The Last Laugh: What’s the Last Thing That Truly Cracked Me Up?

Santana Shreds!
First Laughing Fit: June 21st, 2009
Credit for Discovery: My son Alex
Source: YouTube
Dethroned: July 5th by Eli Porter

The Set Up:
The video, minus the audio track, is simply of guitar legend Santana jamming with his band before a live audience. Now, put the video in the deft hands of St. Sanders (aka Santeri Ojala) and his editing prowess turns this into one of his many “shreds” masterpieces. Overdubbing the audio track with his own purposefully bad guitar playing, St.S perfectly synchs up what is going down onscreen to make the actual artist look as if he can’t play a lick to save his life. Sanders doesn’t stop there, either. He matches up ANY instrument regardless of who is playing on screen be it the drums, the keyboard, a cowbell…you name it.

I bow down in awe at how much time and effort must have been put into the creation of this video as EVERYTHING is synched up perfectly.

What Makes This So Damn Funny:

For me, just about everything in this video is hilarious.

My personal favorite highlights include:

Santana’s unintelligible speaking into the microphone at the beginning

The smattering of applause from the audience throughout

:05-:10 The guy playing the cowbell-sounding instrument

:33-:35 The first of two rapid-fire drum solos

1:05-1:10 Santana blowing notes

1:11-1:19 The keyboardist rocking Europe’s “The Final Countdown”!!!

2:24-2:26 The lone notes by the bass player

2:26-2:40 “Master of Puppets”!

3:05-3:07 The look on the keyboardist’s face

3:26-3:32 Santana’s leaping licks, followed by…

3:33-3:35 …minor applause.

It took me a couple of viewings to really appreciate the true comedic gem before me but once I did I was g-o-n-e.

St.Sanders? You, my friend, are one hell of an editor. Nice work!