Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Ricky Martin
The Trilogy Tour
Toyota Center
November 18, 2023
“Life is not a waste of time,
Time is not a waste of life,
So let’s stop wasting time, get wasted,
And have the time of our lives!”
– Armando Christian “Pitbull” Pérez
“Don’t stop the party!” Not only is that a line from one of Pitbull’s popular tracks, but also the theme of this tour. A Cuban, a Spaniard, and a Puerto Rican walk into an arena, with full intention to milk every last ounce of stardom they have left into the grand spectacle that is The Trilogy Tour. The youngest of the bunch, Pitbull, definitely came out swingin’.
Pit hit the stage in an all black tux, his dark sunglasses and signature bald head completing his look as he smiled wide to the audience. He was surrounded by a talented bevy of dancers, shaking, popping, and jumping to the beat around Mr. Worldwide. “Don’t Stop The Party” and “Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)” were the opening songs, amping up the crowd and eliciting applause from his highly interactive fanbase.
Pit took time to thank Houston for the 20+ years of love and support, as well as thanking his tour mates for the honor of sharing the stage on this showcase of Latino talent. He was joined onstage by a full band and his longtime collaborator DJ Chino, who was excellent when tasked to keep the party going in between Pitbull’s wardrobe changes.
An early highlight of Pit’s performance was his cover of Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”, complete with sensual dance moves and tall pyrotechnics that rose behind the stage. After a few more pop centric tracks, the rapper took it back to the lead single “Culo” from his 2004 debut album M.I.A.M.I (Money Is A Major Issue). That album was the soundtrack of my twenties, and it still bangs hard today!
Enrique Iglesias followed, which brought back so many memories. My very first girlfriend in high school was obsessed with Enrique, and I was forced to hear his self-titled debut album over and over. I actually enjoyed his ballads, and his voice was almost as velvety smooth as his father, Julio.
Iglesias began his set with the song “Tonight”, transitioning between the PG version and the Rated R version of the track, from “loving” to “fucking”, much to the approval of the audience. His set was the one I anticipated the most from this show, fueled by the videos on social media of his less than stellar vocals and other antics witnessed on previous stops on this tour. Although his voice may not be as polished as it was before, I can attest that he still sounds really good.
Crowd members waved their arms left and right and up and down, and even shining their cell phone lights brightly as he sang the slow jams “Hero”, “Loco” and “Cuando Me Enamoro.” Iglesias proceeded to sing half of his set on the secondary stage near the back on the arena, illuminated by dozens of hanging lamps above the stage.
Enrique was very interactive with his fans, hugging and kissing many of them as he ventured around the stage and front rows, high-fiving and shaking hands, and taking selfies. His set ended with sparks falling from the top of the stage, and large balloons released into the crowd.
And then there was one: Ricky Martin. At 51 years, he’s the oldest of the trio, and yet somehow looked to be in the best shape physically and provided a supremely energetic set. He was accompanied by both male and female back up dancers, and the intro had a Vegas-like feel, grandiose and loud.
He started with “Pégate,” “Maria” and “Adrenaline,” super high energy tracks that enticed the crowd to dance and move with the beat. He ended the first round of songs with “La Bomba” and “She Bangs.” His set did seem a bit rushed and somewhat shorter than his tour mates’, but still fun and energetic. A horn section played along with his tracks, which included a trumpet, a trombone and a saxophone.
His night and the show ended with “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and “Cup Of Life,” which I heard as I was on my way out of the venue and into my Uber. It was a fun evening filled with great songs and memories. As the homie Pitbull always says:
“This is for everybody going through tough times. Believe me — been there, done that. But every day above ground is a great day, remember that!”
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
