Standing on Top of the ......Garage Parking Lot

Standing on Top of the ......Garage Parking Lot



From the top of the Garage

October 13. Sammy Hagars actual birthday and he finished his birthday bash series of his concert outside of this Cabo Wabo Cantina. Sammy would tell the audience it's his 21st year playing at the Cabo Wabo on his birthday, his first time playing outside and that he's celebrating being 64 years old.

But first thing first.



We spent the morning at leisure around our swanky hotel pool. Then we took the free shuttle into town (sure beats walking up or down the steep mountain hillside) to the sister hotel to play in the Ocean. That didn't last very long for as the ocean is mean and cruel this part of the world. The drop off is within feet of the crashing waves and the undercurrent take out even the best of swimmer out to sea. If you don't like your children very much, this would be the beach to bring them too.



Then we wondered down to Cabo Wabo to check out the events and the set up for the night. One side of the street, the Cabo security was blocking the street with tall soild wood barricades. No one was going to get a view of the show without paying on that side of the street. The other side of the street was simple metal barricades but far enough back no one would see the show either. A bit bummed we wouldn't see the show without the proper red wristbands my husband suggested we grab a few beers and come back around show time to at least listen. I wholeheartedly agreed since Sammy was the entire reason we were in Cabo.



Dinner and a view at Captain Tony's



We walked a few blocks down to the marina and found a couple of chairs facing out at a place called Captain Tony's. We ordered the bucks of beers and drank and people watched. And then we ordered dinner. Two and half hours later and twenty bucks, it was only 30 minutes to show time.

Back at the metal barricade with high security just a handful of people were hanging out to do exactly what we were going to do; listen to the show. And that's when I looked up and saw a parking a garage. Hey, that's a great viewing spot. We walked around the block, found the enterance to the garage and the attendant told us to go to the top, and use the stairs and that is were I found the top of the world, or the parking garage. Best viewing spot to see Sammy. Sure, we were not close enough to touch him, but we could see the stage and the big screen and the crowd. Best part of the garage was lots of run to move, dance and sing without anyone on my backside. My husband ran down the corner street store and purchased four more beers and we sang along to Sammy.

Guy, from the Food Network introduced Sammy Hagar. He sang more of his older stuff and some of the best of Van Halen. When he sang "Standing on Top of the World" he changed the words to "Standing on Top of the Parking Garage" and gave us all a two handed wave. All of us on the garage jumped up and down with delight and waved right back.

Indeed, on top of the world.

The show with a Rockin view

The show was only 70 minutes long. It ended with Sammy getting a birthday cake in his face, thanks to Guy. He waved and left the stage. Once again, the Redheads stood around and exchanged contact informationg to keep in touch until next year.

For us, it's back to the hotel pool and a airplane ride home tomorrow. I've been thinking what Sammy said at the begining of his show. He's been playing on his birthday for 21 years which means he started that tradition back in his 40's. Somedays, I've been feeling.....old. But heck, it's not too late for me to start a 20 plus year tradition. Somehow just that thought makes me feel young.

My journey feels complete.



Prost.

The Price of Sammy

My first record, (the big black 12 inch fine grooved vinyl disk that you played with a player that had a needle) I ever purchased was Van Halen II. The second was Sammy Hagar, and I was hooked. Sammy became my man long before “I can’t drive 55.”  I attempted to adopt Red as my favorite color since that was Sammy’s (known as the Red Rocker.)

                “You don’t know what it does to me

                My crimson sin intensity

                I’m haunted by the mystery

                The mystery of red.”

How he feels about Red is how I feel about purple. When he hooked up with Van Halen as lead singer it was a music match made in heaven for me. (I must admit, I liked Sammy better as a solo artist.)  Now it’s time to knock items off my bucket list and one of them is see Sammy play on his birthday at his bar, Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico October 13. This is been an ongoing event, well…for a long time.

This is the year I see Sammy on his birthday, and I’m taking my husband (the country guy that he is.)  And even a bigger deal; we have tickets which was not an easy task.

Years ago, the birthday bash was free. My neighbor who has been lucky enough to see Sammy play on that date told me how she waited in line at his bar for more than 24 hours and was one of the last ones to gain tickets. Okay, 24 hours in line I could do that. But a few things have changed. To avoid long lines, line jumpers and just flat out unfairness (is that even a word) Birthday bash tickets are now being sold on Sammy’s web site. For less than a minute. Forty seconds. Gone. Maybe even thirty.

I joined the Red Rocker web site, and signed up for email alerts. The first day tickets were going to be sold I was starting my new temporary part time job with the State of Oregon after being laid off after working for the same company almost 14 years (no bitterness there) and I didn’t think I could jump on the work computers to buy Sammy tickets. I gave my husband very strict instructions on how to open several browsers and attempt to start buying tickets before the go on sale.  He knew he had to score tickets or not come home. As fate would have it, Sammy’s web site crashed and no one got tickets.  And my husband came home.

The second attempt was several weeks later. Same deal. Husband to open several browsers and score two tickets or else. Less than five minutes after tickets were suppose to be release my husband walks into my workplace. My heart dropped. What happened?? Was he coming in person to tell me he couldn’t come home? No tickets?? Quite the opposite. I jumped for joy! Sammy, here I come! I have the email conformation of tickets. The conformation sounded fairly stern, if you were caught selling your tickets they would be revoked and you'd be thrown into a Mexico prison. (I made that last part up.)

A couple weeks later, another email from Sammy. Nothing is in stone yet. The web site and the “team” was still validating the tickets making sure everyone played by the rules.

A month later, and one month before the show, another email. Our tickets will  be released to us upon arrival to Cabo. Must bring ID and tickets are only released at noon a day before the show.  We’ve been “okay’ed” to pick up our purchased tickets. This is serious business.

We got lucky. We made arrangements for our hotel nine months ago. Purchased airfare eight months ago with the sole purpose of going to Sammy Hagar’s birthday bash. I had no idea it would be this difficult to get tickets for one of three shows he is playing his birthday week. According to the web site, he is going to release a few more tickets a couple of days before his show, in person. Looks like we’ll be standing in line for a day. I want that experience.

Sammy, here I come.

Mas Tequila! Prost!