FAN REVIEWS
I too attended the show in Kansas City. All I can say is, as usual SAMMY RULES! Dave reminded me of a lounge singer you might see at a motel! Every Sammy show is like being invited to Sammy's personal party! I love you, Sammy!!

Kellie, Red Rocker fan since 1983!
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I went to the show, not expecting to see Van Halen, but to hear the songs I love so much. Too many people are saying that, "oh, the guitar playing on Eruption was horrible." Well, of course it was....Eddie wasn't there. But Roth was Great! He was what you would expect from Roth. Are people going expecting to see a different DL Roth than we have seen for the past 25 years? If so, they are idiots. Sammy was also great. He's Sammy...the ultimate performer. Great songs, great stage presence, and you can see the chemistry is still there with Michael Anthony. But people...stop your bitching about Roth....he is what he is....a Diamond.

Thanks to Emc928 for this review!
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Mr. Hagar, the Waboritas, and Mr. Anthony, put on a great show from start to finish. The sound, energy, and song selections were just a reflection of one of the best perfromers out there today. It was an awesome show. Now, on to Dave ... Dave sucked. The only reason for staying to watch him was that he played all of the old Van Halen stuff that you can only hear live via a bar or tribute band. His singing was lousy, and he had the stage impression of an old man in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Other than confirming that Sammy is the man, Dave also exploited the fact that UNLESS EDDIE WORKS OUT THINGS WITH SAMMY, VH IS DEAD!! There is not a singer on the planet that can step into that spot and get that band going other than Sammy. I will be at the Virginia Beach show to see Sammy do his thing again ... I don't have to rush to get there on time though, as Dave is slated to open. Waitress, I need a drink to toast the Red Rocker!!

Thanks to SCATZOR for this review!
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Hi! I am a huge Sammy fan and as usual he rocked my world...i have seen Sammy probably the last 8 times he's been to k.c. and every time I have made it to front row...this time though i didn't think i was gonna make it being that the security seemed really tight..but to my surprise things worked out in my favor and i got front row...when Sammy came out the feeling that I got was that he was very glad to be here and I in turn was very glad that he was here also,,,he sang almost every song that I love and when he played Eagles Fly I cried my eyes out that is my most favorite song in the world...I hadn't heard him sing that song the last 3 times he was in town it was beautiful!!! ABSOLUTELY... by the time he finished with us I was a sweaty mess from dancing in the isle so much it was such a fun time...he seems like such a fun guy...

when he left the stage I was once again heartbroken knowing that it will be another what 2 years till he returns? I sure hope not..

when David lee Roth came on I couldn't believe my eyes he looked like he was still in the 80's his skin tight blue pant suit was a big mistake (and I'm not talking about the outline you could see in his pants) his hair extensions were a bit too much and his face (poor guy) looked like he's been rode hard and put away wet,,, i was still on front row when he came out but I couldn't handle it I went back to my regular seat and then left not much but a few minutes later...David lee Roth should have NEVER been the head liner....SAMMY rocked the theater... he is and will always be the best... I love you Sammy keep rockin and ill see you next time you're in K.C.

Thanks to Wendi for this review!
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I went to the Sam and Dave show not knowing quite what to expect. I had never been a big Van Halen fan but I liked their music alright. After going to the show, I am convinced the "Van Hagar" years were definately the best Sammy and his band were fantastic! The energy level was high the whole time he was on stage and he really connected with his audience. Plus, he has agreat, powerful voice. And it was cool that Michael Anthony played with him too. Van Halen had some of their best songs when Sammy was in the lead, I don't know what they were thinking! Having never bought a Van Halen CD, I went out the next day and bought their last three with Sammy in the lead. I was so impressed. I also enjoyed his solo work too, especially "I Can't Drive 55". Dave on the other hand I was disappointed with. Many people claim he is a rock n roll legend. All I saw was a has been that can't really sing very good and that has a huge ego. Dave needs Sammy to get people to his shows, Sammy doesn't need him at all. I would definately go see Sammy again. Please come to KC again soon, Sammy! You just made a new loyal fan!

