SAN FRANCISCO--Buddy Guy [ tickets ] is a 65-year-old master of blues guitar, but he's got the energy of a six-year-old boy on a sugar high and the attention span of a 16-year-old video-game fanatic on Jolt. Those factors both helped and hindered his much-anticipated gig on Wednesday night (2/6) at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.

Guy is as hot these days as he has ever been, touring in support of the widely acclaimed new release "Sweet Tea," which seems to be a shoe-in to win the Grammy for best contemporary blues album later this month. However, unlike the new CD, Guy's show on Wednesday turned out to be a mixed bag.

Most importantly, his playing and singing were superb. At times, his hands moved about his instrument like a hummingbird's wings as he produced one energized solo after another during songs such as the new album's "Tramp." At other moments, he flowed over his axe like syrup on pancakes, delivering big, thick licks that were steady and sweet. His voice was strong, forceful and definitely held up against his stellar guitar work.

On the other hand, Chicago's top blues artist seemed hopelessly scattered and disorganized on this night. And he continually sabotaged himself with ridiculous decisions that any performer Guy's experience should know better than to make. At the heart of many of his blunders was the guitarist's choice to treat the songs like disposable razors.

The man simply wouldn't finish what he started. He would begin a song, like the new album's great "It's a Jungle Out There," give enough to get the crowd interested, and then pull the plug. And then he would repeat with the next song. Just one of those truncated songs, given enough room to breathe and develop, would have meant so much more than a half-dozen of the evening's tiny tunes.

On the plus side, Guy is a natural entertainer who has a lot more to offer than just his signature fireworks on the guitar and bluesy vocals. He likes to involve the crowd, going so far as to bring two thrilled teens on stage to play his guitar.

Also, in one of the most surprising moves that I have seen at a concert in a long time, Guy jumped off the stage, traveled the length of the Fillmore floor and entered the women's bathroom while it was occupied.

Toward the end of the show, in a seemingly random decision, Guy grabbed the acoustic guitar and began to play some tunes in a solo setting. Yet his playing came in bursts, again losing momentum, as he performed only partial versions of songs such as "Done Got Old" from the new album. Otherwise, it was too late in the evening for such a downshift in energy.

In the encore, the fans finally got what they had been waiting for all night. A widely circulated rumor placed Carlos Santana in the house on this evening. But when Santana did take the stage, it was anti-climactic. The pairing was really only noteworthy because of the their resumes. They definitely didn't play anything during their short set that warranted much applause.

Still, just the sight of the two guitar legends sharing the stage beneath the famous crystal chandeliers at rock's most revered venue was worth the price of admission.