Sammy Hagar offers free show at his new cantina

Sammy Hagar and his band the Wabos play a free show at his new Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood today. The first 450 people in line at 10:30 a.m. get wristbands for the grand opening show.

Hagar tells me other musicians are lining up to join him onstage, including Chad Smith and Van Halen's Michael Anthony (the three of them are in the band Chickenfoot); Vinnie Paul from Pantera; and the great Jason Bonham.

"All these people are calling, saying, 'I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming,' " Hagar says.

Hagar performs about 30 shows a year at his Cabo Wabo in Mexico. He'll probably play here now and then, as well.

"Vegas is a lot easier to get to," he says, "so I'm sure I'll be there a lot."

Hagar's Cabo will start handing out giant guitar drinks (they hold, like, 100 ounces) that also will play some Hagar hits. Hagar implies this is all very sophisticated, relatively speaking.

"Music and tequila, man -- that's better than the old days when people used to smoke dope and take acid and go to the Fillmore," he says with a laugh.

"Now we just do a few shots of tequila and go to the Cabo Wabo. It's a better experience. The next day, you feel so much better."

On Saturday, Hagar also will sing with his band Chickenfoot (with Anthony, Smith and guitar god Joe Satriani) at the Hard Rock ($40-$150). It's pure pleasure being in a band with them, he says.

"If Joe had an Eddie Van Halen personality, or a Jimmy Page personality, or like an Yngwie Malmsteen or something, it wouldn't have worked. There'd have been friction. We're a fun band.

"Joe isn't off on an ego trip saying, 'You guys can't act like that around me.' We get drunk and unruly, and Joe just sits there and laughs."

In today's Neon, Anthony talks with Review-Journal columnist Jason Bracelin.

And read my blog, where I talk about running into Sly Stallone at Cabo Wabo in Mexico, and Sammy tells me a funny Stallone bathroom story.

WEEKEND PLANNER

Metallica Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center ($55-$76) ... Robin Williams Saturday at MGM Grand Garden arena ($86-$244) ... Morrissey tonight at the Hard Rock ($60-$150) ... and in today's Neon, find out more about all the acts billed around National Finals Rodeo, from Bill Engvall to Willie Nelson with Asleep at the Wheel, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Ray Price, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker and Clay Walker.

Doug Elfman's column appears Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. E-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.