Thanks to Kim for this review!
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I have to admit we went mostly to see Dave. Boy was that a mistake, I fully understand why Alex and Eddie didn't want him back. I'm glad Sammy opened, because if Dave would've I probably would've left from getting sick of "Diamond Dave" he looked retarded. Sammy on the other hand was great. Sammy's guitar player was excellent, Dave's on the other hand sucked. I don't believe I've ever heard Eruption played so sloppy not to mention trying to mimic Steve Vai's licks on Yankee Rose. Then when Ice Cream Man started and it was time for Electric Guitar, where was he? Curling his hair or something? We left shortly after we couldn't stomach anymore Dave. Michael Anthony came out to play quite a few songs with Sammy and that was great!!!!!!! They were having a good time together and it showed. Dave on the other hand looked like he was in severe pain from that tight blue suit squeezing his SOCK stuffed in the crotch!

It was an OK show. If it would've just been Sammy It would of been an Excellent show, but since I had to see Dave act so stupid too it was an OK show. I think Diamond Dave has turned into GLASS Dave.

SAMMY YOU HAVE EARNED NEW FANS!!!!!!!!

Thanks to G and T for this review!
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I've seen Van Halen, David Lee; Van Halen, Sammy; and now the two head to head. Without a doubt Sammy is truly the undisputed champ! The energy was without comparison and David's voice is mediocre at best even with a great backing band. Michael Anthony's appearance with the Waboritas was a real treat but David Lee having to stop twice during Panama, because of sound problems, was a real downer. I had read all the reviews in papers and here reserving judgement, but Sammy really is the Champ. Thanks for the show.

Thanks to RH for this review!
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Unfortunately for fans in Kansas City, Sammy was the opener. Sammy was absolutely fantastic. And adding Michael Anthony only made the set even better. Sammy's show was high energy from the beginning and never stopped. Dave on the other hand was an absolute embarrassment. The guy cannot sing at all. He talked most of the lyrics and missed his keys for the lyrics continuously throughout the night. I felt that he was only there for the paycheck. David Lee Roth was probably the biggest disappointment in a concert as I have been to in 20 years. The band is about the only thing that saved Dave. We started walking out at the beginning of his encore of Jump and going towards the back the vast majority of the middle sections were completely empty. All of the talk along the way was how horrible Dave's singing was.

Sammy is definitely the king. The one good thing that came out of DLR is that I have absolutely no desire now to see him with Van Halen in any way, shape or form.

Thanks to Rob B. for this review!
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Okay... I'm not going to write a biased review just because I'm submitting to the Red Rocker site, but I've gotta give my props where props are due. Tonight, that having been Saturday the 27th of July, was the night so many of us had anticipated for years and years. The only thing that was missing was the Van Halen brothers. Well, as far as I'm concerned, the show's actually better without 'em. Why?

It's clear that Mr. Hagar is having a blast onstage, and he's so great with the fans, and that band is so well put together, you can't hardly get much better than that no matter what band you are, whether it be Van Halen, or whatever. And when there's no pressure coming from the bosses upstairs, it's easier to breathe and do the show you know how to do. Believe me, I know. My band just fired it's leader for many of the same reasons. Suffocation.

The set was so well picked on both ends. For Sammy, refer back to some of the sets posted, and it was pretty much the same. But there's a great variety from all of Sammy's history. Montrose? Who the hell woulda thought any of those tunes would show up. Obviously those who've seen the Red Rocker before... That wasn't me. I'd never seen him, and was thrilled to hear everything he did. Energy was intense. There's a crowd comfort level between Sammy and the audience that you don't find with many frontmen... Including the almighty Dave, which I was very surpised by.

So how 'bout that band eh? I just can't stop raving about how on they are!

And the the big surprise. I wish my friend in Atlanta hadn't tipped me off about it, but since it's all over the site, I guess I can mention that the way Sammy brought out Michael Anthony was very very classy, nice, and surprising. As Mona is a world class performer, background singer (amazing backups on Hagar's set. And those backups ain't easy... So perfect they almost sounded flown in), you would hardly have known the difference, or missed Anthony had he not showed up. But when he did, it was a beautiful warm feeling of security and hope knowing that not all was lost in the trials and tribulations of the Halen episodes.

Victor, Jessie, and David also were so flawless, that like I said... Van Halen? Guess you don't really need 'em after all eh?

So let's talk about Diamond Dave then...

