Monday, July 22, 2024, 7:00 PM | On The Lawn
I ventured to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center for the second consecutive night to attend a concert. Tonight’s show drew a significantly larger crowd compared to the previous evening’s Brit Floyd concert. I hit the venue entry just right though as I breezed right through, this time with my lawn chair in tow.
For this evening’s dinner choice, I went with the Bad Ass Nachos, complete with brisket.
And of course my refillable prison-issued diet soda.
The Kid is Flat Tonite
Loverboy took the stage to kick off the night’s festivities. As a long-time fan, I’ve had the pleasure of catching them four times now, with three of those shows in the last five years. My history with the band goes way back, though – they were part of my first concert experience in Montreal back in ’82, when I was a wide-eyed 15-year-old, and they were opening for Bryan Adams.
Their compact 8-song set hit all the expected high notes, but their performance lacked any real spark or energy. It felt a bit like they were going through the motions rather than truly engaging with the music and audience. Despite the setlist including some of my favorites, I left their set feeling somewhat underwhelmed.
The Best of All Worlds
Sammy and his crew, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, Rai Thistlethwayte, and Jason Bonham took the stage for the 6th time this tour and the first time it hasn’t been raining according to Sammy, at 8:20 PM, a refreshing start time. I can’t help but think how concerts would be even better if they aligned with Happy Hour. While my retirement means I no longer have to drag my ass into work after a late night, it still would be nice.
This marked my second time catching the Red Rocker live, following a memorable—if somewhat hazy—show back in July 2006 at Camden’s Tweeter Center. This time around, I traded a day of drinking tequila for diet soda.
At 76, Hagar proved he’s still got it, delivering a high-octane set that put the opening act, Loverboy, to shame. From the moment he launched into “Good Enough,” Sammy had the crowd in the palm of his hand. The 21-song setlist, while not quite the marathon he claimed it to be, was nonetheless impressive and drew heavily from Van Halen’s Hagar era. Ten tracks were split evenly between the seminal albums “5150” and “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.”
David Who?
Notably, Hagar didn’t shy away from the David Lee Roth catalog, confidently tackling Van Halen classics like “Panama,” “Jump,” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” The set was rounded out with solo hits including “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “Eagles Fly,” “Mas Tequila,” “Heavy Metal,” and of course, “I Can’t Drive 55.” Hagar even dug deep into his roots, treating longtime fans to Montrose’s “Space Station #5.”
At the beginning of “I Can’t Drive 55,” Sammy gave his account of the genesis of the song—born from a late-night speeding ticket driving from Albany Airport to Lake Placid, NY at 2:00 AM—adding a local touch.
The night was punctuated by some star-studded cameos. Pat Monahan of Train (in town for their own show with REO Speedwagon the following night) joined Hagar for “Right Now.” Later, both Monahan and REO’s Kevin Cronin graced the stage for the show’s closer, “When It’s Love.”
In all, it was a night that showcased Hagar’s enduring showmanship and the timeless appeal of his extensive catalog.
