To commemorate
the shows special posters and shirts were created and sold. Normally I
skip the merchandise but the posters were so well done and the shirts were
colored to match our Giants so I ran the Amex and filled my bag with a
poster and shirt.
The evening was all Santana. No opening act just the man and his band. Speaking of which I noticed a shift in Carlos. It seems he has moved back into being a bandleader not just the guitar god. Many of the numbers featured other members of his band and Carlos used his skills to frame those musicians instead of keeping the spotlight on his frets. During the encores Carlos brought his son out to play keyboards on the last few numbers. Apparently the music has flowed down to the next generation of Santana.
Ushering is not hard
work. This night I was tasked with standing in front of the t-shirt
table and helping to keep the line for merchandise orderly. Hmmm.
Maybe that's why I bought stuff. Anywho my position offered a great
spot to people watch and see the show. The show was sold out and since
it was a private event it felt more like a family reunion than concert.
Old friends hugged and caught up and even the ushers got into the act
helping to snap pictures for patrons who wanted to be in the pictures.
The final highpoint of the evening had to be the stage right pit. This area became the holding pen for all the ushers once we were cut. Since the show was sold out it seemed like this was the only area available to watch the show without getting in the way. We turned it into our own private circle of love. Everyone pitched in saving spaces, running for drinks, or providing cup holder services to those who needed two hands for other activities. The ushering community is very accepting so participation in extra-curricular fun is totally optional so everyone is welcomed. I preferred to bounce and play air guitar but I did hold a beer cup or two to help out.
My best memory of the show will be the short speech Carlos made about love and music. He invoked the names of Jerry Garcia and Bob Marley and then it hit me. Carlos was not just a contemporary of these men he was also their friend. Maybe it was the 60's or maybe just maybe it was the music. Music comes from the heart and often the heart is easier to reach than the brain. Hasn't a song ever touched you and you don't know why? The melody or lyrics seem to hit and relate a truth in a new way. I wish more people could hear with their hearts. I look around the world today and think we need more Carlos, lot's more Carlos.
Peace,
Sean