Legendary Mexican band Bronco made a stop in New York’s UBS Arena on Saturday (Aug. 19) to deliver their signature grupera swagger with a heady repertoire that spanned decades.
With a storied career that has garnered them an ardent international following, their concert was an electrifying spectacle that blended nostalgia with contemporary energy, a todo color.
Indeed, as part of their U.S. 2023 tour, dubbed ¡En Vivo y A Todo Color!, the Nuevo León quintet delivered all-time genre favorites like “Adoro,” “Que No Quede Huella” and the accordion-led ballad “Nunca Voy a Olvidarte,” famously covered by Cristian Castro. The iconic regional Mexican music band also showcased their heart-rending ballads, energetic cumbia, and, of course, their synth-driven grupera classics.
Composed of frontman José Guadalupe “Lupe” Esparza, who also plays the bass, guitarist José Adán Esparza, drummer Javier Cantú, bassist René Guadalupe Esparza, and keyboardist/accordionist Arsenio Guajardo, the electrifying troupe rocked the stage for nearly two hours.
Neon lights bathed the UBS Arena in a kaleidoscope of colors, while fans from diverse Latin backgrounds and generations came together to show off their swaggering Norteño gear, with plenty of them equipped with their cowboy hats and boots to celebrate the enduring legacy of Bronco.
Here are the five best moments from Bronco’s ¡En Vivo y A Todo Color! performance in NYC.
Entertaining Dialog and Storytelling
Image Credit: Eliuk de la Torre
Bronco’s onstage commentary and dialog with the crowd also kept audiences engaged. “No one leaves here without hearing your favorite song,” shouted Lupe Esparza at one point, while Guajardo played the iconic synth riffs to multiple classics (e.g. “Amigo Bronco,” “Que No Quede Huella,” “Si Te Vuelves a Enamorar”) to hype up the crowd. With good old fashioned Latin banter, they joked about modernity (“We now have Instagram!” “What is OnlyFans?”) and made flirty comments with the ladies in the scene, “Everybody here in the band is single”), the crowd chuckled, danced and admired the band with a great sense of humor.
They also introduced their music with a lot of engagement. “Friends, you know Bronco is known for telling stories through their songs. This story we are going to sing next, hopefully none of you will feel identified. But if you do, sing along at the top of your lungs,” René Esparza said before the band played the riffs to “Dos Mujeres Un Camino,” also the theme song of one of the most popular telenovelas during the ‘90s, about being caught in a love triangle.
Dazzling Visuals and Outfits
Longtime followers of regional Mexican music can really appreciate the tradition of bands wearing a matching outfits with their bandmates. And while cowboy hats are a staple feature within the storied umbrella genre, it’s utterly charming that a música grupera staple is their flashy suits. Donning neon yellow, blue, fuchsia and silver suits with a huge buckle with the words Bronco emblazoned, the band captured our full attention. Lupe Esparza also wore his signature native American necklace.
Then, the backdrop: the carefully-designed digital visuals on the screen captured the vibe of each song from arcade-like depictions, to comic-book styled cartoons, a heart-shaped disco ball, high heals, sound system speakers and caricatures.
Welcomed the New Class, Honored the Greats
Equipped with a güiro, accordion and some serious vocal belting, new school Tex-Mex band The Wercos Band joined Bronco onstage to sing “Con Zapatos de Tacón,” which inspired plenty of swaying throughout the arena. Percussionist Walo Vasquez was also spotlighted to deliver some cumbia jams, and Jose Luis Villareal (aka Choche) was also honored at the show with a digitized image of the late Bronco drummer, one of the founders of the band who passed away in 2012. Bronco also took a moment to give share a few words of empathy for all losses society suffered due to COVID-19.
Norteña Pride in Full Effect
One of the most beautiful things about New York City is the Latin diversity and shared passions for Latin American culture. Colombians, Argentinians and Ecuadorians were all in attendance, making their presence seen with signs and flags, and of course, hordes of Mexicans (including myself). What was beautiful was that nearly what looked like over half of the crowd arrived rocking their Norteño gear, the vests, the sombreros vaqueros and boots, and cintos piteados (traditional embroidered leather belts).
Pioneering Música Mexicana Spirit
As one of the leaders and pioneers of the grupera movement, Bronco’s daring exploration and artistic vision continue to shape and define the genre, now that that música mexicana continues to rise and rise.
As pioneers of the grupero subgenre within regional Mexican music, they showed off their Fender guitars and bass — another distinct characteristic of the style — with the guitarist playing some electrifying rock-style solos.
Bronco showcased their musical mastery that came to prominence in 1980s and 1990s, and their legacy as genre trailblazers was in full effect at the UBS Arena, delivering a show that will undoubtedly with attendees who catch them at ¡En Vivo y A Todo Color! for years to come.
