The last fifteen or so years have been quite a roller coaster ride for the man monikered “Mr. Worldwide.” Armando Christhian Pérez, known worldwide as Pitbull, hustled his way to fame in 2004 and has not looked back since. Collaborations over the years with heavy A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ludacris, Enrique Iglesias, Lil Jon and many, many more have helped place Pitbull dead smack in the center of the party music and club scene as a godfather of sorts. Truth be told, you would have to travel back a long, long time to remember a party where a Pitbull single did not make a cameo.
So here we are, 2021. The I Feel Good Tour in full effect and Pitbull is still selling out arenas and amphitheaters. Performing to a packed house, Mr. 305 and his talented array of dancers, known as The Most Bad Ones, came to party and bring the party to the nearly twelve thousand onlookers onsite. The festivities begin with a heavy limelight hovering over Mr. Pérez as he steps atop a junior stage settled atop the main deck. Per usual, the crowd roars are deafening but necessary; after all, no one wants to attend a silent or muted shindig. The ladies of The Most Bad Ones pack the dais decked in glittered black attire and matching boots and, of course, the man of the hour leads the way with a pumped up rendition of hit banger, “Don’t Stop the Party.” The night is shaping up to be a memorable dance-infested frenzy.
Behind his designer shades and leather jacket, Pitbull performs with a humble vibrancy. He appears all too happy to be the center of attention, but makes sure to let everyone know he did not make it there alone. States Pitbull, it is in Atlanta where he claims to have been received with open arms during his early days. Although known for his Miami roots and swagger, Pérez publicly credits the likes of Atlanta icons Lil Jon and Lil Scrappy as influences and colleagues he holds in the highest regards.
Unexpectedly, the intro to Depeche Mode‘s “Personal Jesus” takes over the amphitheatre’s sound waves before mashing up to the T-Pain collab “Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)” and from there it just turns into a churning of hit after hit. With each passing track it becomes apparent that Pitbull positively has a long list selection of radio bangers to keep the party rolling. The energy is nonstop, the dancing is nonstop, the smiles are nonstop and Pitbull‘s command of the crowd is nonstop.
It must be stated that while the tour is built around the Pitbull experience, the performance is hardly about one man. Dance group, nay, super group, The Most Bad Ones are insanely dynamic at bringing that celebration atmosphere and feeling to life. Break dancing Sergio “Zeku” Garcia brought a whole new level of energy with his sensational presentation. Anthony Watts’ participation on tour namesake single “I Feel Good” was a major pleasant surprise. Of course, the backing musicians serve as the backbone to every note played. In all, a festive and merry symphony if there ever was one.
Nonetheless, an underrated takeaway from this show is how a Generation X performer can bring together all age demographics. At any given sight you may see a senior citizen clapping along and standing besides tik-toking Millennials and Generation Z-ers, while middle-aged fans dance to the tunes along the background. It truly is a come one, come all experience. That may be Pitbull‘s best accomplishment yet; in spite of the awards, the hit singles, and the famous folks he rubs elbows with. DALE!
LoudSound Magazine 