Black Magic Woman

I was as excited as a child at Christmas as I took my seat in row HH last night at the Merriweather Post Pavilion amphitheater in Columbia, Maryland, for the last stop on a too-brief summer tour of an unusual (but wildly popular) pairing of The Allman Brothers Band and Santana as co-headliners. The weather was ideal for an outdoor concert – low 80s with a nice breeze. The gathering throngs were jubilant as people found their seats for the 6:30 p.m. start time.

The Allman Brothers Band at Merriweather Post Pavilion

In a nod to the bands I adored in the 1970s, I rocked my favorite pair of vintage button-fly Levi’s straight-leg jeans, which I found in a box of clothes from that era that I had stashed away as I moved from place to place across the country in the ensuing years. Having unearthed the collection of retro threads after losing 70 pounds last year, I was amazed to find this stunning pair of red Levi’s was still in perfect condition, and was equally amazed when they still fit me so well. For last night’s concert, I added a red floral ribbed knit camisole, a studded skinny belt from Kohl’s and BCBGeneration platform sandals adorned with red and gold beads from Macy’s. I accessorized my outfit with a corded choker necklace of red and black beads from Fire & Ice Jewelers of Baltimore (http://www.fireandice.com/), some red beaded earrings I’ve had since the 1970s, a stretchy arm band of red and black stones from Claire’s, and a black and gold Dea Dread for my hair that was made for me by Thea Osato of Baltimore (http://deadreads.etsy.com/). I tucked some small binoculars and a bottle of water into my purse and I was ready to rock.

Jenny and me

The venue was packed. Gigantic overhead fans kept the air moving nicely. I ran into some dear friends, Nick and Jenny, who insisted I move down to their row "K" near the stage. I happily complied. As overhead monitors depicted scenes from early Allman Brothers’ concerts, the crowd rocked to memorable hits and spectacular guitar-playing.  I was reminded why the Allman brothers have remained so popular through the years.

Santana at Merriweather Post Pavilion

When Carlos Santana took the stage at 9:00 p.m., the crowd went wild. Carlos did not disappoint. During his two-hour set, he brought Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes from the Allman Brothers back onto the stage for an amazing collaboration of Funkadelic cover Maggot Brain and other tunes. Santana’s standards, like Maria Maria, Oye Como Va, and Evil Ways conjured wonderful memories and brought the audience to their feet, but his newer works were absolutely mesmerizing. I could have listened to that man play guitar all night long.

But, alas, it was a weeknight. The concert ended at 11:00 p.m. I grabbed a quick bite to eat with Nick and Jenny and got myself home and quickly into bed, the melodies of Toussant L’Overture floating through my head as I drifted off to sleep.

Cheers,

Lynell