If you go to see Sammy Hagar in concert this summer on his Best of All Worlds Tour, you’ll notice a slight change in the band lineup.
Instead of the usual Rai Thistlethwayte, keyboard duties will be handled by Greg Phillinganes from Toto. On a recent social media post, one fan asked why Thistlethwayte would not be on this tour, and Hagar replied with the ironic reason.
“He joined Toto,” Hagar said, “so we swapped keyboard players.”
When Does Sammy Hagar’s Tour Begin?
At present, Hagar is scheduled to perform six concerts this coming March at Dolby Live in Las Vegas, part of an ongoing residency the Red Rocker has been doing since last year. For those shows, Thistlethwayte will still be part of the band.
After that, Hagar will launch a summer tour on June 13 in St. Louis, performing alongside fellow Van Halen alumni Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Kenny Aronoff. This is where Phillinganes will come on board, and that leg of the tour will run until June 27.
Then in September, Hagar will return to his Vegas residency, with shows scheduled through September.
Hagar Won’t Do a Farewell Tour
In 2025, Hagar spoke with Rolling Stone about his future touring plans.
“All things must end. I’m waiting, fingers crossed that it doesn’t happen, for the time when I walk up to the microphone and it just ain’t there,” he explained. “Or just walk out on stage and it isn’t there. It’s got to be physical, mental and spiritual. It’s a three-lock box. And so right now, I’ve still got my three-lock box. Everything’s good. I can sing, I can jump around, I can physically do the whole show, but the travel kills me.
“What I’m getting to is that I would never ever announce retirement,” he continued. “I would just go away. But if I had 50 more shows left in me…I believe if I went to Vegas and did residences without all the travel, the packing and the unpacking, the bad food, the bad beds, the bad hotel rooms, all the crap that beats the shit out of you on tour, I might be able to do 75 shows instead of 50.”
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
