Latest News
July 19, 2016
Met up with John Mellencamp for Rock & Roll Road Trip
Just filmed Rock 'n' roll road trip with John Mellencamp. One of my favorite interviews in my life. John is the real deal. It was really great, him and I hit it off even better than I expected.
I've always been a fan, I knew him and I could connect on some soulful level and we did. We played a song which is an old blues folksong called "Delia". No rehearsal or anything so it was raw, rough, and ready, but very cool song.
He's a fantastic artist/painter – he had a collection of work that I went through every piece and chose one called "Puppet". He insisted on giving it to me, but I am writing a check to Farm Aid or some other charity of his choice for the painting. It will be put up on display in my restaurants one month at a time before it goes in my home.
All I can say is John is the real deal, he's an uncompromising artist and has been for a long time and has good reason, heart, and soul behind it. I truly believe and hope we will be friends for a long time after today. I never got close to him before only met a couple times once at Farm Aid in '85 which we had a good laugh about my live shout out to 70,000+ in attendance "here's a song for all you tractor pullin motherfuckers". Ouch. It was on Live TV, live radio all over the country right before I played 55.
Hopefully John will invite me be back to Farm Aid next year and let me redeem myself. He's a good man. Very special show for sure. – Sammy
Stay tuned for the 2nd Season of "Rock & Roll Road Trip" on AXS TV coming early 2017!
July 5, 2016
Red Rocker Bar & Grill in West Memphis gives back.
"The Red Rocker Bar and Grill in West Memphis has been open for a one year now!
We were on the way to the Rogers, Arkansas show so we stopped by for a quick jam of "Rock Candy" with a really cool blues band from Memphis.
We also gave away profits from the restaurant like I do with Sammys Beach Bar and Grills to local charities. After talking to a lot of different organizations Kari and I decided these three were the ones the money could make the most difference.
It's been a good week for for giving and it sure feels good to be able to do this! Thanks to all the Redheads that support these restaurants. We are Making a difference one bite at a time!"
-Sammy & Kari Hagar.
For more information about each of these charities, please visit their websites below:
Mid-South Food Bank: http://www.midsouthfoodbank.org/
Steudlein Learning Center: https://www.facebook.com/Steudlein-Learning-Center-253484764830774/
The Boys & Girls Club of Crittenden County: https://www.facebook.com/Boys-and-Girls-Club-of-Crittenden-County-22631486692/
July 5, 2016
THANK YOU ST. LOUIS!
"We turned this place RED!! Thank you to all the Redheads who came to St. Louis! Despite the bad weather the night before everyone still came out!
I was told there were 55,000 people there and that's ironic it would be that number. But, it poured rain all night… The night before and all day up till a couple hours before we played! Cleared up and then started raining again as I was leaving the show. Perfect timing! That's a lot of people showing up in torrential rain's and bad thunderstorm." – Sammy
[Webmaster Note:]
Such an amazing crowd and energy in St. Louis! You Redheads make it happen each and every time – here's to many more – on to the Gateway Arch!! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
Check out the article on KMOV and additional photos & videos below. Post yours to the event page!
http://www.kmov.com/story/32369976/sammy-hagar-on-why-its-special-to-perform-in-st-louis
Video of the flight out of Rogers, AR to St. Louis:
Video of the crowd during "Mas Tequila" in St. Louis (Video credit to Aaron Hagar)
July 3, 2016
UCSF Check Presentation from Acoustic-4-A-Cure
"A huge thanks to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital for making the world a better place for children.
We are so happy Acoustic-4-A-Cure has been a continued success and allowed us to contribute so much to this amazing organization. I want to thank Melissa Etheridge, Tommy Lee, Joe Satriani, Pat Monahan, John Mayer, and my partner James Hetfield and all the other musicians and especially the fans that helped make this happen again this year.
Sure feels good delivering that check!"
– Sammy & Kari Hagar
June 27, 2016
Turn Up The Heat – Marin Magazine
SAMMY HAGAR RAISES the bar when it comes to multitasking. The Mill Valley rocker, restaurateur, cookbook author, and spirits merchandiser is a successful businessman in a number of coveted métiers. So when it comes to cooking at home, Hagar likes to keep things low-key and simple. Entertaining? You bet, but as Hagar essentially entertains for a living and owns a number of restaurants that can easily host a party (such as the cozy-elegant El Paseo in Mill Valley), who needs to party big in one’s downtime? When he is home, it’s all about making food for his family and a few friends in his open kitchen with panoramic views of mountainous bliss. We navigated a vertiginous canyon road to visit Hagar and his wife, Kari, in their midcentury-modern home perched in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, and we concluded that his cookbook pretty much sums up their lifestyle with its title Are We Having Any Fun Yet? Yes, they are.
Q: You divide your time between Mill Valley, Cabo and Maui. What distinguishes the Mill Valley kitchen from the others?
A: For our Mill Valley kitchen we went all out when we remodeled it, because it’s our main residence. That said, we made sure Cabo and Maui both have very nice kitchens too.
Q: What changes did you make or challenges did you face when when you renovated the kitchen?
A: Our house is solid steel-reinforced concrete, so installing the plumbing for a second sink in the center island was challenging but worth the mess and the jackhammering. A center island and work space with an extra sink is a must in my kitchens.
Q: Are there any specific design tweaks that are unique to you?
A: I like to have both electric and gas burners. Electric is more consistent for low simmering. I use them both when cooking.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your kitchen?
A: It’s all laid out right there. Everything is in reaching distance — refrigerator, stove and oven, with lots of counter and chopping space. Great prep areas are essential.
Q: If you could add or change one thing in your kitchen, what would it be?
A: I would spread my stove burners farther apart. As they are now, it’s very difficult to use more than two large pans at the same time.
Q: What role does the kitchen play in the context of your home life?
A: Food prep, and it is the heart of the family.
Q: How many cooks in the kitchen? Who does the most cooking?
A: I like no more than two people in the kitchen at once, and I am definitely one of them. I do most of the cooking. My wife, Kari, is the salad queen.
Q: Favorite utensil or special appliance you can’t live without?
A: A good cutting board, a good sharp knife, a nice pair of tongs, a good sautéing pan and spatula, and I’m there.
Q: Your favorite way to host a dinner party/entertain guests?
A: Put out some nibbles like cured meats, bread, cheese and champagne or a nice chilled white wine and leave the guests to help themselves outside of the kitchen while I prepare the main course. I try to do all the prep work first and do the actual cooking while the guests are there. Our kitchen is set up so you can watch without getting in the way.
Q: Whom would you like to have as a dinner guest or cook with?
A: I’ve cooked for some of the great chefs: Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Julian Serrano, Roger Verge, Peter Merriman and many more. Jose Andres is a friend, but I have yet to cook for him, so he is on the bucket list.
Q: Favorite meals to prepare at home?
A: Any pasta dish, roast chicken, tacos of any kind and paella.
Q: What is your favorite way to cook with rum?
A: I love cooking with rum these days. It has a sweetness that works well with spicy food, and it makes a wonderful concentrated reduced citrus sauce. I use my own rum, of course, and prefer white un-aged for cooking.
Q: What three ingredients can be found in your Mill Valley refrigerator at all times?
A: Eggs, good fresh tortillas and salsa.
Read the full story at: http://marinmagazine.com/July-2016/Turn-Up-The-Heat/