I believe that some sound crew probably got heavily fined or fired tonight. I'd never seen a large production show go so wrong:

Guitar cutting in and out (short probably or bad wireless) for at least the first three or four songs. Bass and Kick drum overtones, and painful feedback, not to mention that's really all you could hear during his entire set to the point where you didn't even realize what songs he was doing until halfway into the first verses. Which clearly left Dave very distracted I would imagine. Although in reading other reviews, it seems that maybe Dave is just as spacy as he appeared to be tonight all the time. Who knows.

Dave's interaction with the crowd was very very little. When he did, it was simply "Is everyone having a good time?" The kicks, and jumps, and trademark Dave moves were in full swing, and I must admit, just seeing Dave alone is a spectacle in itself. You can decide for yourself what kind. His only other interaction was with a fairly un-attractive woman in a bikini whom he told his crew to slap a backstage pass on so that he could "fuck her" tonight, which seeing as how she was there with her boyfriend, she didn't really go running up to the stage to accept the invitation. I'm sure that was a low ego blow on Dave's part. But who knows. Maybe she ended up back there anyway.

Overall, though the set was cool (though not enough solo Dave material) I was actually kind of bored by his set. I love the Van Halen songs he's done with them, but he couldn't hold my interest with all the same moves, song and dance, and clearly not having that good a time. But again I give him credit for all the trouble he had with the sound guys.

Bottom line, I went in there speculating that I was a Dave era Van Halen fan, and walked out knowing I was truly a Sammy Hagar era Van Halen fan. And I'll make sure never to miss another Sammy Hagar show again.

Thanks to Tyson L. for this review!
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I just started to recover from my all night bender with Sammy and Dave last night. Sitting about halfway back on the center lower level, I didn’t really know what to expect. I love VH’s music all of it…(well except for VH3 but who can blame me?). Last night set started with a video montage of Sammy’s Career. The crowd was rocking from the first song, but really went nuts about 3 songs into the set when Runaround started. The momentum continued to build when Michael Anthony walked on stage, the crowd absolutely lost itself in waborita doused bliss. A lot of people have complained that Where Eagles Fly was a mood killer, but honestly it was more of a much needed break. The Waborita’s were fantastic, and the interaction with the audience was great, Sammy talked to the crowd like he really was happy to be there and the crowd responded in kind. They played pretty much everything I wanted to hear and looked like they were really having fun. During Sammy’s set 2 sets of risers held around 50 KC locals that had won a chance to be onstage with the band, Sammy interacted with them several time diving into the seats and even handing the lucky winners the Mic a few times. I hadn’t seen Sammy since the balance tour but this was the best ever.

After around 2 hours they had a 30 minute break to change stages. Dave appeared in a glittery blue suit and started with Hot for Teacher, the crowd started really into it, but the momentum kind of died about 4 or 5 songs into his set, by the time he got to So This is Love many people were heading for the gate to beat the traffic, most others were simply sitting down. Either Dave was having trouble remembering lyrics, or there were major technical trouble as he seemed to mumble a lot. He did attempt some kicks and got 3 or 4 of them, he also did one split from the drum riser during the close of the encore song Jump. Dave had very little interaction with the crowd other than to mumble something about KC once or twice and at one point he did make a comment about “Oh Beautiful for Amber Waves of Grain” and how you should change the words to that shit…rather ironic that he couldn’t say them correctly himself. Later in the show he did single out one woman in the front as a “Bonafide, Grade A, Kansas City Slut”, Dave’s band I must say was the best VH cover band I have ever heard though, his guitarist is absolutely amazing. I saw Dave by himself at the Ameristar Casino last year and must say that either he seemed better prepared then, last night looked like he was just going through the motions.

In my mind the argument over who is better Sammy or Dave was easily settled last night. Sammy Hagar is the undisputed Heavy Weight Champ of Van Halen lead singers. I really think Sammy should close all the shows, having Dave headline ends up coming across like getting a light appetizer after the main course.

Thanks to John P. for this review!
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Sammy was outstanding and in top form. He really had alot of energy and it was nice to see Michael Anthony join in. Everyone else in the band seemed like they were having fun and the sound was good and all in all Sammy kicked ass!!! As for dlr, well his glory days of Van Halen are well past him.. Hey dave, what's up with the sound system? a very poor show. There's no way that dlr should go after Sammy.

