April 2009
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With his overt spirituality and cosmic patois, Carlos Santana doesn't seem like a Vegas kind of guy. But he'll soon get a shot at injecting soul into Sin City's neon-lit heart.

Echoing successful runs by Celine Dion and Elton John, Santana is the first rock act to try a Las Vegas residency on for size.

Beginning May 27, he'll perform 36 shows at The Joint, the expanded 4,200-seat venue that's part of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's $750 million renovation.

Tickets for Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits ($79-$299) are on sale today at Ticketmaster and Hard Rock. Santana performs at 9 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights, three weeks on and three weeks off. Additional dates will be set for 2010.

"This represents a twist in my thinking," says Santana, 61, pointing out that he long considered such gigs the musical equivalent of a hamster wheel. "I'm going through a transformation."

That's music to the ears of John Meglen, co-CEO of AEG Live/Concerts West. "No one's really making money from recordings these days, but demand for concert tickets is high," he says, adding that Santana was at the top of a very short list of contenders. "The musician can play without the rigors of moving around. And fans can see their favorite artist in an intimate environment."

Meglen says The Joint exudes a '60s club vibe and its shows won't attempt to replicate arena-sized extravaganzas. He hopes to sign two more acts by 2011. Possibilities range from Linkin Park to his "dream" Vegas act, David Bowie.

Besides attracting the usual boomers, classic acts such as Santana can bank on finding new fans among the younger set who consider Vegas their playground, says Phil Shalala, Hard Rock's director of marketing. "It's a chance to connect with a young, hip and cool image," he says.

But the 10-time Grammy winner doesn't seem too concerned with impressing people. "This is really a divine opportunity to help young people develop strong perceptions of themselves," he says. "There's no higher satisfaction than that."

these types of deals are a great idea.After awhile,many longtime artists probably get sick of traveling from one city to the next,for months at a time.

mm love to see him in vegas but hey , i live over here in europe. too bad.
vegas is no longer a has been paradise

according to michael jackson terms, that's a "tour"

"Echoing successful runs by Celine Dion and Elton John, Santana is the first rock act to try a Las Vegas residency on for size. "

WTF, I guess they're forgetting Prince's six-month residency?

This is very cool and I like that Santana is doing it. Wonder if he'll get all the grief about 'selling out' and being 'washed up' and having to resort to Vegas like Prince did.

I've seen Santana in concert so many times.Maybe I'll catch one of these Vegas shows.