CABO
WABO CRUISE REVIEW
April
23rd to April 30th
By
Ross Cat.
RUNNIN WITH THE “RED” BULL….. After a long winter here in Western
New York what could possibly top a week on a Carnival Cruise sailing
from the beautiful coast of California to the sandy white beaches
of Cabo San Lucas? The answer to that is simple the first annual
“Are
We Having Fun Yet , SAMMY HAGAR “Red Rocker” cruise sponsored
by Rosetours (www.rosetours.com)
out of PHILADELPHIA.
NIGHTLIFE Magazine had the enormous privilege to spend a week on
the Carnival Pride with 800 rock and roll redheads
as we sailed our way across the Pacific to a destination
known as the Cabo Wabo Cantina. The cruise was just a little taste
of what SAMMY HAGAR has in store for fans this summer on his upcoming
“Livin
it Up” tour. HAGAR and the WABOS will be pulling
up their truckloads of fun into Buffalo on Friday July 7th at the
Darien Lake PAC, you can go to (www.redrocker.com)
for ticket information. Balancing out the summer tour will be the “The
Other Half”, which will feature VAN HALEN bassist and background
vocal extraordinaire MICHAEL ANTHONY (www.madanthonycafe.com).
He will join SAMMY and the WABOS for a set of VH classics
making sure the redheads get the “Best of Both Worlds”.
Be sure to check out the July 3rd issue of NIGHTLIFE as we will
speak with both SAMMY and MICHAEL about the summer of surprises
and fun.
While SAMMY himself wasn’t aboard the ship his infectious spirit
could be felt throughout the massive vessel the entire week, as his loyal
network of redheads did what they do best and that is have
FUN.
While most of the cruisers came from the west coast, BUFFALO and
TORONTO did our best to represent, with one group even traveling
all the way from AUSTRALIA. When we asked if security was the reason
he couldn’t attend the cruise, SAMMY explained; “Hell no,
believe it or not I get so damn seasick it’s not even funny, I own a couple
of boats myself and have never left the dock on one of them”.
The Redrocker has always exemplified professionalism and
graciousness in an industry that is in to many ways full of itself. Putting
together this cruise is just another example of how unique his relationship
is with his fans, and how he truly does believe that we all need to “Give
to Live”. That being said, it should come as no surprise that in
his absence on the cruise SAMMY would choose only people whom he
trusts and respects to represent him. Let us begin by introducing the REDHEAD
crew:
AARON
HAGAR- The multi-talented son of the legendary rocker is a kind hearted
soul who has embraced the opportunities that life has afforded him and
would make any father proud. He made himself available the entire week
to fans and seemed to genuinely enjoy conversing with his father’s fan
faithful. AARON also established himself as a bona fide vocalist
showing off his musical genes as he and the WABO’S rocked the redheads
with an amazing performance. Aaron’s vocal skills shined
as he covered many of Dad’s hits from MONTROSE to VAN HALEN
and all points in between. I asked AARON if he had any desire to
make a go of it in the music biz, he explained; “I did have a chance
to sign a record deal in the nineties but I chose a different direction.
I had seen all the sacrifices that my father and my family had to make
so I declined. I decided on a different path of creativity with art,
I’m happy and I truly enjoy my life and what I’m doing”. AARON
is an accomplished painter and many of his paintings were displayed and
sold throughout the week on the ship. Surf your way to his website @ www.aaronhagar.com
to view his exceptional work. AARON also manages the TAHOE WABO
in
Lake Tahoe which is quickly living up to its parent companies
reputation. When asked what it was like to grow up as the son of the RED
ROCKER, Aaron explains; “It’s been a privilege,
after all I’ve seen and done and experienced it’s been great. I’ve shared
so many great memories and enjoyed every single one of them. It also has
its challenges too, Dad always likes to remind me that he is the ruler
of all space, time and the universe you know".
RONNIE MONTROSE…..What more can be said about this legendary guitarist
and founder of MONTROSE. His addition to the cruise only sweetened
the deal as the Redheads knew we were in the presence of
rock royalty. While it may have been over thirty years ago when RONNIE
and SAMMY spiked your speakers with “Rock Candy” and
“Bad
Motor Scooter”, his rock and roll appetite is still alive and very
well; he and the WABO’S primed us up pounding out a sizzling
set on the ship with singer KEITH ST. JOHN. We asked
RONNIE
how he got reeled into the REDROCKER cruise; “I’ve been working
on a new record and Sammy came out and recorded a track with me, so it
kind of started off that way. I’ve never been on a cruise and I’ve been
telling him I would make it to his club in Cabo so here I am”.
