Sammy Hagar has always lived life loud, but his latest inspiration came in the quietest way possible: a dream. Two months before he began writing what would become his newest song, the former Van Halen frontman says he dreamed of Eddie Van Halen himself.
“He had a guitar around his neck,” Hagar recalled. “He said, ‘Man, let’s write some music!’ And I thought, wow, what a gift.”
That dream gave birth to “Encore, Thank You. Goodnight.”, a track released on April 25, 2025, that serves as a heartfelt nod to his late bandmate. Joining Hagar on the song are longtime allies Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Kenny Aronoff, creating the same thunderous chemistry that fueled their Best of All Worlds project.
Despite the emotional weight of the song’s title, Hagar was quick to stress that it isn’t a retirement statement. “I’d never say I’m retiring,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to say that, because I don’t know how to do that … But I took [a] residency … that’s what I’m doing now.”
That residency is Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds in Las Vegas, running from April 30 through May 17, 2025. The lineup is stacked: Michael Anthony on bass, Joe Satriani on guitar, Kenny Aronoff on drums, and Rai Thistlethwayte on keys and guitar. Together, they power through a career-spanning setlist — Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot, and solo classics — all under one roof.
And fans won’t just get to see it live. Hagar is releasing a document of the residency: a new live album, Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds Band – The Residency, due out on October 10, 2025. The album features 19 tracks recorded in Vegas, with an advance live cut of “Summer Nights” already streaming.
Even with the new song, the residency, and the upcoming live album, Hagar insists this isn’t about slowing down — it’s about finding a new rhythm. “I don’t want to keep grinding it out on the road like I used to,” he explained. “This way, I can give the fans everything I’ve got, every single night.”
For a man who once sang about “I Can’t Drive 55,” Sammy Hagar is still finding ways to keep the pedal pressed firmly to the floor — just on his own terms.
