Santana and The Doobie Brothers at SPAC on July 1 2026
It was one hot, steamy night on Wednesday night July 1, 2026 at the Albany Med Health System stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. Although the heat index was up in the 90s, what was even hotter was the two bands performing that evening: Santana and The Doobie Brothers. The extreme temperatures didn’t deter fans from filling the venue to capacity or quench the joyous vibe in the humid air. I had never experienced Santana live before, but have seen the Doobie Brothers three times, and I was anticipating being somewhat underwhelmed by them, but both bands exceeded my expectations.
The Doobie Brothers came out of the gate with a bang, with an energy that did not let up throughout their hour-and-a-half set, as they put on a tight, well-rehearsed show, with spot on harmonies and expert musicianship. It was a pleasure to see and hear the regal Michael McDonald, who can still sing with that wonderfully soulful voice of his. Founding members Pat Simmons (with his ever-present pleasant, congenial disposition) and Tom Johnston (the rugged mustached rocker) sounded great vocally and both played some dynamic guitar solos during the night. I was equally impressed with multi-instrumentalist John McFee, who has been with the band since 1979. He not only had some tasty, edgy, and lively guitar solos, but also played harmonica (on “Long Train Runnin’”) and violin (on “Black Water”). The band was rounded out by stalwart bassist John Cowan (1993 to 1995, and since 2010), saxophonist Marc Russo (since 1998), drummer Ed Toth (since 2005), and percussionist Marc Quiñones (since 2018).
The background projection screens that displayed old archival Doobies footage, film clips, AI landscapes, and various animated images that connected with each of the song’s lyrics were meant to enhance the performance, but they were not needed, since the band’s spirited performance and vibe (as well as Tom Johnston’s infectious, pumped up “rock and roll joy juice” bravado) was enough to get the crowd singing along and dancing to their renown catalogue of hit songs. Maybe due to the extreme temperature, the band segued from one song into the next, keeping the performance pace moving, and the audience sang along with the familiar refrains to “Jesus is Just Alright” (“Do do do doot doot doot doot do…”), “Long Train Runnin’ (“Without love…”), “Black Water” (“Hear some funky Dixieland..”), and “Listen to the Music” (“Whoa whoa…”). The band extended some songs (“Long Train Runnin’” turned into a lengthy percussion/drum/sax jam) and revamped others (“It Keeps You Runnin’” had a chugging descending bassline, a bluesy feel, and sax solo ending). During the last segment of the set, Pat Simmons came out with his acoustic guitar and ubiquitous smile to introduce the band, then started “Black Water,” and the jubilation from the crowd was palpable. It was certainly a special moment to hear everyone singing along and cheering on cue when Pat improvised, “New York moon, won’t you keep on shining on me.” Michael McDonald and Marc Russo performed a short instrumental of Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” – which morphed into “Amazing Grace” – before the band’s final crowd-pleasing encores, two of their biggest hits: “Takin’ It To The Streets” (where they were joined by Santana vocalists Andy Vargas and Ray Greene) and “Listen To The Music.” For more than 50 years, The Doobie Brothers proved that they still have the same fire, flare, and energy as they did in their youthful heyday of the seventies, as well as a full catalog of roots-based, harmony-laden, guitar-driven songs that can and will continue to win over any audience.
More information: https://thedoobiebrothers.com/
After a half-hour set change, the sound of a gong and tympani drums led into Sabu Martinez’s “Aurora Borealis” with tribal images on the screens and colorful lighting and set a spiritual mood while Carlos Santana’s band entered the stage and took their places, with the percussion, drums, and bass forming a solid (and full) backline. For his latest “Oneness Tour,” the guitar legend is joined by a seasoned lineup of veteran musicians: his wife Cindy Blackman (drums), Benny Rietveld (bass), Karl Perazzo (percussion, vocals), Andy Vargas (vocals), Tommy Anthony (guitar, vocals), David K. Mathews (keyboards), Paoli Mejias (percussion), and Ray Greene (percussion and trombone).
