Photographer’s notebook: Sammy Hagar and the Wabos May 3 concert at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
Kurt E. Johnson / Tahoe Onstage
was great but people who it attended it Friday night were a little disgruntled the first set was all acoustic. But my impression was once they got playing nobody cared and everybody loved it. I believe it was Sammy’s son Aaron Hager who came out and sang an acoustic song with him as well. Sammy had stated “We don’t play these songs at Cabo.” His fans came to see him rock and he did not disappoint. Sammy is very fan conscience and doesn’t hesitate to make his way from one end of the stage to the other, pouring his own tequila into fans glasses, signing hats, balls or whatever the fan happens to be holding up. He even picked up an “alleged” doobie but stated that he probably shouldn’t smoke it or we’d all be listening to records rather than him performing. Walking on stage to perform to perform an encore Sammy wore a white sheet as a cape that a fan had thrown up on the stage which read something like “Sammy will always have Tahoe.” Sammy stated that “Other bands may make us look like an opening band, but their fans aren’t unified!” which gave him a rousing cheer of support. Sammy ended the show with the song “All We Need is An Island,” which he stated is the best love song he ever wrote.
– Kurt E. Johnson, Tahoe Onstage photographer
