (see slideshow).
Johnson, one of Hagar’s cohorts with The Waboritas, may not play the Van Halen solos the way the namesake of that band did, nor may he make anyone forget about EVH. But that’s not even close to being the goal with The Circle, and if you show up to a Circle show expecting as much, well, you’ve likely had too much Beach Rum or tequila.
The band ended the night with an a cappella version of Van Halen’s “Dreams” that included Bonham filming live to his Instagram page, along with the lone Circle offering of the evening “Affirmation” and Van Halen closer “When It’s Love” (ATM footage of all three below).
Whether he’s on stage living out his dream and spanning his career, celebrating a birthday at his nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or jamming with and interviewing musicians on “Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar” via Mark Cuban’s AXS TV network, Hagar only knows one way to live and rock. That refreshing outlook may be as influential as anything he has sung the past five decades.
The Circle’s first rodeo two years ago at the AT&T Center may have been a rockin’ good evening. But its post-pandemic toast to Texas in 2021 could not have been any brighter or come at a better time.
Hello, Baaaaby, indeed.