Following scenes from their seminal electrifying Woodstock performance, the first movement was a sting of classic Santana greatest hits from the late 60s/early 70s segued one into the next non-stop: “Soul Sacrifice,” “Jingo,” “Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” “Oye Como Va,” and “Everybody’s Everything,” bringing some patrons back to a time when Santana first exploded onto the music scene nearly sixty years ago. During some of these songs, they played snippets of familiar tunes – Vargas and Greene throwing in “You go back, Jack, do it again,” lyrics to Steely Dan’s “Do It Again” during “Evil Ways,” and Santana himself playing a bit of an homage to Jimi Hendrix by playing a bit of his psychedelic instrumental “Third Stone from the Sun” at the end of “Gypsy Queen,” and later in the night, threw in the riff to “Train Kept a-Rollin” (the Tiny Bradshaw tune popularized by The Yardbirds and Aerosmith) at the end of “Hope You’re Feeling Better.”
Many songs morphed into dynamic jams, which highlighted just how extraordinarily skilled and well-rehearsed these talented musicians are. Drummer Cindy Blackman was mind-blowing to watch. At 66, she has the dexterity and vitality of a musician half her age, keeping the band moving with her tight, rhythmic playing on some complex tempos and transitions. During “Everybody’s Everything,” Blackman and bass player Benny Rietveld were left on stage for a rhythm section duet, which included Rietveld playing the melody to John Lennon’s “Imagine” on bass and ending their jam with the recognizable chords from Black Sabbath’s “Ironman” to a great round of spontaneous applause from the rapt audience.
Santana has dealt with a few acute health emergencies over the past several years, related to severe dehydration, heat exhaustion, and occasional back issues, which most likely contributed to him having to sit down during much of the show, although that did not impede on his dexterous, soulful, and fiery guitar playing. The high temperatures were somewhat quelled by a brief thunder shower for those out of the lawn, but the humidity remained while the band continued to bring the heat. The weather seemed to add some apropos atmosphere to Santana’s vibrant, colorful fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and sultry Afro-Cuban/Latin American rhythms and percussive grooves. One memorable moment was when guitarist Tommy Anthony stepped up to sing the acoustic “Put Your Lights On,” and the crowd illuminated the revue and lawn with their cellphone flashlights.
When the band left the stage, “Sweet Dreams” by Cheb Basle played on the PA while the crowd cheered for more. Santana came back and gave a brief yet poignant speech, telling the crowd, “You are in charge of your mind. There is despair, fear, and too much negativity on our planet. We encourage you to have joy and embrace gratitude. If you don’t have gratitude, you have entitlement. When you greet the universe with gratitude, the universe will give you an avalanche of abundance. You are all precious, priceless, significant, and meaningful, and you can make a positive difference in the world” before the final encores: a Savor/Toussaint L’Ouverture (with its rapid-fire percussion, intricate organ work, and chanted Spanish lyrical lines (“Vamos morena, a bailar mi montuno”), another impressive drum solo from Blackman, band introductions, and finally concluding with the megahit “Smooth,” which the crowd seemed to be waiting for. As the 78-year-old Santana nears his eighth decade of life and his nearly 60 years of performing, his songs still bring the joy and have the ability to move people. Santana and his incredible band put on an unforgettable high-energy concert that made everyone present forget about the high heat and circling thunderstorms and have a gracious and gratifying music and spiritual experience.
More information: https://santana.com/
SANTANA SETLIST:
Soul Sacrifice
Jingo
Evil Ways
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
Oye Como Va
Everybody’s Everything
Incident At Neshabur (instrumental)
She’s Not There (Zombies cover)
Hope You’re Feeling Better
(Da Le) Yaleo
Put Your Lights On
Corazon Espinado
Maria Maria
Foo Foo
ENCORES:
Savor/Toussaint L’Ouverture
Drum solo
Band intros
Smooth
DOOBIE BROTHER SETLIST:
Rockin’ Down the Highway
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
Dependin’ on You
I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) [Michael McDonald song]
Walk This Road
It Keeps You Runnin’
Minute by Minute
Without You
Jesus Is Just Alright
What a Fool Believes
Long Train Runnin’
China Grove
Band intros
Black Water
Still Crazy After All These Years [Paul Simon]/Amazing Grace instrumental by Michael McDonald & Marc Russo
Takin’ It to the Streets [with Andy Vargas & Ray Greene on vocals]
Listen to the Music