¡Dale! All we can say is that when (not if) you go to see Pitbull at Planet Hollywood, make sure you wear your dancing shoes; you’ll be moving, shaking and dropping in ways you maybe didn’t know were possible.
Kicking off his seven-show, “Time of Our Lives” residency last night with his chart-topping “Don’t Stop the Party,” it took one word out of Mr. Worldwide’s mouth to have the 7,000-member audience in the Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood up on their feet and dancing.
Joined onstage by his band and his troupe of sumptuous dancers, the suave Miami rapper entertained the crowd with a variety of his best known American hits as well as some of his old school classics from his debut album “M.I.A.M.I.” (an abbreviation for Money Is A Major Issue).
Prior to the opening night, we had a chance to sit down with the mega-star and discovered why this concert is especially important to him.
“To me, Vegas is an honor and an amazing opportunity,” Pitbull explained. “But more than anything, because of my family being from Cuba, Havana is what spawned the idea for Vegas. So once everything went down with the revolution in Cuba, everybody shot up to Vegas, you know, Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel and what they did up there. So, to be able to play in Vegas is something that is deeply rooted, a tremendous honor and also a big step in our career.”
Opening his show with a video montage explaining the revolution in Cuba to the audience and relating that to his humble upbringing, Pitbull offered concertgoers insight to his personal life and the meaning behind his Vegas show before even stepping foot on the stage.
However, once the mega-star was ushered onstage via smoke bursts and an unforgettable laser light show, the party kicked up to 11.
“I say, y’all having a good time out there?” Pitbull questioned and the crowd affirmatively answered with a simultaneous wild scream.
“When it comes to the show, it’s all about energy, all about having a great time, for two hours I would say,” said Pitbull. “We are going to try to, in one way or another, give it the Vegas remix but more than anything it’s just all about fun.”
And while we are not perfectly clear on what Pitbull meant by “Vegas remix” we are pretty confident that it had everything to do with energizing effects such the massive fire plumes that shot off when he performed his 2014 smash hit “Fireball.”
Not just fun for the audience, it is very clear that Pitbull loves performing all of his songs, “Fireball” in particular, and it shows: “The number that I think has a lot of ‘Vegas’ to it and even when I perform it on tour, it would be ‘Fireball,’” he said. “I mean, that record right there, I think, embodies everything that has to do with Vegas…Vegas itself being a fireball, Vegas itself being a spot where everybody goes, you know, Sin City – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and ‘Fireball,’ to me, has that energy; it’s like evil vs. good so I can’t wait to perform that and really give it that Vegas twist.”
Whether the energetic performer was entertaining the crowds by working every angle of the stage (we want to know his cardio plan because he totally killed it), wowing us with special effects and enticing video displays, or kicking back a little bit while his sexy dancers took control, there was not a single dull moment in this party.
And if you’re hoping to catch Mr. 305 out and about in Sin City, you’ll most likely find him indulging in his favorite Cuban restaurants around town or partying in his hotel room: “I’m more of the low-key type and when it comes to the craziness, I just keep it in the hotel room,” he explained.” “I’m like the Gingerbread Man, catch me if you can!”
So for all of you party animals out there, if you want to add some spice to your Vegas vacay, head down to Planet Hollywood and catch Pitbull while he’s still here. And take this as a fair warning: You will be in party mode long after the show is over.
Upcoming performances: Ticket prices from $70.25, all performances start at 9 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25
Saturday, Sept. 26
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Friday, Oct. 2
Saturday, Oct. 3
Wednesday, Oct. 7