What to Know
- The tour comes to the Hollywood Bowl June 24
- Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Jan. 25 at LiveNation.com
- The Supernatural Now tour begins on June 22 at the Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana announced Wednesday that he will hit the road with his band across North America this summer for the Supernatural Now tour.
The three-month, 29-date celebration that will commemorate two of the most important milestones in the iconic guitarist's career: the 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking, multiple Grammy-winning album Supernatural and the 50th anniversary of his momentous performance at Woodstock.
Produced by Live Nation, the Supernatural Now tour begins on June 22 at the Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona, and will make stops in Dallas, Chicago, Toronto, Southern California and more before it concludes on Aug. 25 at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. The tour will include stop in Chula Vista at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre on June 23 and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles the following day.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Jan. 25 at LiveNation.com.
The critically acclaimed rock band The Doobie Brothers, who have sold more than 48 million albums and won four Grammy Awards, will appear on all of Santana's concert dates.
Reflecting on the significance of both anniversaries occurring in the same year, Santana says, "Both were monumental moments in my life. Woodstock and Supernatural took me to places I never dreamed were possible. I embraced those incredible moments in my life with all my heart. Both were supreme lessons in maintaining focus, heart and integrity in every step every day and to strive to better oneself with a high standard on and off the stage. I cannot think of these two moments without thinking about Mr. Bill Graham and Mr. Clive Davis. They are two of many angels in my life that helped shape my career."
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The 1999 album Supernatural was an unparalleled success and a watershed event in Santana's career. Containing the back-to-back No. 1 singles "Smooth" and "Maria Maria," the album sold over 30 million copies worldwide, topped the charts in over a dozen countries and swept the 2000 Grammy Awards, winning a record-tying nine Grammys including Album of the Year, as well as three Latin Grammys including Record of the Year.
"With Supernatural, I felt I had a masterpiece of joy in my heart," says Santana. "While we were creating the album, I knew we were touching upon something inspiring and that we were creating music that was timeless, like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On or Bob Marley's Exodus. But no one was prepared for the Supernatural spiritual virus that moved across the world. The album touched little kids and grandparents and all points in between. I am very grateful to Clive Davis for helping me craft this seminal album that is still as relevant and infectious as the day it was released."
Thirty years before Supernatural, Santana mesmerized the then record-breaking audience at Woodstock -- the band's performance of "Soul Sacrifice" is regarded as one of the high points of the classic concert documentary.
"I'll never forget the way the music sounded, bouncing up against a field of bodies," says Santana. "It's well documented that I was tripping during our performance. At one point the guitar turned into an electric snake, twisting and turning. I kept willing the snake not to move and praying that it stayed in tune. By the time we played 'Soul Sacrifice,' I was able to breathe and focus, and the band crystalized as one. The magic of Woodstock would not have been possible without Bill Graham. No one had heard of us yet, but he made sure we were on the bill. He is always in my heart."
While Santana will highlight songs from both his Supernatural and Woodstock eras on the Supernatural Now tour, the guitarist says that the setlist won't be a dedicated nostalgia trip. The band, which also features Santana's wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, on drums, will perform new tracks from Santana's soon-to-be released EP, In Search of Mona Lisa, due out Jan. 25, as well as a much-anticipated, upcoming full-length produced by maverick hitmaker Rick Rubin. Carlos Santana recently signed with Concord Records, which will release both discs.