The best opening act you've ever seen & heard?

Well not exactly the opening act but a surprise nonetheless. Santana at Woodstock.

No one out east had heard of them . They were virtually unknown as their first album had not yet been released. Before they played many were thinking who is this band. Let’s geton with it and bring on The Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, The Who, Hendrix..... and so on.

Well they played their set and the crowd and me were stunned, just standing there with their mouth hanging open. They were amazing and I only wished I could see them do another set rather than all those big names I was waiting for....except maybe Hendrix.

@larsman - And rock they did. There had never been a band before them with so much persussive elements. They were so tight.

I just recently read Sanata’s autobiography and he has a good story about that concert. Apparently they were told they would not go on stage until later in the day so he and the band partook of some psychedelic drugs. Then when they were in the least shape to play an hour or 2 later, schedule changes made it such that they had to go on  right away. " Stay in tune....Stay in time" was what Carlos kept saying to himself.They pulled off an amazing set.