Sammy Hagar’s ‘High Tide’ Car Show Hits SoCal Oct. 6
If you like classic cars and classic rock, we’ve got the fall festival for you. And it’s cooler than Coachella and louder than Lollapalooza!
One of the world’s most famous auto enthusiasts, rocker Sammy Hagar, is rolling his two favorite passions, rock and roll and fast cars, into one fantastic event. This fall at Southern California’s Huntington State Beach, Hagar will be hosting the first annual “High Tide Beach Party and Car Show,” a unique music festival and auto exhibit. High Tide will feature The Red Rocker’s headlining all-star band, The Circle, along with other classic-rock superstars. And, of course, the guy who wrote “I Can’t Drive 55” will also have plenty of fast European and American cars on display, too, including the sleek black 1982 Ferrari 512 Boxer from Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55” music video.
The Oct. 6 event is the inaugural bash of what looks to be the coolest thing to be hitting Southern California since checkered Vans, recreational pot, and the Petersen Automotive Museum. The fall festival’s “auto show” segment will include plenty of fast, high-end exotics, classics, racers, muscle cars, custom jobs, and sports and hyper cars. Famous vehicles from Hollywood blockbusters will also be competing for the spotlight. Plus, the rock superstar has put out a call inviting fellow auto enthusiasts who own enviable rides to submit a photo of their vehicle to be considered for the auto show.
In addition to bringing along his famous Ferrari, we are hoping that Hagar will have some of his other enviable rides on display, too. After all, if at one time or another your car collection included a Ford GT, Ferrari LaFerrari, 512 Berlinetta Boxer, Jaguar XKE, and an Aston Martin Vanquish S, wouldn’t you want to show them off and share the awesomeness with fans and fellow auto enthusiasts? Plus, it’s these very cars that inspired Hagar’s signature vocals.
“The way these cars sound, I try to sing that way,” the multi-platinum artist revealed to fellow auto enthusiast Jay Leno on a 2016 episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.
For those who like to crank up classic rock tunes in their cars, you’re gonna want to check out the full lineup of bands during the event. Hagar will be taking the stage and headlining the festival with The Circle, which features fellow Van Halen alum Michael Anthony on bass as well as part-time Led Zeppelin drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson. Also set to perform with The Circle are some notable guest stars, such as former Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil and iconic guitarist Joe Satriani. Enduring hit-makers R.E.O. Speedwagon, Orange Country’s hometown heroes Reel Big Fish, and Green Day drummer Tres Cool’s side project, Dead Mermaids are also on the bill.
‘The way these cars sound, I try to sing that way.’
Hagar, famous for fronting Van Halen, and Montrose before that, has a slew of solo hits, too. Among them is the certifiably badass anthem for gearheads, “I Can’t Drive 55,” which landed Hagar his biggest solo hit ever in 1984. Legend has it that the singer-songwriter was penning the song’s lyrics while an officer was writing him a speeding ticket for going 62 in a 60 mph zone. The musician was in a rented car at the time and he didn’t believe the hooptie could even make it to 62 mph and told the officer, “I can’t drive 55!” The spontaneous proclamation instantly sparked inspiration for the classic track, and Hagar finished the song when he arrived at his hotel.
“I grabbed paper and a pen, and I swear the guy was writing the ticket and I was writing the lyrics,” recalled Hagar in a 1994 interview. “I got to [my destination]. I had a guitar set-up there, and I wrote that song there on the spot.”
The singer still got the speeding ticket, but he also scored a huge hit. When it came time to film the accompanying music video for “I Can’t Drive 55,” Hagar headed to California’s Saugus Speedway and did a few laps in his personal 1982 Ferrari 512 Boxer. The 180mph Ferrari was his first brand-new car purchase, and it’s one he calls “a life-changing car.” Cizeta founder Claudio Zampolli makes a cameo in the video, playing a mechanic. But Hagar could have used a real mechanic on set, where the longtime gearhead got a bit overzealous and burned out the clutch in his Ferrari.
In the end, royalties generated from the classic track more than made up for the nearly $6,000 Hagar paid to fix the clutch, and auto enthusiasts got a signature song. And now, a killer auto show, too. Tickets range from $45-$99 and go on sale June 29 (pre-sale begins June 28). Get full details on “High Tide Beach Party and Car Show” here.
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