Santana spins guitar magic, summons Stevie Ray, gives a sermon at Austin's Moody Center

Gray hairs shined like tinsel as the golden years crowd filled the Moody Center in anticipation of Santana, supported by Counting Crows on Sunday night.

At 77 years old, Carlos Santana has cemented his legacy as a rock n’ roll legend. His sublime guitar prowess was on full display in a show that traversed his decade-spanning discography.

“Being here in Austin, I feel very inspired,” Santana said. “If I were to go to the Vatican, I wouldn’t be as inspired as here. No disrespect to the Pope, but he can’t play guitar.”

Here are five top moments from the show.

1) An ode to Stevie Ray Vaughan

Early into the show, Santana shared memories of when his band came to Austin with legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter to perform with Bonnie Raitt, The Neville Brothers, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

His voyage began with a treacherous plane ride he thought would be his last. Surviving the trip left him “feeling very courageous, because [he] wasn’t afraid to die.” The adrenaline boost led to him challenging Stevie Ray Vaughan, to a fist fight or guitar duel — he did not specify — but the incident ended with the Vaughan brothers inviting him back to their mother’s home for a hot meal.

“That night, Stevie and Jimmie took me to their mom’s house and fed me,” Santana said. “I’m talking about respect. I show Stevie respect, and he shows me respect. I’m honored to be here in Austin, so we’re gonna do our best to keep it alive, because Stevie Ray is a genius.”

2) ‘Put Your Lights On’ lit up the room

Lights went down in the arena to spotlight the two decade Santana guitarist Tommy Anthony, who took the mic for an emotive rendition of “Put Your Lights On.”

Originally written by House of Pain frontman Erik Fancis Schrondy, aka “Everlast,” the song originated from the introspective aftermath of a major heart attack he suffered in 1998.

Twinkling lights blanketed the crowd as concertgoers raised their phones to the sky, transforming the stadium into a nebula. The room sparkled in a heavenly spectacle throughout the heartfelt ballad.

3) Cindy Blackman Santana’s marathon drumming

Spotlights illuminated the dread-headed Cindy Blackman Santana as her muscular arms pounded her drum kit with ferocious intensity and precision. For ten minutes, the crowd stood entranced by her stamina.

From the side stage, Santana watched his wife of 14 years projected on the big screen, locked in the same awe as the audience. These drum solos have long worked their magic on the frontman, who proposed to Blackman immediately after she finished her drum solo midway through a concert back in 2010.

He likened his wife’s marathon drumming to a training Olympian, citing four essential elements: dedication, devotion, discipline, and diet. “That’s why she plays like that,” Santana said. “If you don’t do those four things, you will pass out, because you need to have some energy and air in your brain.”

4) ‘Foo Foo’ fuels a frenzy

With Santana at the helm, the stadium show transformed into a baile for “Foo Foo.” Immersed in a kaleidoscope of psychedelic patterns, spectators were mesmerized by tumbling guitar riffs oozing from Santana’s fingers.

The Mexican-American guitarist plays like something possesses him. His eyes close as he throws his head up to the heavens while his fingers glide from fret to fret. His nodding indicates a deep understanding of music that only comes with mastering an instrument over seven decades.

Crowd members were bursting at the seams, with moms and aunties waving their arms through the air chanting his name. Santana set his guitar to the side and did a little jig as thousands sang out his name to the rhythm.

5) Santana speaks his sermon

Santana closed the set with wisdom bred from the peace and love generation, wishing his fans “good health, wealth, peace of mind, and joy.” While his words were theistic, the message he shared echoes the universality of self acceptance.

“Please know God will grant you your wishes: learn how to submit your request, learn how to pray,” Santana said. “Stop thinking and believing like a wretched sinner, that stuff doesn't work. The victim mentality doesn't work.”

After years of struggling with harmful thoughts and emotional trauma, Santana explored forms of Eastern Spirituality before turning to Christianity. This spurred a passion for preaching, often using the stage as his pulpit. In past interviews, he credited divine archangel “Metatron” in helping him write his 18th studio album “Supernatural” (1999).

“I tell people not to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ at my funeral,” Santana said. “You can sing ‘La Bamba,’ ‘La Cucaracha,’ ‘Tequila,’ ‘Who Let the Dogs Out,’ but don’t sing that song at my funeral because there’s no wretched sinner here.”

This article originally appeared on Austin 360: Guitar magic and sermons on sin. Santana plays Austin's Moody Center