Carlos Santana adds epic movie theme to Las Vegas show

Forever a hippy, Carlos Santana has embarked on his own space odyssey over a career spanning more than 50 years. It’s appropriate, then, that he is incorporating the theme from “2001: A Spacey Odyssey” into his show at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

“We’re going to take a quantum leap into people’s imaginations,” Santana said Tuesday during a visit to Three Square food bank in North Las Vegas. “Elvis used this theme when he came into his show — Shazam! But I’m going to be playing it, not just walking in with it.”

Santana’s residency resumes Wednesday night and runs through Feb. 1, returning in May. The Stanley Kubrick classic could serve as the rock star’s walk-in music everywhere in life. He has that kind of gravitas.

Santana mentioned such visionaries as Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla for inspiration in his updated show, which he says will have “a new beginning, middle and end.”

Santana also addressed the more down-to-Earth subject of the ongoing Senate impeachment trial.

“I have graduated to trusting that integrity is what America is all about,” Santana said. “Regardless of all the fragments of deception and illusion, I still believe in the core of the United States, and all humans, is impeccable integrity. I have to trust, and I have to believe, that will win, eventually.”

Santana is using his performance Friday night to spotlight 10-year-old guitar prodigy Taj Farrant, a contestant on “Australia’s Got Talent” who has appeared on “Ellen.” Farrant also is performing with Human Nature on Saturday night at the Australian vocal group’s benefit for the country’s bushfire relief efforts.

Santana also offered that he is “so happy” for the Doobie Brothers, his contemporaries and touring mates, on the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s taking the 49ers in the Super Bowl (he still has a house in the Bay Area), but allows he’s a fan of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “Like they say in ‘Star Wars,’ the force is strong with him.”

Three Square President and CEO Brian Burton and Chief Development Officer Michelle Beck led the tour of the Three Square fortress, where more than 200 volunteers were packing food for the organization’s Kids’ Cafe program. The guitar great presented silk “Supernatural”-designed scarves, which are being sold at Santana’s shows to raise funds for Three Square.

Santana, who also owns a home in Las Vegas, has supported Three Square, founded in 2007, almost since its inception. He stopped repeatedly to watch volunteers swiftly packing meals for those in need.

Santana marveled at the operation and said, “This is like a Steven Spielberg movie.” Spielberg, Kubrick. No matter the director, the guitar legend has it covered.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.