This October will be a momentous one at Cabo Wabo Cantina, as The Red Rocker himself, Sammy 
Hagar, celebrates his 70th birthday with a series of concerts.
The “birthday bashes” are nothing new. Hagar has been hosting them at Cabo Wabo Cantina since the year benchmark Cabo San Lucas nightspot opened, and over the past few decades there have been guest appearances from a virtual who’s who of rock n’ roll: from 60s and 70s icons like Bob Weir and Iggy Pop to newer stars such as Toby Keith, John Mayer and Adam Levine.
Hagar originally opened Cabo Wabo in 1990 with his then Van Halen bandmates (he had formerly sung for the band Montrose), famously premiering the new Land’s End bar and restaurant with a massive promotional assist from MTV. The Van Halen partnership eventually dissolved – both musically and in Cabo Wabo – even as Hagar steered the venture toward incredible success.
In 1996, Cabo Wabo spun off its own house brand of tequila. Eleven years later, Hagar sold 80% of his stake in the tequila to the Campari Group, netting a cool 80 million. In 2010, he sold his remaining shares for another 11 million dollars.
The cantina also proved popular, so much so that more locations were spun off in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Hagar was now as much a business magnate as famous musician, adding rum and branded beach bars to an ever growing portfolio.
But Cabo Wabo Cantina started it all, and it’s where Hagar has celebrated his birthday for 26 of the past 27 years (Hurricane Odile in 2014 resulted in the shows being moved to Las Vegas).
This year is special, however. Sammy turns 70, and as with his 60th birthday a decade ago, rock royalty is expected to show up on stage to help him celebrate. No one knows who’ll make a cameo during the bashes – scheduled for October 9, 11, 13 and 14 – but Hagar’s current bandmates in The Circle are locked in: Jason Bonham, Vic Johnson and Michael Anthony (who played with Hagar in Van Halen, and still plays with him in the supergroup Chickenfoot).
To say tickets are hard to get is in understatement; but then again, they’re always hard to get. The entry period for the traditional random drawing is over, and winners will be notified on July 21. Ticket price? $70, of course.
Mercury Insurance, sponsor of Hagar’s reality series Rock & Roll Road Trip, is also spearheading a ticket giveaway contest. To enter, visit info.mercuryinsurance.com/axs by August 31.
Those visiting Los Cabos during October, however, will also have an opportunity to see the birthday boy and friends, as some dinner show tickets are always held back and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This year, expect the line around the block for dinner tickets to be longer than ever.
The cameo list certainly will be.
Photo courtesy of www.redrocker.com.
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