Live review: Sammy Hagar and Loverboy at Bridgestone Arena, Tuesday, September 28 2024
By STEVE MASCORD
MANY middle aged men (yes, particularly men) have described seeing this tour, which wrapped up in St Louis on August 31, as an emotional experience.
And it certainly was for your reviewer; he teared up during the title track from 1986’s 5150 album by Van Halen, which was five songs into the setlist that has been the mainstay of Hagar’s run with Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham (replaced the gig before this by Kenny Aronoff) and Aussie Rai Thistlethwayte.
Rather than give you a blow-by-blow account of the show, I guess my mission here should be to examine why it resonated with me and so many others.
Firstly, though, a few basics.
Bridgestone Arena looks and feels state of the art and gleaming new but it was actually opened 18 years ago. It has entrances right on the major entertainment hub that is Broadway and a capacity of 18,500. I would say there were maybe 1500 empty seats right up the back.
My first beer for the evening was at JBJ’s, Jon Bon Jovi’s new multi-story bar which is a four minute walk from the gig.
If you’ve never been to an arena show on your own in America … well, I’ve never had a bad time. The surly and inconsistent security and dodgy, overcrowded facilities in other countries are a rarity in the US of A where they’ve been doing this for half a century.
The strangers next to me from Kentucky went and got me a beer from the VIP lounge when I returned to my seat between bands empty handed, complaining that the line was too long and I didn’t want to miss any of the show. The Hagar nut on the other side fist-pumped me all night.
It was my third time seeing Loverboy and I’ve enjoyed each time, although the way singer Mike Reno man-handles the mic as he sings evokes …. well … gay porn.
We open the main event with “Good Enough”, also the opener on Hagar’s first album with Van Halen.
A theory begins to germinate as I grin from 55-year-old ear to 55-year-old ear: this resonates with me because I never got to see these songs live. Van Halen never toured Australia with Hagar, although he did come Down Under around the same time as they visited with Gary Cherone.
“Poundcake” and “Runaround” follow before we hit our first Hagar solo song, “Only One Way To Rock”. Then it’s back to “Judgement Day” and Roth era classic (my favourite Van Halen song), “Panama”.
The goosebumps kick in for “5150”. It’s a song you don’t hear much, never a single, and for me it’s a pure memory straight out of high school, of going to my mate’s place and listening to the cassette of this album. I have no idea if kids still do this, sit in the back room with their friend from school and go ‘listen to this’ and then silently consume a song.
(Let me know in the comments if they do).
Satriani’s playing is more technical and forceful that EVH’s but that’s great – he brings his own character to every song, not just “Satch Boogie”. Anthony is the most likeable man in rock for a sixth decade running, singing “Running With The Devil”. Hagar’s voice shows no signs of aging, really.
And my theory about what makes this so special, meanwhile, is evolving. You see, I’ve seen Hagar live half a dozen times. I have seen these songs live before. So that can’t be it.
Speaking for which, I like Hagar’s solo stuff. I adore Chickenfoot. But I’d happily have heard more Van Halen and less Hagar and Montrose and Chickenfoot tonight. It just wasn’t the vibe. Tonight, people came to hear VH.
Sammy introduces Rai and Kenny, hands out tequila to the crowd during “Mas Tequila”, holds up signs including one that says “Right Now, Eddie Van Halen is saying thank you”. Except, given Alex has sold all his gear and has nothing to do with this tour, maybe he’s not. Some fans see this as a cash-in, after all.
Many have quibbled with set closer “When It’s Love” but with Rai doing the honours on the keyboards (what a special experience it must be to play Eddie’s parts on “Right Now” and “Jump”), it feels just about right to me.
It’s been almost perfect, except for the medley of Hagar-through-the-ages hits which did prompt a look at the watch near the end. Most of the middle aged fans around me can’t stand up for the full two hour, 44 minute show and slump into their chairs.
Shattered by jet lag, I can’t help but return to JBJ’s for one more drink as I try to decipher why this was the best gig I’ve seen all year, full of songs from the last century played mainly by men even older than me.
In the days since, the same word looms over and over: closure.
These shows were a chance to say goodbye to Edward Van Halen. It was a cathartic experience that also marked the end of something in many of our lives, too. It’s not just nostalgia but nostalgia mixed with loss that made this show so poignant.
A manifestation of fun itself died on October 6, 2020. We came to pay our respects to it, belatedly, but as soon as we could get here.
But as I buy a horrendous chilli cheese dog for something like $15 and stagger back to my hotel, I am resolute that I’m done done with fun yet. And I really hope Sammy, Michael, Joe, Rai and Jason/Kenny aren’t either.
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