LAS VEGAS - Whether singing Van Halen, Chickenfoot or his robust solo material,Sammy Hagarstill wants to rock.
The veteran yowler and a stacked band of all-stars - Van Halen bassistMichael Anthony, ace guitar heroJoe Satriani,powerhouse drummerKenny Aronoffand keyboardist extraordinaire Greg Phillinganes − are storming Las Vegas with the return of "The Best of All Worlds" residency.
On opening night Wednesday, March 11, atDolby Live at Park MGM, Hagar, 78, and his merry crew attacked an 18-song set list that included rarities (Chickenfoot's "Soap On a Rope," Van Halen's "Mine All Mine"), fist-pumping Van Halen classics ("Right Now," "Panama") and "I Can't Drive 55," the Hagar MTV staple that prefaced his replacing David Lee Roth as Van Halen's frontman in 1985.
At the third date of the run on Saturday, March 14, Hagar mixed up the set list, opening with the thoughtful "Right Now," dropping in the title track from 1986's "5150" and handing lead vocal duties to Anthony - who seems unchanged from the '80s in hair and high harmonies - for the Van Halen stomper, "Somebody Get Me a Doctor."
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Throughout the 100-minute show, the gregarious Hagar clowned with band members while singing into his red-tipped microphone, dropped shots of tequila into cups for fans in an onstage corral during "Mas Tequila" and amusingly thanked Satriani "for teaching me my own song" after a crisp "There's Only One Way to Rock."
Hagar, whoseCabo Wabo Cantinasits on the Las Vegas Strip, has played numerous shows in Las Vegas, including the first round of "Best of All Worlds" in April and May and pop-ups with palRick Springfield.
This current residency continues March 18, 20-21 and returns Sept. 18-19, 23, 25-26. Tickets are available atticketmaster.com/SammyHagarVegas.
Hagar will continue to mix up the setlist at each show - "I am determined" to make the show fresh, "night after night after night," he said onstage - but no matter the songs, there is only one way to rock.
Sammy Hagar Las Vegas setlist opening night
"Soap on a Rope"
"Mine All Mine"
"Poundcake"
"Panama"
"There's Only One Way to Rock"
"Runaround"
"Top of the World"
"When It's Love"
"Cabo Wabo"
"Mas Tequila"
"Why Can't This Be Love"
"Right Now"
"Somebody Get Me a Doctor"
"Surfing With the Alien"
"Good Enough"
"Heavy Metal"
"I Can't Drive 55"
"Eagles Fly"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sammy Hagar Vegas setlist: All the Van Halen classics, solo hits
