Rock Legends Kick Off Van Halen Tribute Shows at Park MGM

Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony have launched their highly anticipated Van Halen-themed residency, Best of All Worlds Stays in Vegas, which kicked off on Apr. 24 and runs through May 17 at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

The residency focuses on the beloved 'Van Hagar Era' and features an all-star lineup, including guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, and multi-instrumentalist Rai Thistlethwayte. At 77, Hagar chose the residency format to continue performing without the strain of touring. "It's hard work. So I just said, 'I want to do a residency. I want to see if I can squeeze a couple more years out of this body and this voice, now," Hagar explained.

The group discussed their motivations in a promo video, explaining their excitement and commitment to giving the fans what they want. Anthony reiterated that they focus on celebrating the music, not impressing former bandmates. Hagar also discussed the desire to truly honor Eddie Van Halen and his one-of-a-kind sound, and that is why Satriani was selected to be the guitarist.

As an extra twist to the residency, Hagar also introduced a new song titled "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight", which gave him the impetus for writing due to a dream he had in which he was writing with Eddie Van Halen. While Hagar reached out to founding drummer Alex Van Halen to participate, Hagar has not yet heard from him, and is taking the high road based on past relationships. With only a few days ' notice, he attracted Aronoff to join the project, and Hagar said Aronoff's flair for performance blew him away from his first performance on opening night.