Guitar legend Carlos Santana headlined at Jones Beach last night, delighting a packed crowd with a spectacular display of musicianship.
Organist and songwriter Steve Winwood served as the opening act for the warm summer evening, which saw many fans entering the amphitheater venue still in their swimwear from a perfect beach Sunday. The British musician played most of his set on the organ for which he is best known, but also switched to guitar for a handful of songs. His well-tuned backing band produced a clear, but compelling sound as they jammed through songs such as Can’t Find My Way Home, Higher Love, and the wildly-applauded Gimme Some Lovin’.
As darkness fell over the oceanfront theater, fans jammed into the 11,000 capacity venue, filling every seat in all but the most expensive sections. Carlos Santana sauntered out onto the stage amid almost a dozen musicians in his hand-picked band, and an impressive backdrop of psychedelic LED lights, strobes, and video lit up the stage.
Opening with (Da Le) Yaleo, Santana instantly reminded fans why he has been synonymous with guitar virtuosmanship for over 40 years now. His guitar lines were both piercing and beautiful, and the joy in his playing was apparent to fans from the first row to the very back.
Rappers The Product G&B joined the band on stage for the second song of the night, Maria Maria, reprising their original verses on one of the tracks that made Santana’s Supernatural album one of 2000’s standout records. Santana also invited Steve Winwood out for a slow-paced jam, demonstrating the incredible flexibility and variety in his music as they covered a Marvin Gaye song.
In fact, throughout the show, Santana’s incredible band produced stand-out musicianship beyond any contemporary rock act. No less than three drummers kept up a constant rumble of percussive beats and energy, while a two-man brass section added in explosive flourishes. Dual vocalists traded off on verses, and all the while Santana himself noodled, jammed, and shredded in his world-famous trademark style. Each musician was given a chance to shine on drum solos, bass solos, and an especially energetic rendition of Jingo, making the night’s performance about far more than simply the name on the marquee and ticket stubs.
The group hit many classic and favorite songs as well, generating tremendous cheers for Black Magic Woman, Oye Coma Va, and Evil Ways. The crowd roared with delight when Santana broke out a cover of Sunshine of Your Love, wailing away on the tune’s distinctive licks, and followed up with megahit Smooth. Watch fan video of Sunshine of Your Love below:
After a brief break, the group returned to encore with Into the Night and Love, Peace, & Happiness, a gentle floating dove projected onto the massive video screens on either side of the stage. Even as the show ended, Santana was effusive in his praise for his band, fans, and all of humanity, recalling the optimism that marked his appearance at the original Woodstock 41 years ago.
As modern day rock music and musicianship skews ever more deeply towards soulless radio templates and angry heavy metal aggression, the music, attitude, and atmosphere that Santana creates on stage stands out more than ever before. The peaceful messages and genre-defying nature of his band and music in no way diminishes the raw, biting power that blasts from the musician’s fingers and guitar frets mid-solo, and if anything, enhances the sheer joy and range of musical wonderment in his live performances. Carlos Santana truly seems to be improving with age, and fans have much to look forward to in the future.
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