Q & amp;A Hagar bringing shows to Cleveland, Pittsburgh

The former Van Halen star talks about the band's difficult reunion.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
It's hard not to love Sammy Hagar. This blue collar "Red Rocker" knows how to work hard and party even harder. Two summers removed from the 2004 reunion tour with Van Halen, Hagar is taking his Wabos on the road with special guest Michael Anthony joining the fun for a mindset Van Halen jam billed as "The Other Half."
For Hagar, who brings his "Livin' It Up Tour" to Cleveland for a July 4 show at the Tower City Amphitheater and Pittsburgh for a July 7 show at the Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake, life is good with his Cabo Wabo tequila earning $40 million in sales in 2005 and his solo career back on track with a new album due out next year that is, um, country rock.
Currently titled "Livin' it Up," the album will include a rocking honky-tonk cover of Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar." Recently The Vindicator talked to the affable Hagar about his former band, his new album and how he plans on spending Independence Day with Northeast Ohio.
Q. Sam, let's be honest here for a second. When the bitter breakup with Van Halen took place in the mid-'90s, you were the good guy who got shafted. You soared higher with credibility intact, while the Brothers Van Halen failed to reunite with David Lee Roth, entering into the abysmal and ephemeral Gary Cherone era. Then there was this reunion -- which was obviously a money grab -- with what seemed like fake smiles and faux friendship for the sake of the almighty dollar. In the end, it seems as though your credibility was hurt.
A. There were times it hurt me being up there. When it came together, it was supposed to be everything goes out the window that happened before. Let's be friends again. Let's be a band again. There were some real problems in the band. I have to tell you, on stage playing there were nights I didn't know what song Eddie was playing. There were times I wanted to kill that guy for what he was playing. I would even see reviews that said 'Hagar was off key on this song.' I was off key? This cat wasn't playing the right notes. So we started getting into it over that.
Q. Did you consider leaving the tour?
A. As a business, you had to continue once every show was on sale and practically sold out. I wasn't about to get into a big lawsuit and have [anyone] sue me or have the fans say, 'Hagar quit.' But I would have left that tour in the middle of it if it wasn't for the professional aspect.
Q. How was the Cleveland date?
A. Cleveland wasn't a bad show. You should have seen San Jose or Sacramento. Things got rough. My complaint about it was it was usually an expensive [ticket], and there was somebody in the band who wasn't taking it seriously. And in my opinion, he might have taken it seriously but wasn't in condition to do it seriously. Eddie is one of the great guitar players in the world and one of the great guitar players ever, and certainly a dear, dear friend at one time. He wasn't an easy guy to be around on that tour, and it got kind of ugly at the end.
Q. So was it easier to be around Eddie during the reunion tour or David Lee Roth during the Sam and Dave tour?
A. Quite honestly, I think I probably could have gone on with Dave easier if we would have been stepping on stage together. I don't know what he would have done on stage, but at least Dave has his little act together. His act is, like it or not -- I don't like it -- together and he goes out there and does about as a good job as he can do every night.
Q. It seems as though the next time we'll see you on stage with Eddie will be the eventual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
A. Right now, because of his condition that Eddie was on that tour, and his attitude, and the way he was living his life, I wouldn't go.
Q. Talk about the decision to bring out Michael Anthony and "The Other Half."
A. I love those songs, like 'Right Now,' 'Best of Both Worlds,' ' Poundcake.' Those are great songs to play, and I feel much more comfortable playing them in my show when Michael is out there. So we decided for those fans, who are just so horny [for Van Halen tunes] like we are, we're going to play an hour of Van Halen. We'll play the hits and some obscure stuff.
Q. Finally, a July 4th celebration with Sammy Hagar in Cleveland!
A. I think it's going to be the biggest tequila party we've ever thrown on the planet.