It was actually so bad that i felt sorry him, oh well he tried.

Thanks to Sammy for an unbelievable show.

Thanks to toby g. for this review!
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This is the 2nd time I seen Sammy & the 1st to see Dave.

I brought my 17 year old son for his first concert ever. The video clip was really cool. When Sammy took the stage, he came on very strong. You could tell that Sammy & the Waboritas were having a great time during the show. It was great to see Michael come on to play a few songs too.

As for DLR, I was not impressed at all. The band sounded great but that is as far as it went. DLR acted like he didn't even want to be there.

Sammy, you keep up the great work & I will see ya next time you are in the Kansas City area.

Thanks to Derby K. for this review!
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Excellent!

Sammy opened and kicked ass. Michael Anthony played 5 or 6 songs with the band. I haven't seen him since 1984, on his VOA tour. The extended solo at the end of "There's Only One Way To Rock" was very cool. What a combo, excellent singer, excellent guitar player.

Dave had a good show. Although he DID had sound system issues. There were a few times the guitar player would be playing, and you wouldn't hear anything. At one point, he looked off stage and said, "Turn the bass down, homey." He had to sing the guitar solo on "So This Is Love?", because something happened with the guitar again. Toward the end of the show, it seemed the sound was moving back and forth. At you, and then, away from you. Like a warped tape. But all in all, he still has it. He seemed like he cared. But, half way through, a lot of people were sitting down. I felt like his set kind of died about that time.

On his encore, "Jump" he did this twirling thing, with a metal rod, martial arts I guess. But VERY COOL.

Had a great time.

Thanks to Terry G. for this review!
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OK just saw the Dave and Sammy show last night in Kansas City and wow Sammy rocked!! I have seen Sammy before, during and after Van Halen and loved every show. I was shocked to see the Sammy was the opening act but I understand that they flip flop every night. Sam acted grateful to be playing for us. Dave acted as if he were doing us a favor playing in KC. Sam played VH stuff along with his solo greats and one great Montrose song, Rock candy baby!!!!! Sammy can sell out every night but I thought that Dave alone just can no longer do it without Van Halen. I loved Dave with VH and even saw him twice solo in the 90s and thought he was great but the man is no longer the rock god he was back then, even if he thinks he still is. Great show Sammy thanks for being the Red Rocker after all the years! Mike is back try to get the brothers back and reform the BEST rock band in history!!

Thanks to Stephen C. for this review!
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Sammy's KC show was FANTASTIC!! We always go to the KC show and usually the St. Louis show as well, and my husband and I both agree, this one of the best shows we'd been too, especially for KC!!! And for all you tequila lovers out there, his tequila is a MUST TRY! It's a little pricey, but worth every penny! It's very smooth, and what's the best thing about it, no hangover!!!

Thanks to Sumrsmith for this review!
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THANK YOU , THANK YOU , THANK YOU ! ! !

Sammy , you rule the world of rock and roll!!! After Friday's show in Kansas City, what can i say? You are the true, #1 showman of rock and roll. You love your fans and it shows !!! I have been to many concerts before. But this was the first rock show where I saw Sammy, and he busted my cherry ! All I can say is I'm a beer drinker no more , and Tequila is here to stay! Ha!

Seriously, I have never felt that kind of love at a show before. THANK GOD THERE ARE STILL SOME ROCKERS LEFT IN THIS WORLD! You are our only hope!! For everyone who is thinking about going,, GO GO GO !!!.For everyone else,,,, GO, GO, GO !!!

This is the rock event of your life !!!! It gets no better than this! Sammy is more happy to see you , than you are to see him !!! Trust me , this is as good as it gets!!! You can set no $ amount on it .Sammy SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS in the middle of the show. He WORE almost everything his fans threw on stage. Nice to have a star not AFRAID of his fans ~~~. But as little as I know him, i DO know THIS is HIS party !!!

If I EVER find anything better, i will come back here and tell you. Until then, keep rockin with THE Red Rocker ! ! !

we love you sammy !!!!

-----oh yeah,,, Dave wore a nice sparkley blue suit!!! Diamond Dave , you are a great dresser !!!!!

Thanks to Ray L for this review!