Rocker Sammy Hagar promised fans such a great show at Hemisfair Arena that it would save the structure from demolition.
“We’ll do such a legendary concert tonight, they’ll have to make a monument out of it,” the Van Halen lead singer said 30 years ago as the band took the arena stage in what would be the final concert performed at the 27-year-old building. The arena was set to be demolished that summer to make way for a convention center expansion.
Van Halen closed out Hemisfair Arena’s era of hosting loud, rockin’ concerts on March 25, 1995. That final concert was a “19-song, 1-hour-and-45-minute show” that had “all the arena-rock trimmings,” a San Antonio Express-News reviewer wrote…