When
I’m asked what is my favorite concert, I usually reply seeing Santana at Dillon
Stadium back in 1973. I went with my
buddy Larry (yes, Larry and Barry) and we were absolutely blown away by the
intensity of the music. Carlos Santana
is a master guitar player who fuses Afro-Latin music, rock and jazz. He tours with a full rhythm section, horns,
and a large percussion section including a drummer and two percussionists,
which adds to the incredible sound. When
I heard that they were coming to Hartford and headlining with The Allman
Brothers Band (more on them later), well I just had to get tickets.
Concert
day arrives and it is pouring. We park in the free parking lot and trudge our
way over to the venue in the rain.
Ugh! It’s hot, humid and rainy. Our seats were in the center section. I am really looking forward to sitting in my
seat, 666, the sign of the beast so I could really enjoy “that thar devil
music,” but alas that wouldn’t be the case.
Some schmuck had pried off the seat number. It seems several schmucks had pried all the
666 seat numbers off! Oh well, we settle in and wait for the music. Footage of Woodstock starts on the video
screen and Santana opens with Soul Sacrifice.
Go to Youtube and search for the Soul Sacrifice Woodstock 1969
version. Michael Shrieve performs one of
the most amazing drum solos. He was
twenty years old at the time. Nice! I’m having a great time while being thankful
that the forty-year-old stoned hippy is not dancing in front of me. I’m air drumming to the music, but I can get
away with it because I actually play the drums.
I’m sure most of the air guitar players couldn’t tell the difference
between a G-chord and a G-string.
The
crowd is on their feet during Jingo. The
percussionist, Raoul Rekow is really
laying down a heavy groove. I spot a guy
wearing a Max Creek tee shirt.
Really? We hired that band back
in 1973 to play at a house party. Rock
on! A real treat was Santana’s wife,
Cindy Blackman, a fantastic drummer in her own right, sitting in during Corazon
Espinado. She played a drum solo that had
the crowd on their feet. There is a great
feel and style to her playing; a lot of energy with a great sense of rhythm.
An
hour into the set, two rather large women finally find their seats. Are you kidding me? How hard is it to plan your day when you know
you have a CONCERT scheduled? They are
bumping into everyone in that row.
Naturally their seats were on the other side of the row. In addition to not being able to tell time,
they had no sense of direction. Hey,
down in front! The guy next to me is
freaking out because people are standing a few rows down. He stands up to see the show and the people
in back of him start yelling. I know I’m
showing my age here, but really people, I didn’t spend 125 dollars to watch
your jiggly ass shake; I want to see the band!
Anyway,
they start to play “Oye Como Va,” another favorite of mine. Up on the video, more footage of
Woodstock. I was fifteen, when it
happened and I begged my parents to let me go.
“No freakin’ way!” was essentially the reply. I had a ride lined up and everything.
Santana
segues into “Maria, Maria,” an absolutely gorgeous song, and wouldn’t you know
it, those two ladies are at it again! As
they are trying to get back to their seats, one of them stumbles and dumps her
drink on a guy. “Gee thanks, now I’m
really going to enjoy the show sitting in in your beer!”
An
hour later, the show is over. These guys
were just as good as when I saw them thirty some odd years ago. They brought everything to the stage and
delivered an absolutely fantastic show.
I’ve
seen the Allman Brothers three times in the past. Once at Dillon Stadium, once at the Boston Garden and again at
Watkins Glen. They are a great southern,
bluesy, rock, jam band. They too have
two drummers and a percussionist. Jai Johanny
"Jaimoe" Johanson and Butch Trucks have been playing together since
the band’s inception in the late sixties.
Mark Quiñones, the percussionist has been with them since the early
nineties. I got so inspired I’m starting
hand percussion lessons!
The Bros’ take the
stage at nine-thirty and open with “One Way Out.” Truly, one of my favorite songs of all
time! The crowd starts rocking and the
place is jumping. Jaimo and Butch are
laying down a heavy double shuffle beat to Statesboro Blues. They are driving this song hard. The guitarists, Derek Trucks, (Butch’s son)
and Warren Haynes are wailing and trading jams back and forth. These guys are some of the best guitar
players I’ve ever seen! The rhythm
section is adding an amazing amount of depth and texture to the music. Otiel Burbridge is working it on the bass. Greg
Allman is singing “Done Somebody Wrong” with the same grittiness and growl he
had when he was younger, despite having a liver transplant and being married to
Cher.
Santana joins the band and they begin to
play a nice bluesy, swing beat and slowly break into “All Along the
Watchtower.” They segue into a few other
songs trading guitar licks and drum solos.
All of sudden, the group of people who were sitting in front of us, get
up to leave. I was very happy that they left.
There was a guy, girl, her mother, and some other assorted people in
this group. The guy was practically
having sex with this girl while she is sitting next to her mother. Oi Vai!
The set ends and the band leaves the
stage. The audience jumps to their feet,
hands clapping, and yelling for more.
The band is taking a long time to return. They are probably getting a blow of oxygen;
remember these guys are not getting any younger. I call “Whipping Post” for their encore and
sure enough it is. The band kills it
with some absolute genius work on the guitars.
See these guys when come around again.
I know I will.
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