Santana

Don't worry, the original hippie didn't sell out.

It was likened to Elton John's "The Red Piano" and billed as "A Trip Through the Hits." But "Supernatural Santana," Carlos Santana's new showcase at the Hard Rock Hotel, isn't any huge departure from what he's been doing in recent years. At this point in his career, why would you want it to be?

And one thing's for sure: You don't see any of the Caesars Palace divas calling for the legalization of marijuana -- with the revenue earmarked for schools, of course.

Oh, sure, the 100-minute set might be a little shorter than longtime followers are used to. But only the most hard-core fan will complain they didn't get enough cowbell -- or congas or timbales -- from the 10-piece band to rattle their heads the rest of the night.

And the promoter's marching orders guarantee that yes, you will get both "No One to Depend On" and "Evil Ways" in the same set, where the 61-year-old guitarist might ration out one or the other on the road.

But it's far from a wall-to-wall hit parade, at least as defined by songs heard on U.S. radio. Lack of a female singer (which would be a fine idea) likely explains the absence of "The Game of Love." Santana's early-'80s comeback singles ("Winning" and "Hold On") also are ignored.

But Santana is an "album artist," as they called them back in the day when FM stood for something different than AM radio.

As the title implies, a good part of the set is devoted to his biggest-selling album, "Supernatural," which celebrates its 10-year anniversary in June. And several Spanish-language tracks -- "Africa Bamba," "Corazon Espinado" -- suggest the secret to selling tickets for this thing might be Santana's international appeal and the year-round presence of Hispanic visitors.

The 14-song set list might not be carved in stone, since most of the video on the overhead rear screen -- big on people dancing all over the world -- could be mixed and matched with any song. The major exception was the beginning; Santana said in a recent interview he wanted to rehearse a special opener for Las Vegas.

A video montage, featuring Nelson Mandela and President Obama, sets up the show-opening "Soul Sacrifice," with footage of Santana's milestone Woodstock appearance synced up to the current band onstage.

Nostalgia quickly gives way to the modern age of duets, with band singers Andy Vargas and Tony Lindsay serving as solid if not distinctive replacements for Chad Kroeger on "Into the Night" and The Product G&B on "Maria Maria."

Veteran drummer Dennis Chambers and keyboardist Chester Thompson anchor the percussion-heavy ensemble, which can get repetitive with Afro-Cuban jams and near-identical guitar solos. The tempos at least slow down for the guitarist to wring liquid soul from the instrumentals "Samba Pa Ti" and "Curacion (Sunlight on Water)."

During most of the extended jams, Santana prowls the stage from player to player, stepping out of the spotlight altogether during the vocal numbers. But when he speaks? That's as entertaining as any song.

He talked twice Thursday, first addressing the climate of fear in America: "It's like Halloween without the candy." The second break included the proposal to legalize marijuana and "give more of that money to the teachers," hoping the idea gets back to the president.

The homestretch of classics spun "Black Magic Woman" into "Oye Como Va" and a double-length "Smooth," which so seemed to be the final word that it took awhile to rebuild momentum for an encore of "Corazon Espinada" and "Jingo."

Even though many of Santana's fans are his age, removing the reserved rows of folding chairs between the sound console and the stage would jump-start the party and eliminate the need for the singers to coax the crowd to its feet. If this whole Santana residency tells us anything, it's that you're only as old as you feel.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.