State Champ Radio Concert Review
On Thursday night (April 11), the Barclays Center in New York City was electrified by the presence of Bad Bunny. The arena, filled to its 19,000-person capacity, buzzed with anticipation as the Puerto Rican superstar kicked off the first show of his three-night stint in the city.
“New York has been very important in my career, where dreams come true,” Benito told his fans in his native Spanish during the performance. “Being on the tour feels really amazing, going to each place and seeing it, all the cities, but New York, it’s something else. It feels more amazing than usual. Seeing all those PR and DR flags makes it even more special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here, it means a lot to me.”
Bad Bunny — who wore Prada sunglasses, a velour suit, and a gold cross necklace — delivered a dynamic performance that was an amalgamation of music and spectacle. It included a grand orchestra, an equestrian entrance, a surprise appearance by Bryant Myers to perform “Seda,” a jigsaw-like stage that transformed into the Brooklyn Bridge, and, of course, a repertoire of his biggest hits. (Here’s the complete setlist of the tour, which slightly changed to add “Amorfoda” and “Tití Me Preguntó.”)
This was part of his Most Wanted Tour — in support of his Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana album — which kicked off on Feb. 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Live Nation-promoted tour is halfway through its schedule, with forthcoming performances in cities including Austin, Texas (Apr. 26-27), Atlanta, Ga. (May 14-15), and Miami, Fla. (May 24-26). See the full dates here.
According to Billboard Boxscore, the tour has already been a commercial success, grossing $84.2M and selling 282K tickets over its first 18 shows. It has consistently sold out venues, demonstrating Bad Bunny’s continued widespread appeal.
Here are five standout moments from the first night of Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour at the Barclays Center:
The Grandeur of an Orchestra
Gilberto Santa Rosa brought his class and elegance to New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Saturday (April 6), where he made it clear once more why he is considered El Caballero de la Salsa (The Gentleman of Salsa).
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Accompanied by a stellar orchestra of 15 musicians — including brasses, keyboards, strings, percussion, and backup singers — the Puerto Rican icon delighted a mostly Latino audience in New York City with classics from his repertoire such as “Derroche,” “Conciencia,” “Conteo Regresivo” and “Perdóname.”
He also performed a set of boleros, which he introduced with an anecdote told with his characteristic grace and charm.
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“My life has gone between bolero and salsa, and I say it in that order because the first thing I started singing was bolero,” he remembered. “I started singing bolero because I suffered a very strong love disappointment… at the age of 6,” Santa Rosa continued, making the audience burst in laughter.
With the idea of winning over a girl, he said, the singer teamed up with a buddy who also sang and played the guitar.
“I thought, ‘When I start singing, that girl is going to go crazy for me’. Well, guess what? I went out to sing on the first school program that I could, and the girl didn’t even look at me. But she gave me a profession, and thanks to that, you and us we are here tonight.”
On his third occasion at the Radio City Music Hall, this time as part of his Auténtico Tour, Santa Rosa recalled his long history with New York City, where he began playing as a teenager in the 1980s at the Corso nightclub as part of Willie Rosario’s orchestra, and where he recorded his iconic 1995 live album En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall.
“Tonight we come to give you everything here at Radio City Music Hall, which is an iconic place in New York City and the United States,” he said with a smile. “This is our third time on this stage and we are happy about that.”
One of the most joyful moments was led by conguero Gerardo Rivas, a former member of the musical duo NG2 who also has a solo career as a singer. The son of Jerry Rivas from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Gerardo momentarily left the congas to take center stage, where he first sang “Suma y Resta” with Santa Rosa — who originally recorded this song with El Micha — and then a track from his own repertoire, “Happy”, which got everyone dancing.
The orchestra, whose talent was matched by their grace and elegance, includes veteran musicians such as musical director and trombonist Georgie Torres, pianist Luis Marín, bongo player Rafael Echeverría, backup singer Gino Ramírez and trumpeter Rebeca Zambrana, many of whom have been playing with Santa Rosa for decades. They all spread their enthusiasm with amusing choreographies, and Santa Rosa took the time to introduce each one of them with great affection and admiration.
With an uninterrupted and successful decades-long career, Gilberto Santa Rosa continues to be one of the undisputed references of salsa. His Auténtico Tour began last year in Puerto Rico and arrived in South America in February. His U.S. stint continues next week in Charlotte, N.C., and also includes stops in cities such as El Paso, Houston, and Dallas, before moving on to Europe. (For a full list of dates, click here).
Gloria Trevi took the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Friday (March 15), captivating a sold-out audience with a two-hour electrifying performance. As part of her Mi Soundtrack Tour across the U.S., a highlight was the debut of the “Zorra” remix with Spanish duo Nebulossa, whom Trevi introduced as surprise guests.
“We are inviting a group from Spain. I want to feel that applause… for Nebulossa!” Trevi announced. Dressed in a stunning dark cloak with shimmering black feathers and a metallic bodysuit, the Mexican icon exuded a captivating presence. Nebulossa’s María Bas and Mark Dasousa complemented her style, with Bas in a sparkling deep purple outfit and Dasousa in a striking black and white striped suit, à la Beetlejuice, clutching a red keytar.
