We all know him, we love him. The man, the myth, the legend. Mr. Worldwide. Mr. 305. International superstar Pitbull made another stop at the Bridgestone arena in Nashville (or “Cashville” as he calls us) for his “Can’t Stop Us Now” tour.
Some fans donned bald caps and sunglasses while others held up signs and cardboard cutouts of Mr. Worldwide’s head. Several Vanderbilt students were in attendance, all ready for another taste of what Pitbull brought to Nashville the previous year.
Iggy Azalea opened the show once again, with a shorter set this time but kept the crowd lively and dancing with hits like “Black Widow,” “Fancy,” and “Kream.”
A giant curtain blocked the stage view. Mr. 305’s band started playing “Welcome to the Jungle” but quickly changed to “Don’t Stop the Party” as the curtain dropped and the man himself came into view. Pitbull’s bald head served as a prism, bouncing around the stage lights in a mesmerizing way. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Almost everyone in the audience was on their feet, dancing, singing and having the time of their lives. I didn’t sit down for a second. I’ve been listening to Pitbull’s music since I was a child (thanks mom!) and didn’t realize how many of his lyrics I knew by heart. He played everything from “Hotel Room Service” to “Fireball” to “Timber.” One of my favorite moments was when the entire arena was singing the chorus to “Feel this Moment,” and Pitbull held up his arms to soak it all in. Another was when we shouted the iconic lines “this for everybody going through tough times. Believe me, been there done that. But every day above ground is a good day, remember that” from “Time of Our Lives.”
Pitbull is a performer through and through. After every song he would run up the stage stairs to his platform, strike a pose and wait for the smoke, fire or lights to finish while a huge smile was on his face. He made sure to keep the audience up for two hours. Let me emphasize–Pitbull performed for a full two hours, but kept us all enthralled the entire time. Most artists cap out at one hour sets, it’s an immense feat to keep an audience on their toes as long as Pitbull did.
At many times during the performance, he would stop in between songs to speak his mind, reminding the audience that “we’re all one race, the human race,” in an effort to spread unity and love. “Some of us speak English, some Spanish, but we all speak music. That means we’re all trilingual tonight, and I think that’s a beautiful thing,” he exclaimed.
Pitbull was accompanied by dancers, a full live band, a dj and guest performers. He threw in samples from Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, and even dedicated a section of his show to reggaeton legend Daddy Yankee.
When I left I thought to myself, “did that really happen?” I had spent a night dancing until I couldn’t anymore and singing until my voice gave out, all while being given random life advice. I would not think twice about going to another Pitbull show, and I can’t wait until he makes his way back to Music City. With that I leave you with a bit of wisdom Mr. Worldwide shared with us: “remember, imperfection actually stands for I’m perfection.”
