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.
.Dolores Peralta is co-owner of CabosBest.com, a travel website dedicated to Los Cabos. She brings her extensive knowledge and experiences in Cabo to the net at http://www.CabosBest.com.
By: Dolores Peralta
