Now this is a double bill worthy of the Dogg and BLT. 3 time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Steve Winwood (Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic) and the always great and fellow Hall of Famer, Santana! A sold out Pine Knob and perfect weather greeted us on this special night. after dinner and drinks in the VIP lounge, it was onto our seats with old friends, Mary & Steve.
My trusty Panasonic Lumix camera on my side and a passion for this show was all i needed for what would prove to be the best show so far this season at the Knob. Stevie Winwood came on at 7:35 to the opening Gimme Some Lovin, followed by 2 new songs that proved to be quite good. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Higher Ground, Arc of a Diver, Valerie, Many a Mile to Freedom, with the set closing I'm a Man and encore of Dear Mr. Fantasy were all played perfectly, with Stevie bouncing between organ, piano, and lead guitar. the mix was spot on and as always the musicianship above reproach. This is one of the most talented men in rock history! The crowd was mostly sitting and listening intently. This was one show, the Dogg did not mind sitting for. About 2/3 of the way through, the crowd was up and rocking. Many good memeories for that were here. I'd say the average age of the crowd was 40+.
After more drinks and a round of crowd interviews in the VIP, it was back to our choice seats for Santana.
At 9:10, Santana took the stage to Gypsy Queen, followed by Black Magic Woman, Spirits Dancing in the Flesh, Soul Sacrifice and Maria Maria. About an hour into the show, Carlos announced his pending nuptuials with his long time drummer. The crowd roared its approval! Then its onto Smooth, Love ofMy Life, Oye Coma Va, Sunshine of Your Love by Cream, and Wings of Grace. By the time the encors came around, i had stopped shooting and making notes. Suffice to say this was one hell of a show and no one left unhappy. FYI, Santana is coming out with a new album where he re-makes the 12 best guitar songs in history. From early pre-production reviews, it promises to be awesome. He'll cover the Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, The Who, and many others. We can't wait!
Weather A+
Crowd A
Sound A++
Line up A++
Atmosphere A
Staging C for Winwood and B+ for Santana
Lighting B
Set lists A+
Overall, A+ the concert of the outdoor season so far
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