There are some shows you don’t realize you need until the band hits the stage and those first few bars are played. Sammy Hagar announced the Best of All Worlds Tour (the third annual tour) earlier in the year, and with it billed as a Encore, Thank You, Goodnight: A Deep Dive into the Van Halen Years I couldn’t help but jump at the chance for not only some VH rockers, but seeing Hagar perform with original VH bassist/vocalist Michael Anthony, guitar maestro Joe Satriani, and drummer Kenny Aronoff who has performed with so many legendary artists it’s hard to list them in one sitting.

On the first of two nights at The Theater at MGM National Harbor, the Red Rocker started off his two-hour set right out of the gate with the first of many Van Halen classics, “Why Can’t This Be Love.” The first thing that went through my head was, “Damn! What a voice” as the 78 year old singer made his way from one side of the stage to the next, belting out those high notes like it was nobody’s business. And the second thing that went through my mind was “He genuinely looks like he’s having a hell of a good time.”

And it wasn’t just Hagar, Michael Anthony, often taking those high harmonies, seemed to relish in those old VH tunes as he and Hagar pointed to fans in the crowd.

Not missing a beat, the band went right into “Top of the World” from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge with those harmonies between Hagar, Anthony, and keyboardist Nathan Mercado sounding incredible. And watching Joe Satriani’s work that guitar was a thrill.

From the massive choruses of “Best of Both Worlds” to sweeping ballads like “Love Walks In” there was a genuine electricity that had fans up and dancing or swaying in the aisles.

Joking around on-stage, Sammy Hagar told the crowd, “Somethings never change, and Mike and I are two of them.” And to illustrate the point, the band played a montage of performances both of Hagar’s band and of Van Halen having a blast.

And just so the crowd wouldn’t feel left out, during “Cabo Wabo” and “Mas Taquila” Sammy Hagar passed around his bottle of Tequila, pouring shots to fans lining the stage rails.

After a break where Anthony took over lead vocals on the Van Halen song “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” (man, he can sing!), the Red Rocker took up his own red Gibson Explorer, strutting his stuff on the six-string along side Satriani on solo material like “Heavy Metal” as images of the animated film of the same name played on the screens behind the band. And, of course, there was the hit single “I Can’t Drive 55” while the whole place seemed to belt out the chorus.

“Eagles Fly,” one of those tunes that was almost a VH track, saw Hagar taking the top tier of the stage along side Aronoff as the drummer flexed his rhythmic muscle.

Check out a video for “5150” by Van Halen Live in Tokyo Feb 1989 below:

In a tribute to Eddie Van Halen, the lights went down as reels of old concert material and home movies played showing Eddie, Sammy, and Michael together through the years. Joe Satriani took center stage then as he played a bit of the Eddie Van Halen number “Eruption” before the whole band joined in for the closer, “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.”

If I could have I would have gone to the second and closing night of Sammy Hagar and the Best Of Both Worlds Band as he told the crowd that it would be a different set, but even if it wasn’t it would be well worth seeing again.

The setlist included:

Why Can’t This Be Love (Van Halen)
Top of the World (Van Halen)
Runaround (Van Halen)
Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen)
Summer Nights (Van Halen)
Bad Motor Scooter (Montrose)
5150 (Van Halen)
Love Walks In (Van Halen)
Cabo Wabo / Mas Tequila
There’s Only One Way to Rock
Right Now (Van Halen)
Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love (Van Halen)
Satch Boogie (Joe Satriani)
Good Enough (Van Halen)
Heavy Metal
I Can’t Drive 55
Eagles Fly
Eruption (Van Halen)
Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.

Take a look at more photos of Sammy Hagar with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, and Kenny Aronoff performing at The Theater at MGM National Harbor: