I Went to Sammy Hagar's 78th Birthday Bash in Cabo and This Is What I Saw (Yes, There Was “Mas Tequila”!) (Exclusive)

For 35 years, it’s been 1 of nan astir difficult tickets to get: entree to Sammy Hagar’s legendary day bash successful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

Fans of nan Red Rocker person longed to be nan bid of parties, but it’s acold from easy. Tickets are assigned via a random lottery process, and past nan fortunate winners person carrier themselves to nan edifice metropolis connected nan confederate extremity of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Other Redheads, nan sanction of his instrumentality base, hold successful statement for days successful beforehand to bargain remaining tickets connected a first-come, first-served basis. The Cabo Wabo Cantina, wherever nan statement takes place, has a capacity of only 600, a acold outcry from nan arenas Hagar has typically performed successful passim his career. Team Hagar claims they get astir 70,000 summons requests for nan bash each year. 

Naturally, erstwhile I sewage an induce to be this year’s party, I jumped astatine nan chance. I’ve seen nan Van Halen vocalist execute respective times complete nan years, mostly astatine his residency shows successful Las Vegas, but watching him rattle disconnected a two-hour performance successful beforehand of his astir diehard fans, galore of whom make yearly pilgrimages to nan bash, was thing special. I don’t deliberation I’ve ever seen Hagar happier connected shape than he was while celebrating his 78th birthday. 

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The arena took complete Cabo, and not moreover a tropical large wind could extremity it. 

After checking into nan Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, my eyes instantly focused connected a group of fans from Texas donning Hagar gear. Later, an Uber driver casually mentioned “the birthday” during a ride, not knowing I was headed location that evening. Then, of course, location is nan wide of Redheads who staked retired premier spots to watch nan concert. The arena had seemingly permeated nan full town.

From my hotel, I walked to nan venue, attempting not to float away, arsenic nan past rainfall bands of Tropical Storm Raymond pounded Cabo, causing awesome flooding successful nan roadways starring to Cabo Wabo.

Upon my waterlogged arrival, I was quickly taken to a quaint greenish room filled pinch Hagar’s friends and family, including his wife, Kari, 58, and girl Kama, 29. Photos of nan rocker pinch his celebrated friends lined nan walls, and a bartender freely poured Hagar’s Santo Tequila. Within a fewer minutes, I was pulled into a second, moreover much backstage room, Hagar’s soul sanctum, wherever nan “Summer Nights” vocalist warmed up pinch his band. 

“We sewage nan beat. We sewage nan beat, we sewage nan beat,” Hagar sang alongside Belinda Carlisle, who released that opus successful 1980 arsenic portion of nan all-girl group The Go-Go’s. She would later subordinate nan “Best of Both Worlds” vocalist connected shape to singing “We Got nan Beat” and 1987’s "Heaven Is a Place connected Earth.”

“You ever deliberation successful your life you’d spot that?” he said aft Carlisle exited nan stage.

Among those successful nan aforementioned backstage room were Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna and Thunderpussy vocalist Molly Sides. Meanwhile, Alice successful Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, a acquainted beingness astatine Hagar’s day bashes, warmed up his vocal cords adjacent arsenic he prepared to astonishment nan crowd pinch his “Ain’t Talkin' Bout Love.”

“We’re going to spell connected early because of nan rain,” Hagar told maine arsenic Mother Nature showed her unit outside. 

Few things person stopped nan yearly bash, though it has moved respective times complete 35 years owed to hurricanes and nan COVID pandemic.

As nan “Mas Tequila” vocalist prepared to spell connected stage, he first gathered everyone successful nan greenish room together, myself included, to lead a preshow dream circle, successful which he thanked God for nan “love and light” and for nan “ability to do a cleanable show.” 

“I americium nan resurrection and the life,” he and galore of his squad opportunity 3 times astatine nan end. It was a individual moment, for sure, but 1 that Hagar believes is basal earlier each concert.

I ended up attending 2 of nan 4 shows this year, connected Saturday nighttime and Monday night, nan second of which Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger attended, hopping connected shape to execute Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” In galore regards, nan evenings consciousness for illustration a comfortable jam convention pinch friends. Even Kenny Chesney and Dave Grohl person attended past birthdays.

Perched connected a catwalk supra nan crowd, I watched arsenic fans handed apparel to nan “I Can’t Drive 55” singer, hoping he would don them, and he often did. He besides drank tequila consecutive from nan vessel and poured it into fans’ quiet cups.

“I don’t cognize really you guys do it,” he told nan crowd aft realizing galore had attended each 4 nights. 

Hagar’s parties are a portion of their lives. Over nan people of 3 days successful Cabo, I said to a slew of fans who person been coming for years. One man said this was his 31st twelvemonth celebrating nan birthday. Another said he’d been coming for 20 years. A female told me, “We get a five-star hotel, but I extremity up sleeping extracurricular connected a chair, waiting for tickets.” A different female indicated she’d been to 216 Hagar shows. 

The truth that nan "There's Only One Way to Rock” singer has been doing this statement for truthful agelong is impressive, and he claimed that he has nary plans to stop. 

“We person astatine slightest 21 years left!” he said earlier leaving nan shape connected Monday, capping disconnected his birthday. 

After 3 days successful Cabo and 2 Hagar shows, I americium exhausted, and my sound is hoarse. But, would I recreation backmost to spot nan Cabo Birthday Bash again? I would spell backmost “Right Now.”