WHERE ROCK MEETS LA ROCA
WHERE ROCK MEETS LA ROCA Rock Reigns Supreme in the House that
Hagar Built By Dolores Peralta For those of you who know Cabo's
history like I do, you know that there wasn't much to the town
back in the 80's. Dirt roads, a few hotels, makeshift bars and
some fishing boats were about all that was there back then. It
was during those early days of Cabo that well-known rocker,
Sammy Hagar, discovered the beauty of the area. After having
experienced Cabo, Hagar came away with a vision. Create a club
where not only he could come and play whenever the mood struck
him, but a club where just about anyone who was so inclined
could hop on stage and show off their licks. Some thought it a
pipe dream including Hagar's partner in the project, Jorge
Viana.
Persistence paid off and paid off big for Sammy. After finally
convincing Jorge that he was dead serious (by bringing him up to
the States as a guest at one of his concerts) the two came to
agreement on developing the club. With Hagar's new gig as front
man for the group Van Halen, the task of advancing the project
from concept to construction fell into Jorge's capable hands.
The two found a suitable piece of property and put together a
contest to choose the project's architect. The job was awarded
to Cabo local, Marco Monroy.
Hagar returned to his touring schedule with Van Halen and Marco
handled the daunting job of constructing the club. Although
Hagar had seen the plans and liked what he saw, he didn't notice
that all the measurements where in square meters, not square
feet. In his mind, the size of the club was just perfect.
Imagine his surprise when he next made it to Cabo and, with the
club nearly complete, discovered that it was big... way too big!
To late to do anything about the size, Hagar pressed on,
planning the grand opening.
Van Halen members agreed to help out by performing at the
opening, complete with MTV coverage and press from around the
world. Hagar, feeling that he owed the boys in the band for
doing so, opened financial participation options up to them.
Things went great from the start, mostly due to the buzz created
and the successful grand opening concert. But once the initial
excitement wore off, the club began to lose money. With little
fanfare, all the members of Van Halen pulled out of the
investment leaving Hagar to pay the bills.
Poor management, no more partners and mounting bills, Marco
approached Sammy and the two formed a partnership with Marco
taking the reins as the manager. That was in 1994 and since
then, Cabo Wabo has become one of the most successful clubs in
Baja. Every night of the week, live bands perform. Frequently,
other famous rock musicians pop in for impromptu performances.
As many of you know, there is no shortage of actors who have
dreams of being rock stars and they too have been known to
plug-in and show their stuff. Sammy's vision of creating a club
for both performers and serious partiers is a reality and with
it's constant growth in popularity, Cabo Wabo will no doubt be
rocking La Roca (the big rock at Land's End) for a long, long
time.
The biggest night of the year is Sammy's Annual Birthday Bash, a
two-week rock fest with bands competing to open for Sammy on
October 1st. The amazing thing about Sammy's Birthday Bash is
that tickets are free and are doled out two at a time on a
first-come, first-served basis starting at 8:00 AM the day of
the show. There are dinner shows that carry a price tag, so if
you can't get out of bed early enough to get your free tickets,
you can always fork over the $40 for a dinner show ticket.
Music isn't the only draw here either. Sammy prides himself on
his on-site restaurant that serves up some of the best dishes in
Cabo. Try their lobster burritos, I have and have never been
disappointed. Other favorites include; Grilled Halibut
Cheeks-Cabo Style; Grilled Prawns with Cabo Wabo Tequila
Vinaigrette; Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Tequila and Lime; and
Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Drunken Shrimp. If you've spotted a
theme there, just know that guests aren't the only ones having
joined the party!
If you're looking for a bit of Cabo's wild side, this is a great
place to start. The best time to arrive is around 9:00 PM for
nightly shows. The place really starts to jump an hour or so
later and just keeps getting wilder and wilder. For more info on
Cabo Wabo, visit http://www.cabowabo.com on the net. For more in
depth information on Cabo, visit http://www.CabosBest.com