Print-friendly Version
Van Halen's 'Other Half' tours this summer
Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony isn't waiting around for the Van Halen brothers to get their act together; he's hitting the road with Sammy Hagar , his friend and sometimes-vocalist for Van Halen.
Anthony, who has toured with Hagar frequently in recent years, will team with the singer--as well as Hagar's solo-band drummer, David Lauser, and guitarist, Victor Johnson--to form "The Other Half," a side project expected to perform Van Halen songs during Hagar's headlining solo tour.
The only difference fans will notice during Hagar's solo set is the addition of his solo-band bassist, Mona, who, along with Lauser and Johnson, make up a trio known as The Wabos.
At each stop along the summer outing, which is dubbed the "Livin' It Up" tour, organizers will set up a "Cabo Wabo village" that will be "jammed with bikini girls, body builders, mariachi bands, food, drink, contests and probably some other cool stuff to boot," according to Anthony's website.
Anthony has had plenty of spare time on his hands in recent years. Van Halen lay dormant from 1998 until 2004, at which time, he, Hagar and the Van Halen brothers--guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex--reunited to cut three new tracks for a best-of set that they then supported with a summer tour. Since that outing ended, the group--particularly reclusive bandleader Eddie Van Halen--has slipped back into hibernation.
Hagar has made a cottage industry out of his Cabo Wabo brand, which got its start as the title of an ode to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico that appeared on Van Halen's 1988 album "OU812." Since then, Hagar has opened two night clubs known as the Cabo Wabo Cantina--one in Cabo San Lucas and the other in Lake Tahoe, NV--and has overseen the rise of his highly successful Cabo Wabo premium tequila.
