Sammy Hagar & The Circle — featuring Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham — are teaming up with Whitesnake and Night Ranger for a 30-date North American tour this summer. The primarily outdoor shed trek begins on July 9th in West Palm Beach, Florida at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, with the tour wrapping on September 20th when the bands hit Chula Vista, California's North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Sammy Hagar said in a statement announcing the tour: “I love some friendly competition on stage and that’s exactly what this is going to be. David Coverdale and I have nothing but the highest respect for one another, but we would also like to blow the other guy off the stage! Add in Night Ranger and the fans will have one hell of a night of music.”
Sammy Hagar admitted to us that although he fell in love with singing at an early age — he's pretty much the definition of a reluctant performer: “I just liked it. It felt good and it felt natural. It's still not comfortable to me — I'm not a comfortable singer/entertainer; even though I'm more of an entertainer, y'know, when I get on stage, I turn into an entertainer. But it's very uncomfortable for me. And I'm always runnin' around backstage, a nervous wreck until I get out there. But, other than that — I like it.”
We asked David Coverdale what it takes for him to hit the stage today and deliver the goods: “Passion. It's not wanting to let people down. I've been doing this — Oh, my God — if you involve the (Deep) Purple stuff, we're coming up to five decades. And I've always felt an immense debt to the people who support our music — and not disappoint them. 'Cause if I disappoint them — I can't do what I do.”
JUST ANNOUNCED: Sammy Hagar & the Circle / Whitesnake / Night Ranger tour dates (subject to change):
July 9 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 11 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
July 14 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 15 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
July 18 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
July 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
July 22 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
July 23 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
July 25 – Niagara Falls, NY – Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
July 26 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
August 7 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
August 8 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
August 11 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 12 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
August 14 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
August 15 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
August 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 19 – Burgettstown, PA – S&T Bank Music Park
August 21 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 22 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
September 2 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
September 3 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 6 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
September 8 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
September 10 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
September 13 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 15 – Ridgefield, WA – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
September 16 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
September 18 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
September 20 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sammy Hagar & The Circle are set to play on February 7th in San Antonio, Texas at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
Whitesnake kicks off its next set of shows on February 19th in Melbourne, Australia.
Night Ranger plays on January 31st in San Francisco at The Fillmore.