Santana at the Fillmore, introduced as a new Bay band. late '68.

[panader0]

I was there when Bill Graham came out to introduce the band.
The smoke was thick. The Family Dog was providing the "light show",
which consisted of pouring paint on a few overhead projectors and
smearing it by hand.
Three large Hispanic guys sat up front with congas. The next guys were
Carlos Santana and bass player and keyboards. Then the trap set in the back.
When they broke into their music, everyone there was mesmerized.
No one had heard this kind of stuff before.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. I adore Santa and all the band members.

Until youtube starts policing their site for comments threatening violence, I must suffer a cone of silence by sharing some great music not in my library. I am playing Santana as I write.

[whathehell]

2. Do you believe it was...Fifty years ago?

This shit is getting scary.

[Hotler]

3. I think that show is on Youtube, have a look.

I listened to Abraxas on vinyl the other day, turned it up and put some power through the speakers. I forgot how good the band was in that era. Santana is kind of like Maynard Ferguson, always puts together a great band.

[CanSocDem]

4. A taste...

[LuckyLib]

5. Amazing. Simply amazing.

[PufPuf23]

6. Santana headlined at Fillmore West before they had an album and

was managed by Bill Graham.

First time I saw Santana was December 1969 headlining Winterland. Grand Funk Railroad was 2nd billed. The upper level was closed and the stage was on the north wall (rather than the west wall, most and all later Winterland shows had the stage on the left). The epic initial Santana album came out earlier in 1969.

[red dog 1]

7. In 1969, Bill Graham was asked to help set up Woodstock; and he agreed, but with one condition:

that a new band called Santana would be one of the acts.
Santana's drummer, Michael Shrieve, at 19, was the youngest performer at Woodstock.

[I don't think Santana was ever the same after Michael Shrieve left the band]