Thirty-five minutes in, clearly comfortable and relaxed, Santana welcomed his fans. "Buenos Noches," he said, as trumpets swelled up around him building the intro of "Maria, Maria," another track off "Supernatural."

Later, halfway through the classic "No One to Depend On," the guitarist said something in Spanish and then announced to rousing applause, "Yeah right! We are supposed to be the minority!" That led predictably into one of his well-known, somewhat loony, inspirational/anti-establishment rants.

"There's a light in your hearts," Carlos would say, recalling his tour's moniker. "Turn on your light and turn off CNN--a bunch of lies!" Ever the professional, karmic goodness aside, Santana knew his audience was there for the tunes.

Friday night's performance was part fiesta, part jazz improvisation. Piano player Chester Thompson and trumpeter Bill Ortiz each had their moments in the spotlight. But virtuosity is a double-edged sword: awesome or annoying. By the time Dennis Chambers dribbled his unyielding double-bass drum beneath a bored expression, it was time for Santana's guitar to save the night.

A rousing cover of Bob Marley's "Get Up/Stand Up" capped two hours of music, until, finally, Carlos and his band busted out the quartet of platinum hits.

While "Smooth" was greeted with raucous applause, kids rising in unison with their moms and dads, it was the eerie opening strains of "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" that captured Santana at his best. By the time "Oye Como Va" and "Evil Ways" were offered up, most of the crowd was on its feet, dancing in the aisles, Santana's karma, culture and rock-n-roll urging them on.