RONNIE too has a busy summer coming up, he and his band will “Rock
The Nation”, as he just finished up some shows here in the Northeast.
Check out his website @ www.ronniemontrose.com
for more information on tour dates and his upcoming new album.
THE WABO’S…..Last but most certainly not least are SAMMY’S
band mates. They treated each and every person on the cruise with great
kindness and patience, making themselves available for conversations, photos
and just hanging out by the pool. They did all this despite the fact that
this was a working vacation as they played three kick ass shows within
a four day span. This group of musicians fits right into the redhead
family formula of mischievous fun. The WABO’S talents are
sorely underrated only because of the previous company kept by SAMMY
prior to them forming. Their loyalty and understanding of their leader’s
legacy should not to be underestimated in the music biz:
DAVE (BRO) LAUSER….. His skills behind the drum kit are stunning.
He and HAGAR have been playing together since they were teenagers
in CALIFORNIA. “BRO was the first person I thought of calling
when I split with VH in 1995”, says HAGAR. We asked BRO
how he felt when SAMMY reunited with VH for the 2004 reunion.
"It
really didn’t surprise me all that much. I’ve known Sam along time and
he always wants to do what’s best for his fans. Only a small percentage
of me ever thought that the WABO’S wouldn’t play together again".
For more information on BRO go to www.davidlauser.com.
VICTOR (VIC) JOHNSON….. This accomplished guitarist most certainly
took on a daunting task when he joined SAMMY back in 1996, and he
has done so quite successfully. He has blazed his own trail since joining
the WABORITA’S with his searing solos. Most importantly, his ability
to perform songs with his own style and sound from the HAGAR classic
catalog is commendable. VH fans should really give a listen to his
work on “Marching to Mars” and “Not for Sale”,
if your into guitars you won’t be disappointed. We had the chance to ask
VIC
what it was like when he got the call to audition, he explains;
“I
knew this could be a big break for me. I thought what should I do,
I wasn’t sure if I should go in and throw down on some Van Halen or what.
When I arrived I decided to throw Sammy a curve and started jamming on
some MONTROSE, I think I surprised him with that". For more information
on VIC go to www.vic-johnson.com.
MONA…..The bassist for the WABO’S certainly does hold her
own against the boys, as she embodies power on stage. Don’t let the flowing
long black hair fool you, this biker babe can throw down a bass line with
the best of them. By the looks of it on stage she’s the one that keeps
this group of mischievous merry men in line. We asked her what it was like
when she got the call to audition for the WABORITA’S; “Actually
BRO recommended me for the position so I got a call from Sam to audition
and got the gig. Funny thing is when I got there the studio was a mess
so I started rearranging things so I could set up my gear and VIC thought
I was the maid”. Not to be overlooked is the fact that MONA
has been willing to step aside for the good of the music sharing duties
with MICHAEL ANTHONY on bass. This is one sister that belongs in
a brotherhood. You can check out MONA’S award winning site at www.pinkvoodoo.com.
Following a week of spectacular events and festivities the fever began
to rise as we neared our destination of CABO SAN LUCAS. The Redheads
were primed and ready to rock the world famous CABO WABO CANTINA.
They herded us off the ship onto shore as we anxiously awaited our host,
as SAMMY appeared he seemed overwhelmed at the reception. To everyone’s
surprise they opened the gate and off we ran with HAGAR leading
the way. All 800 redheads were off and running through the
streets of CABO with SAMMY right along side shaking hands
and taking pictures. As we arrived at the CANTINA the CABO WABO
Tequila was flowing with great abundance and abandon and so was the
rock and roll.
SAMMY and the WABO’S took the stage and put on a blistering
performance despite the fact it was 11:30am. RONNIE MONTROSE joined
HAGAR
for a raging rendition of “Rock Candy”, and closing out the
last hour of the set was a special guest appearance by none other then
MICHAEL ANTHONY. They entire venue was in a frenzy while they tore
through several VH classics.
All we can say at NIGHTLIFE is what a way to kick off a world tour.
It promises to be an eventful day at the Darien Lake PAC on July
7th, you don’t want to miss it. Our July 3rd issue will have more of the
SAMMY
HAGAR interview as well as a chat with MICHAEL ANTHONY.
Be sure to keep checking www.redrocker.com,
for set lists from the tour which began this weekend, as well as information
on the 2nd Annual CABO WABO Cruise. Like SAMMY says; “Born
to Rock, Built to Last”
……………………….PEACE……………………………
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