“Estoy en un buen momento, reconstruida por dentro/ Y esa zorra que tanto temías se fue empoderando,” Bas and Trevi chanted in unison against the high-energy electro-pop backdrop of “Zorra” (“I’m in a good moment, rebuilt from the inside/ And that zorra you feared so much got empowered”).
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This collaboration stemmed from a meeting in Miami, where Trevi and Nebulossa discovered a shared connection with the song’s empowering message, quickly leading to the recording of the remix. The original song by the Spanish duo, released in December 2023, boasts more than 10 million streams on Spotify.
Nebulossa, poised to represent Spain in Eurovision 2024, expressed their amazement at the opportunity to collaborate with Trevi. “Who would have thought that a few months ago someone would tell us that we’d be recording a duet with Gloria Trevi,” they said in a statement. Fans can look forward to the “Zorra” remix release with Trevi on streaming platforms in April.
The Mexican superstar’s NYC show also highlighted her illustrious 30-year career, filled with nostalgia and celebration. From the opening number “Medusa,” to a string of ’90s hits (“Hoy Me Iré de Casa,” “Zapatos Viejos,” “El Recuento de los Daños,” “Con Los Ojos Cerrados”) and more recent releases (“Inocente,” “Ellas Soy Yo”), the concert was a journey through the artist’s musical legacy.
About a dozen costume changes, a troupe of male dancers with washboard abs, and elaborate set designs kept the energy high throughout the night. The set ranged from the intense “Dr. Psiquiatra” with its psych ward theme and giant fake syringes, to a devilish scene where she wore a sparkly red cloak on “Virgen de las Vírgenes,” and a whimsical note with “Cinco Minutos” in a glimmering pink pilot outfit, culminating in the powerful finale “Todos Me Miran.”
Trevi’s tour, which began in Hidalgo, Texas, on Jan. 26, will continue to grace stages across the U.S., including upcoming performances in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and a notable stop at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on April 26. The New York show, her eighth tour stop, not only showcased Trevi’s enduring talent and charisma but also highlighted her ability to innovate and connect with audiences across multiple generations.
Click here to check out her full tour dates.
At this stage in his life, nearly 30 years after making history with his hit “Corazón Partío” and following decades of arena touring, Alejandro Sanz could invest pretty much anything on his shows.
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He has, and it’s all gone into the music. At a time when Latin shows have leaned into special effects, dancers and staging, Sanz put together a musical tour de force with more than 10 musicians, plus back-up singers on stage, all moving freely about in service of the music — including several instrumental interludes that sounded like A-plus jam sessions, traversing from flamenco-tinged pop to funk.
Which is not to say that the production Saturday night (Sept. 23) at Miami’s Kaseya Center was anything to scoff at. The video packages were stunning, and the stage risers allowed Sanz to operate from multiple locations.
But his biggest prop was his band, which Sanz used freely to navigate around the stage and set up moments: performing alongside his (upright) bassist, playing his guitar and singing fully acoustic with guest Beatriz Luengo, and perching cross-legged atop a set of stairs for one track, then standing beside the piano for another.
For Sanz’s avid fans, it was more than enough. The show, part of his En Vivo Tour presented in the U.S. by Loud and Live, was his highest-grossing ever in Miami, selling more than 12,000 tickets, according to management, for a complete sell-out.
Sanz plays next in Chicago on Sept. 27 and in New York on Sept. 30. Here are five standout moments from the show.
The Guests
Sanz is an artist with many artist friends, and many were there to either perform with him or cheer him on. “Miami is like our home,” said Sanz, and it felt like it. Performing guest artists included locals Camilo (beautifully performing their joint hit “Nasa”); Elena Rose (who guested on “Paraíso Express,” originally recorded with Alicia Keys in 2009, and who belted those vocals); Yotuel on “Labana,” Sanz’s homage to Havana; and last but not least, Yotuel’s wife Beatriz Luengo in an all-acoustic rendition of “Viviendo Deprisa.” Then there were the plentiful celebrity guests that were not on stage, including El George Harris, Camila Cabello and, up in a suite far from cameras, Sanz’s good friend Shakira.
The Band
It’s so refreshing to see a big band on stage these days. Sanz’s was plentiful and included two grand pianos, one in each corner of the stage, drums, percussion, bass, guitars, trumpet and three phenomenal backup singers. All told, over 10 musicians regaled us not only with top accompaniment for Sanz that at times resembled an intoxicating wall of sound, but also with dazzling, virtuoso interludes.
The Look
Sanz went ’80s and ’90s on the crowd with a pink suit, sunglasses and his spiky, white-blonde hairdo. It was classic, and he looked like a boss.
The Repertoire
It’s hard to encompass everything Sanz has to offer, but he managed to get through many of the big hits in the first quarter of the show before navigating into lesser-known gems like “Contigo,” “one of those songs that I say, ‘Damn, I wish I had written it,’” says Sanz (Joaquín Sabina is one of the co-writers of the song). Of course, there was room for “Corazón Partío” as a grand finale, and, as part of the encores, an all-time favorite, “Y Si Fuera Ella,” which doesn’t make it to every show, but luckily, it got here.
The Overall Vibe
Sanz’s arrangements are complex. His lyrics are complex. Watching 12,000 people sing along demonstrates that simplicity is not the only avenue to success.
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