Santana Shines at Mohegan Sun

Photos and Review by Ilya Mirman
Show photos HERE
With his signature fusion of rock, blues and Latin influences, Santa put on an amazing show at Mohegan Sun.  Opening with Soul Sacrifice, a jam that builds to a crescendo, Carlos was at ease –  smiling, walking from bandmate to bandmate, stopping to jam with and exchange smiles with each – the bassist, the two keyboardists, and the three (yes, three!) drummers.
With a huge catalog replete with tons of hits, there is a lot to choose from, and for us to look forward to.  Along with deep cuts, Santana played the staples, including Evil Ways, Black Magic Woman, Maria Maria, Oye Como Va, and of course Smooth.
By the 4th song (Batuka), a fellow band member from the early 70’s – Journey’s Neil Schon – joined for an extended jam, playing for easily half of Santana’s show.  Having the two guitar greats on stage was an awesome treat – and the history they shared together made the joint performance that much more special.  After all, it was Carlos that gave Neil a big start back in 1969, and Carlos was clearly grateful to Neil to make the current joint Santana/Journey tour possible.  Both Schon and Santana were in top form, and traded solos throughout the night.
The audience was like a big family reunion, and responded warmly – we were all clearly psyched to be seeing the guitar superstars in all their glory.  And even though this was a double-bill with Journey, Santana played a tremendous set of 17 songs, including an encore.
If you haven’t caught Santana recently (and hell – even if you have!), go see him.  The guitar playing is blistering and soulful, the band is a terrific complement to Carlos, and the vibe is super.
Set List

  1. Soul Sacrifice
  2. Jin-go-lo-ba (Babatunde Olatunji cover)
  3. Evil Ways (Willie Bobo cover)
  4. Batuka
  5. No One to Depend On
  6. Taboo
  7. Shake It
  8. Caminando
  9. Anywhere You Want to Go
  10. New York City
  11. Fillmore East
  12. Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
  13. Oye como va (Tito Puente cover)
  14. Maria Maria
  15. Corazón espinado
  16. Smooth

Encore:

  1. Toussaint L’Ouverture

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