Vic Johnson auditioned for Sammy's band in 1997 after Sammy heard about him through a mutual friend of Jesse Harms. Vic and Sammy met and the vibe was so good the search for Sammy Hagar's guitarist ended right there.

Mona and David had played a few sessions together during the '90s, initially meeting during a recording session for cult favorite Wayne Perkins. That work can be heard on Wayne's record Mendo Hotel. Mona and David immediately hit it off, in that rhythm section sort of way that only bass players and drummers can understand. They subsequently played other gigs together, and recorded together in other sessions, often one referring the other when a bass player or drummer was needed.

When Sammy let David know he was looking for a new guitar player and bass player, David of course immediately thought of his ass kicking partner in crime Mona. Mona got the call, rode down to the audition, and the rest of the Waboritas was formed.