The cloud over Sammy Hagar and the RNC

A cloud hung over Sammy Hagar’s concert at First Avenue last night for the RNC’s Southern Delegation, though not for lack of wishful partying onstage or off. The cloud’s name was Gustav, headed straight for New Orleans, three years to-the-Monday after Katrina, and while the bleached Californian seemed blissfully at ease being the longest-haired guy in the room (and one of the few with no collar or blazer), he wasn’t quite up to the task of poignancy. If there was intended double meaning behind the line “She’s louder than a hurricane” from the new song “Loud,” Hagar didn’t let on. “I’m really sorry what happened in the hurricane and all that,” he said after his signature “Mas Tequila.” “But we’re Americans, we know how to handle ourselves.”

Outside the mood was glum. “I’m hoping to raise the consciousness of everyone here about what is going on in New Orleans right now,” said Mike O’Bannon, D.C. lobbyist for Entergy, taking a seat in a parked car next to his driver with a glass of liquid in his hand. Across the street, young fans of American Idol were screaming for their favorite stars outside the Target Center. “I’m hoping the Republican and the Democratic Party together do the right thing for these people that are hurting.”

Inside, a local volunteer for the RNC-invited Friends of New Orleans was more blunt. “[Katrina] was under George Bush’s watch, and he dropped the ball,” said Marni Hockenberg. “There’s enough blame to go around, but I don’t think that the Republicans have done enough work to restore New Orleans. If they feel a little guilty, they should.”

Hagar rocked this crowd about as well as anyone could, earning his laughs and cheers when introducing bass player/backup singer Mona Gnader. “I remember saying, ‘I can’t have a girl in the band, that’s like having a girl for vice president or something,’” he said. “Oddly enough we call her the First Lady.”

The Red Rocker then signed off after a mellow “Dreams”: “I’ll see you in Cabo! I’ll see you in San Francisco! I’ll see you in office!” As the remaining crowd began to dance, a visibly drunk and frustrated young reporter from the London Guardian recognized me and pulled me aside. “Republican are cunts, man,” he said. “End of story.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story. Because before anyone could auction off the shiny guitar signed by Hagar to raise money for Katrina-related charity, Louisiana musician Tab Benoit took the stage to address the chattering RNC crowd. “We destroyed the coast of Louisiana,” he said. “And that’s why we can’t handle these storms. We had major storms before, and we were protected by thousands of miles of wetlands. We’ve lost over the size of Delaware on our coast.”

“This is your fault,” said one suit-jacketed Republican to another on the floor, apparently meaning the destroyed wetlands, though now I wonder if he was talking about Benoit being onstage and going off script. Benoit received polite applause either way.

The Republican, who wouldn’t give his name, seemed genuinely upset by more than just the looming political storm. “I have family in Mississippi,” he said. As for the rest of the week’s festivities, “It’s over. Everyone’s gone home. Which is okay. We’re just going to have to run on our message, and win on our message.”