Situated in the northern Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre welcomed Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar to town on Tuesday night. Out on the road under his aptly titled “Best of All Worlds” Tour, Hagar had Canadian rockers Loverboy in tow as his opener. Built in 2008, this 12,000 capacity venue is a hot summer night destination spot for concert goers, especially for those looking to brave the heat with uncovered lawn seats to enjoy an evening of live music.
With the July heat still holding heavy in the evening air at 7:00pm, Loverboy returned to the stage after being scratched from the schedule last Sunday in Tampa, Florida, due to afternoon tropical storms. Still anchored by founding members Mike Reno (lead vocals), Paul Dean (guitar), Doug Johnson (keyboards), and Matt Frenette (drums), the late 1970s legacy band was rounded out by Ken Sinnaeve on bass.
Given Loverboy’s decades-long influence on terrestrial radio before streaming, their 50-minute performance was an enjoyable trip down memory lane — you knew every song. Reno’s voice still rung true to their catalog, leaving the fans especially delighted when the band closed out their set with back-to-back familiar hits in “Turn Me Loose” and “Working for the Weekend.”
Loverboy:
Paul Dean – Guitar, backing vocals
Matt Frenette – Drums, percussion
Doug Johnson – Keyboards, synthesizers, piano, saxophone, harmonica, backing vocals
Mike Reno – Lead vocals, occasional guitar
Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve – Bass guitar, backing vocals
Setlist:
1.) Lucky Ones
2.) Queen of the Broken Hearts
3.) Take Me to the Top
4.) The Kid Is Hot Tonite
5.) Lovin’ Every Minute of It
6.) Hot Girls in Love
7.) Turn Me Loose
8.) Working for the Weekend
Shortly before 8:30pm following an approximate 30-minute stage turn from Loverboy, the video screens began a montage teasing out historical vignettes spanning Hagar’s long musical career. Then with drummer Jason Bonham in place behind his kit, Michael Anthony (bass), Joe Satriani (guitar), and Rai Thistlewayte (keyboards/guitar) appeared just before Hagar as the all-star band launched into “Good Enough” from Van Halen’s seventh studio album, 5150 (1986).
I am not going to bury the lede — this two-hour show was one of the best concert experiences I’ve had in 2024. It is a must-see event. In fact, the 76-year-old Hagar described it accurately to the near-capacity audience as “not a rock concert, and not a tribute, but a celebration of my life.” Much to the adoration of the crowd, that celebration included a setlist replete with Hagar-era Van Halen tunes, largely pulled from 5150 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), along with a mid-set inclusion of “The Seventh Seal” off Balance (1995).
As anticipated, stellar musicianship behind Hagar was on full display all night. Anthony, Bonham, and Satriani are arguably all rock royalty, and multi-instrumentalist Thistlewayte was a welcomed addition in rounding out the band’s overall thundering rock sound. While Hagar also picked up his guitar a number of times, it was his larger-than-life personality that exuded gleeful enjoyment the entire night. When he wasn’t mixing drinks on stage or joking with his bandmates — at one point calling Anthony the “second best singer in Van Halen” — he was autographing all kinds of fan items tossed onto the stage.
The back third of Hagar’s set was a musical journey through his decades-long career, touching on his early day’s with Montrose, his successful solo career, and even included a little taste of Chickenfoot (a band which also consisted of Anthony and Satriani). As the concert was drawing to a close, tracks like “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55” evoked loud cheers from the audience, but the cell phone recording really lit up the night sky when the band put an exclamation point on the evening with a resounding performance of Van Halen’s chart-topping song “When It’s Love” off their eighth studio album, OU812 (1988).
The “Best of All Worlds” Tour continues on in the United States through Saturday, August 31st, concluding in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The tour will then take a brief break before picking back up again in Japan starting on Friday, September 20th. Take my advice – do yourself a favor and circle the show date on your calendar if this tour is scheduled to hit your town this summer.
Sammy Hagar Band:
Sammy Hagar – Vocals, guitar
Joe Satriani – Guitar
Michael Anthony – Bass, vocals
Jason Bonham – Drums
Rai Thistlethwayte – Keyboards, vocals
Setlist:
1.) Good Enough (Van Halen song)
2.) Poundcake (Van Halen song)
3.) Runaround (Van Halen song)
4.) There’s Only One Way to Rock
5.) Judgement Day (Van Halen song)
6.) Panama (Van Halen song)
7.) 5150 (Van Halen song)
8.) Summer Nights (Van Halen song)
9.) Top of the World (Van Halen song)
10.) Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen song)
11.) Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love
12.) Satch Boogie (Joe Satriani cover)
13.) The Seventh Seal (Van Halen song)
14.) Right Now (Van Halen song)
15.) Why Can’t This Be Love (Van Halen song)
16.) Eagles Fly
17.) Mas Tequila (Sammy Hagar and the Wabos song)
18.) Heavy Metal
19.) I Can’t Drive 55
20.) Space Station #5 / Oh Yeah / Jump
21.) When It’s Love (Van Halen song)
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Elliott is a music photographer covering shows in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The highlight of his photography career was back in the early ’90s, when he sold Neil Diamond the rights to his negatives from a show and then purchased a set of tires for his 1979 280ZX during college with the money.
