It was May 2023 when my dad took me as a plus-one to Santana’s electrifying performance in the Woodlands, accompanied by the blues rock group Arc Angels. Although I was well-versed in classic rock concerts, I left the Pavilion with a unique feeling brought on by the show (and no, I’m not describing second-hand smoke). I’ve typically grown wary of musicians discussing the spiritual aspect of life and delivering unity lectures to a crowd of paying attendees, but I genuinely felt a change in direction after listening to Santana’s music. Grappling with newfound independence over a year later, I once again yearned for the “musical medicine” that Santana and Counting Crows ultimately brought on August 17th.
The performance by Counting Crows, outside of the inescapable “Mr. Jones,” was not as initially captivating as one might expect. I actually get them confused with the Black Crowes, particularly due to my dad’s fascination with the latter (it also didn’t help that my dad looked exactly like guitarist David Immergluck throughout the show, as my girlfriend will attest to). Yet almost immediately, strong and unique vocals from lead singer Adam Duritz swayed my attention solely to the band, who played “Mr. Jones” three songs into the set. This played well to both the ears and the cheers, but more captivating was Duritz’s rendition of “Omaha,” accompanied by Charlie Gillingham’s masterful accordion. However, I’d be hard-pressed to call him an accordionist because the band is full of talented multi-instrumentalists, with Gillingham moving to keyboard duty for the transition to another introspective favorite of mine, “High Life.” This track, along with “Black and Blue,” exhibited the most emotion from Duritz and, therefore, the most powerful impact. One thing I was not expecting was the cover of Taylor Swift’s “the 1.” Duritz’s upbeat reinvention ignited the otherwise non-Swiftie crowd to listen in a new way. The band seized on the energy to riff through “A Long December” and “Hanginaround,” leaving me with piqued curiosity and certainly an updated playlist.
I expected the same Santana formula, and I received it. That didn’t stop me, along with my girlfriend, from being amazed at the confidence and calmness each band member exuded. Santana, whom I have previously noted for his “drip,” rocked an all-orange outfit that made me envious. Aside from the fashion show, he front-loaded his most recognizable hits of the Woodstock era, including “Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman,” and “Oye Como Va.” Particularly impressive was the back-and-forth shared between bassist Benny Rietveld and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana (Carlos Santana’s wife) during “Everybody’s Everything.” Combined with the ever-present bongos and maracas, this was the point at which I started to feel at one with the music. Through no coincidence at all, this was the tour’s theme – and precisely when Carlos got off his stool to discuss what this means. If you happened to miss his words, the energy on “Europa” conveyed them in guitar form.
Another highlight was hearing Santana’s cover of “She’s Not There,” originally sung by The Zombies. This version left the British influence behind in exchange for a more chaotic yet joyful version. Following the song were “Hope You’re Feeling Better” and four songs from the 1999 album Supernatural, including the cultural mega-hit “Maria Maria.” Carlos really shined here, standing up and showing out for the whole performance. After they fake left, the band came back for a portion of “Are You Ready,” which felt incomplete without the drums and the Isley Brothers. Fortunately, Cindy’s scheduled drum solo followed by the rendition of “Smooth” fully made up for this, ensuring the audience left on a good note. I certainly enjoyed the show, but it was my girlfriend who experienced a musical perspective shift due to the performance of both groups. Now, the question is: when will Santana return?
About Author
