“Best show I ever saw was Jimi Hendrix live in Santa Clara Fairgrounds,” Santana recalled. “I’ve seen Jimi many times but that day he was beyond supernatural
Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana has revealed that the most unforgettable concert he ever witnessed was a performance by Jimi Hendrix at the 1969 Northern California Folk-Rock Festival — an experience made even more surreal by the fact that he was high on LSD at the time.
Speaking on the In Service Of podcast, the 77-year-old Santana recounted the psychedelic experience of watching Hendrix perform at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, California, between May 23 and May 25, 1969. Santana’s own band was also on the festival’s bill, alongside other icons like Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Chuck Berry, and Taj Mahal.
“Best show I ever saw was Jimi Hendrix live in Santa Clara Fairgrounds,” Santana recalled. “I’ve seen Jimi many times but that day he was beyond supernatural. He was beyond superlatives.”
Describing Hendrix’s playing that day as “galactic,” Santana said the legendary guitarist’s performance felt like an out-of-body journey through the cosmos. “His canvas that day, the way he painted that guitar, it was so galactic. It was unbelievable,” he added. “I’d never heard him play better – and I’d heard him play a lot of times after that day. But there was something extremely extreme that day.”
Santana admitted that the hallucinogenic drug LSD may have contributed to how vivid the memory remains. “Of course, we were all on acid, the audience you know, and he was too,” he laughed. “But he took us to this place, as far as they can take us in the universe, the galaxy, and back in one breath. You know, we were like, ‘Who is this guy?’” Growing up in San Francisco, Santana was deeply influenced by the city’s vibrant music scene. He often attended gigs at the Fillmore, which he referred to as his “alma mater.” Despite not having money for tickets, Santana said he found his way in just to soak in the sounds of the time.
“I got to see Cream, Arthur Brown … I used to say, ‘I don’t have any money for you, but I gotta learn and you gotta let me in!’” he recalled. “I was [going to] the Fillmore like a sponge: take everything from The Who, to Howlin’ Wolf, to Steve Miller, to Chuck Berry. I’m still a sponge.”
Known today by younger audiences for his late-career hit “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas, Santana emphasized that beyond the music, his ultimate mission is spiritual.
“I have been aware more than ever, that I came to this planet to remind the individuals, every single person, [that], ‘You are worthy, God loves you. God cherishes you,’” he said. “Santana’s message is, ‘Everyone is number one in God’s heart.’ God made the world round so we can all have centre stage. God made a circle so vast, that no one can stand outside. And that’s the message that Santana brings, when we play.”
Fans eager for more of Santana’s reflections can look forward to his upcoming book Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender, releasing May 27. Described as “a visual journey,” the book features rare and unseen photographs from his personal archive along with stories from his illustrious career. Earlier this year in March, Santana also released a new compilation album titled Sentient, which includes a collection of previously unreleased tracks.
