I remember the excitement of my first concert. Seeing the New Kids on the Block was every 11-year-old girlšs dream. My friends and my sister joined me and we partied like never before. In my mind, nothing could ever top that night.

Now, 12 years later, parking next to Carlos Santanašs tour bus at the Compaq Center brought back that same excitement. It was like déjā vu, except this time I was backstage with a VIP pass and a connection that allowed me to meet the band, play around on the tour bus and hang out with the crew.

My best friend, Kim Crockett, experiences this type of "rock-star" treatment all the time. Her father, Davey Crockett, has worked for Carlos Santana for nearly 20 years, so Kim grew up touring with the band and hanging around backstage. Her invitation to hang out behind the scenes with the stars at their Houston concert promised an unforgettable experience.

Adam Wells, Santanašs personal assistant and road manager, greeted us with tickets and VIP passes that allowed us to freely travel anywhere backstage. Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I wanted to see everything.

Our adventure started with a tour of Santanašs bus, where we saw how the band and the crew travel from city to city while on tour. Each member has a bunk bed equipped with a TV and a DVD player with a curtain separating each bunk. There are several lounge areas with black leather couches and larger TVs.

The bus also has two bathrooms, a kitchen, including a refrigerator, a microwave and a stove, and a dining room. It was amazing to see how 15-20 people could live so comfortably on a bus. To get the full experience, I laid down in a bunk to get a small taste of life on the road.

Davey escorted the group to meet the rest of the crew. We stopped by the stage where Santana would later perform. The crew had just started to set up the equipment. We felt like rock stars standing in front of the sold-out crowd on stage. Touching the drums and looking at the soundboard, where Adam would control everything during the show, revealed an aspect of concert production that most people never get to see.

We met two band members before the show started. The first was Raul Rekow, the congo player who took time to hug Kim and meet the rest of us. Walking to our front-row seats, we ran into Tony Lindsay, one of the lead singers. Tony looked elated to see Kim, embracing her like an old friend. Sound check was going on because the show was scheduled to begin in less than 20 minutes, so Tony left with the promise to hang out with us after the show.

Santanašs standing ovation during his entrance brought chills as I watched from the closest seat I have ever had at a concert. We watched Santana play his guitar close enough to see sweat pouring from his body. The sound was incredible as the band played hits like "The Game of Love," "Maria Maria" and "Smooth." At one point during the encore, Tony blew us a kiss and waved from the stage.

The show ended with Santana leading the audience with the hymn "Let There Be Peace on Earth." The words became visible on the screen behind the stage and the audience sang to the music of Santanašs guitar.

After the show, the anticipation was unbearable as we waited to meet Santana himself. Almost an hour later, Santana finished his interviews with the press and looked over and saw Kim. He motioned for us to come over and politely introduced himself with handshakes and hugs. Santana talked to us for nearly 20 minutes and paused to take pictures. He said music has touched him spiritually for more than 40 years.

"Music reminds the listener that you are holy, sacred and divine," Santana said. "It is on a molecular level, so even if your mind does not want to accept it, your body will and can."

We followed Santana to an area where the rest of the band was greeting fans. We reunited with Tony as promised. I told him how his animation and energy on stage kept me smiling for hours. He said making people smile is his ultimate goal while performing.

"The joy on the audiencešs faces is what keeps me going when I am performing a show," Tony said. "It is one of the greatest feelings one can experience."

After meeting the rest of the band and taking more pictures, it was after 2 a.m. and the band had to travel to New Orleans for their next show. Walking toward the car, I turned around and looked at the tour bus one last time as the band filed on one-by-one. Santanašs final words during the concert echoed through my mind as the memorable night came to an end.

"You are the best of your mother and your father, if you choose to be," Santana said. "Make peace with yourself and live accordingly."

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