When you become a Sammy Hagar fan, you quickly learn that the phrase “Red love” refers to the camaraderie between Sammy and his fans. Since Sammy is the ‘Red Rocker’, after all. This post is a (red)love letter to the man and the whole ecosystem he has built around himself that makes even the casual fan feel like they are part of something special. REDHEADS are dedicated fans who travel far and wide to see and experience their guy’s music and cool island vibe. Whether it’s Cabo San Lucas for the Birthday Bash in October or a cruise ship in the summer, Sammy’s fans show up! The particular experience I had was a common one for Hagar fans but a BIG one for me.
Cinco De Tahoe
In 2004 Sammy opened up a version of his Cabo San Lucas Cantina in South Lake Tahoe at Harvey’s Casino and Resort. The best part about this was that Sammy promised to play every year thereafter around Cinco De Mayo at Harrah’s South Shore Room to celebrate the Cantina. He promised special guests and surprises. The South Shore room at Harrah’s is a small venue holding only 1000 people. This was the scene of many special memories for me. The biggest one happened on May 3rd, 2008.
A common occurrence at a Sammy Hagar show is the constant flow of items being thrown onto the stage. Hats, shirts, banners, etc. Sammy will make a point to grab the item, put it on and rock around the stage with it. Most times he will autograph the item before returning it. This brings us to that brisk night in May ’08, in the South Shore Room, South Lake Tahoe, within feet of the Nevada/California border.
An Up Front Fanatic
Every year, for three years in a row at this point, I had been making the yearly trek to South Lake Tahoe to see Sammy and had my strategies to get as close to the front of the stage as I could. I like to take photos and this was the perfect chance to get up close. I was wearing a special shirt that night. A Hawaiian style covered in electric guitars. I had no intention of tossing the shirt onstage when the night started but at some point I changed my mind and tossed my favorite shirt onstage right at Sammy’s feet.
To my delight, he immediately reached down and put the shirt on. I can’t be sure how long he wore the shirt but it was for a few songs. He called out the “waitress” to bring him a drink and toasted the crowd while wearing MY shirt. As I snapped picture after picture, I was giddy with excitement. After a few glorious minutes Sammy Hagar took my shirt off and threw it down to the base of the drum riser. And there it sat for the remainder of the show. I kept my eye on it the whole time as more and more items piled up. I was afraid I may not get the shirt back and I was ok with that. After all the excitement, it was worth it!
RED LOVE
Now here’s the fun part. As Sammy was taking his final bows, after delivering a blistering, intimate set, he started picking up the items around the drum riser , autographing them and tossing them into the crowd. As if in slow motion, he grabs my shirt and signs the back with a black Sharpie. He turns to the crowd and offers to throw it to someone. I am 3 people deep in the crowd and start yelling “That’s my shirt!” . A big dude in front catches my shirt and turns around to see who’s screaming . He tossed it to me. Now that is some RED love. He could have easily taken it for himself but that is not what REDHEADS do.
I walked back to the hotel room that night, with my ears ringing, on cloud nine. I had a Sammy autograph, many pictures of the man wearing my shirt and a very cool memory. HAPPY GUY! But my story doesn’t end there. Little did I know that I would be able to relive the moment with the MAN himself.
Closing The Circle
Fast forward to 2011 and Sammy has written his memoirs in a new book “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock” and he was having a book signing in the Marina in San Francisco. I dragged my co-worker with me and we headed down there. I came prepared wearing THE shirt and I had a picture with me of Sammy wearing it in my pocket. When I walked up to the table, I asked Sammy if he remembered the shirt. I also, slyly, showed him the picture.
I had to be sly because there were rules about bringing other items to the table. Sammy said he DID remember the shirt and that he saw a lot of guitar shirts that year. Then he guessed that the year was 1999, I scoffed at that. He then blurted, “I mean 2009!” Which was close enough for me! He then proceeded to tell me that his brain was fried and held up his hand for a high-five, which I, lamely, missed connecting on (trust me, I’m usualy way cooler). Like a flash, my encounter with the Red Rocker was over BUT my co worker got it all on video. Check out the video below. Life is good!
It was a full circle moment for me and one I will treasure forever. I was an “upfront fanatic” that night and had my moment with one of the coolest rockers out there. Thank you Sammy for being a fan-friendly entertainer and thank you to the thousands of RedHeads out there: We’ve had some great times together with lots more to come.
I absolutely LOVE this story!