Watch Kenny Aronoff Save the Day at Sammy Hagar’s Cincinnati Concert

Kenny Aronoff played a crucial role at Sammy Hagar’s Best of All Worlds show in Cincinnati on Tuesday night. Aronoff stepped in on drums for Jason Bonham, who had to leave the tour due to an unspecified family issue.

“Tonight I’m going to dedicate this to the Bonham family in England. I hope everything works out OK over there, and to our brother Jason,” Hagar said during the introduction to “Eagles Fly.” The band played a full 21-song set with Aronoff, starting with 5150‘s “Good Enough.”

At the end of the show-closing cover of Van Halen’s “When It’s Love,” Hagar gave special recognition to “the man who saved the day, Kenny freaking Aronoff.” The lineup of Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and Aronoff resembled a Chickenfoot reunion, as Aronoff had replaced Chad Smith in that band’s touring lineup from 2011 to 2012. Hagar’s current band also includes keyboardist Ray Thistlethwayte.

Aronoff had initially replaced Smith in Chickenfoot because of Smith’s commitments with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith later rejoined and participated in their final tour to date in 2016.

“The cool thing about this band is that the level of musicianship is so high,” Aronoff mentioned during the first Chickenfoot tour. This tour occurred right after he had worked with John Fogerty and Brandi Carlile and was preparing to play on the soundtrack for the 2013 Jimi Hendrix movie All Is By My Side.

“Everybody’s been in so many bands that we’re starting at such a high experienced level. There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t have to discuss. It’s like if you took a bunch of NFL players and put them together, they’re already starting with a lot of experience. So, it’s just a matter of making it gel… it gels so well, personality-wise and musically,” Aronoff added.

Aronoff also noted that Chad Smith personally chose him to be his replacement. “He kept telling them, ‘This is the guy you should get to replace me while I’m out with the Chili Peppers.’ And it’s worked – he’s right. It was just the right combination of people,” Aronoff said.

The U.S. leg of Hagar’s Best of All Worlds tour continues tonight in Nashville and is scheduled to conclude in St. Louis on Saturday. There has been no official announcement regarding Bonham’s return to the tour.

Watch Sammy Hagar Dedicate “Eagles Fly” To Jason Bonham and His Family

Watch Sammy Hagar Thank Kenny Aronoff, “The Man Who Saved the Day”

Watch Kenny Aronoff Perform with Sammy Hagar