Today, we're looking back at Santana's performance at Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. The San Francisco band is now regarded as a major influence on the Latin rock subgenre, but at the time, they were mostly unknown. When they hit the stage in August of 1969, they had only been a band for a couple of years.
The legendary festival was just months after they scored a record deal with Columbia following an audition opening for The Grateful Dead. Santana's self-titled debut album was not even released until a few days after they surprised Woodstock audiences. Understanding the timeline of the band makes this performance of "Evil Ways" all the more impressive.
