Houston Rodeo Welcomes Pitbull with a Sold-Out Stadium

The Houston Rodeo welcomed Pitbull to the NRG Stadium where he performed to a sold-out crowd. It’s been a long journey for Pitbull, many say he’s come a very long way, and if the story of how he made it, or the struggles his family went through prior to his success, were not clear to attendees, he made sure to tell everyone by starting his show with a biography of his life on the big screen. White text took over all of the black screens in the arena and resembled the beginning of a Star Wars movie. Pitbull’s story took over the Houston Rodeo as fans read in excitement and cheers. Suspense consumed everyone when the lights were dimmed. Thematic music played in the background and before you knew it… It was show time.

Fans cried while others jumped with excitement. “Pitbull! Pitbull! Pitbull!” they eagerly shouted. The NRG crowd chanted as anticipation took over the stadium and nerves of excitement went out the roof. To say that Pitbull’s performance was less than suspenseful would be less than true. Drums rolled and slammed as each of the six female dancers popped out from the back of the stage and strutted their way down to the front to wait for the next dancer to surprise the crowd. The dancers’ costumes, which consisted of a red blazer with a black leotard underneath and extremely high heels, assisted with pumping up the crowd and stimulating the environment. But the crowd didn’t need to be stimulated, because the environment in the stadium and the reputation Pitbull has developed promises to always welcome him with excited and screaming fans. The stage lights changed to red, and out of nowhere, with awe and swiftness, Mr. Worldwide jumped out from the back of the stage, wearing his iconic dark shades with black suit, and began rapping his hit song “Don’t Stop the Party.”

The estimated seventy thousand attendees at last night’s Houston Rodeo proved that rain or shine; good music will always find a way to bring people together. Reportedly, it’s been a tough season for this year’s Houston Rodeo, and bad weather is to blame. Officials are hopeful that this sold-out Pitbull show will be the turning point in the attendance levels of this years’ Rodeo season. After the third song, Pitbull, or as he likes to refer to himself as: Mr. Worldwide, took a moment to greet his audience and caused nothing more than excessive commotion and chaos within the public. Lights flashed while the stage rotated non-stop allowing everyone in the stadium to see and connect with Pitbull like never before. It was not all sexy dance moves and flashing lights. Although there was no power ballad, or a cappella sing-off, more than often Mr. Worldwide did find himself singing directly to his fans, with no back-up dancers. They changed multiple times; their outfits ranged from a black leotard, to tight jean shorts, to red blazers, and with that, their dance moves were always on fleek.

Pitbull proved that his title of Mr. Worldwide is quite fitting. His second talk break consisted of him greeting his fans that came from all around the world: Puerto Rico, to Mexico, to Dominican Republic, to Colombia, he made sure to make everyone feel welcomed. Anticipation consumed the NRG Stadium when images of Jennifer Lopez appeared on all screens. No, she didn’t make a surprise appearance, but she did manage to shake up the crowd, just a little bit more. The shouting that came when J. Lo appeared on the big screens was one of pride amongst women who identify themselves with and admire the super star. Dancing and screaming was all one could see as one looked around to the audience where, shockingly, many ditched their eight-level seats to stand in the hallways, behind the first-level seats, only to have a closer view of the Cuban-American rapper. The view was decent from every angle, and one could hear the performer from every corner of the venue. His music has proven that no matter whom you are, or where you come from, one will, at the very least, find themselves tapping their toes to his catchy tunes.

The show was a huge success. Although he embedded messages that encourage sex and a rigid lifestyle, Pitbull put on a great show. The lights, dancers, and musicians proved that when you put it all together, you get an outstanding performance worthy of a good night. The night concluded when Pitbull performed his first-ever number one single: “Give Me Everything.” They were all on their feet. Everyone danced to Pitbull’s last song. Fans cried as they waved goodbye to Pitbull while fireworks illuminated the indoor skies of the NRG Stadium. It was during that last song, that last electric moment, that the entire stadium let go of their emotions, released their tensions and worries only to dance, sing, and celebrate the art of music.

By Sebastian Troitino