Sammy and the Wabos: Livin' It Up! In St. Louis

Say what you will about Sammy Hagar as a singer and musician: for this 19-song 2006 set filmed live in St. Louis, he and the Wabos deliver exactly what they promise—a good time party. Sammy shoots off a confetti cannon, is chased across the stage by a bikini-clad, bubble-breasted "waitress," and flings the first of many Cabo Wabo margaritas into the crowd—and that's just in the first three minutes. Musically, the set serves as kind of a retrospective of Hagar's career, from his stint fronting Montrose in the early ‘70s (“Rock Candy”) to the 1985-96 Van Halen years (“Best of Both Worlds,” “Good Enough,” “Summer Nights”), nicely interwoven with solo hits (“I Can't Drive 55”) and a couple of goofy covers (Dylan's “Rainy Day Women [#12/#35],” The Beastie Boys' “Fight for Your Right”). The language grows steadily saltier and the interplay with the "waitresses" becomes more risqué as Hagar's signature tequila continues to flow, but the playing—particularly by lead guitarist Vic Johnson—never loosens to the point of unraveling, and former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony joins the band for the concert's second half. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.0, DVD extras include interviews, music videos, and a travelogue on Hagar's Cabo San Lucas paradise. Recommended. Aud: P. (M. Moore)