Santana bares soul at White River Amphitheatre | SLIDESHOW

From the opening notes of "Galaxy Dance Intro" to the final sustained notes of Carlos Santana's guitar ringing out, last Friday's concert at the White River Amphitheatre proved less of a rock show and more of a spiritual gathering for the audience.

By Shawn Skager • August 6, 2014 7:34 pm
The legendary Carlos Santana above does what he does best on the guitar – makes it sing. Santana and his band brought their blend of rock
The legendary Carlos Santana above does what he does best on the guitar – makes it sing. Santana and his band brought their blend of rock

From the opening notes of “Galaxy Dance Intro” to the final sustained notes of Carlos Santana’s guitar ringing out, last Friday’s concert at the White River Amphitheatre proved less of a rock show and more of a spiritual gathering for the audience.

Led by shamanic lead guitarist Santana, 67, the band soared through a jam-packed setlist, including songs from all eras of the nearly 50-year old band’s catalog.

Among the highlights were performances of hits such as “Oye Coma Va”, “Evil Ways”, “Black Magic Woman” and “Smooth” and extended jams by the band, which at times featured five percussion players driving the beat.

Salvador Santana – Santana’s son whose band opened the show – joined his father for the songs “Corazon Espinado” and “Total Destruction of the Mind”.

For the encore, Santana closed with a nod to his hippie past, resurrecting the chant from his 1969 Woodstock performance followed by the tune “Soul Sacrifice” from his debut album “Santana”.