Santana and Woodstock resonate loudly 45 years later

A few weeks ago I spoke on the phone with keyboard player and vocalist Gregg Rolie, who performed with Carlos Santana during one of the most compelling sets of music at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August 1969.

I asked Rolie about his success with Santana at Woodstock and he told me, "You had to mean it. We meant what we were doing."

That really stuck with me. And it continues to stick with me, as I think back on the conversation I had with Rolie in advance of his Sept. 20 appearance at Hardscrabble Day in Red Hook.

So you can imagine my surprise when, by sheer coincidence, I met drummer Michael Shrieve a week ago at Radio Woodstock (WDST/100.1 FM/106.5 FM in Beacon). Shrieve was at the station to chat with DJ Greg Gattine during the Woodstock Film Festival.

I was able to interview Shrieve before he appeared on the air and I am still kind of struggling to believe what he told me.

"We didn't think of ourselves as entertainers," Shrieve told me. "We weren't really hippie. We were more bloodthirsty. We were more like a street gang and the weapon was music. When we played, we really meant it."

So let me get this straight — within weeks, I speak to two guys who played in the same band more than 45 years ago, in one of the 20th century's most memorable musical performances, and more than 45 years later they each basically use the same words to describe that performance. I would say that's pretty interesting and qualifies as a moment that reveals how an unscripted afternoon can turn out to be incredibly inspiring. And it shows just how far life can take you if you just surrender to coincidence.

Long live Woodstock.

Also: There are two upcoming concerts, on different ends of the Hudson Valley, that are well worth checking out.

Folksinger Suzanne Vega will perform Nov. 8 at the Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon. Vega is well-known for her hit, "Luka," but offers so much more in terms of crisp vocals, lyrical songwriting and raging passion for performing live. Visit www.townecrier.com or call 845-855-1300 for information. And Ace Frehley of Kiss fame will perform Nov. 14 at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center, which is operated by the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. The Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center is in Orange County. Visit www.sugarloafpac.org or call 845-610-5900 for information.

John W. Barry's column appears every Friday: [email protected], 845-437-4822. Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo