By Dave Parsons
You could sense the anticipation as the gates opened. Concert goers wearing bald caps and donning sunglasses in true Pitbull fashion told you they were ready for a “Party After Dark”. Pitbull and T-Pain brought one last blast of heat to The Pavilion at Star Lake, just outside of Pittsburgh. The combination of energy and hits that these two have had over 20 some years of touring, made this a most sought-after ticket, ending the season for the venue with a sellout.
By the time T-Pain kicked off the night, the crowd had already been dancing and drinking to party music from a DJ on stage. Good Life set the tone for the evening’s theme and Low had the crowd dancing and singing along.
Moving seamlessly through hits like I’m Sprung, Bartender and Welcome to My Hood, T-Pain showed off his versatility. Despite admitting up front that he was very hungover from the night before, his interactions with the audience were playful. During All I Do Is Win, he led the crowd in throwing their hands in the air with every win, win, win. T-Pain’s signature Auto-Tuned sound paired with his infectious energy made his set feel like a live party playlist. As he closed his set with Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’, the crowd was fully warmed up, and ready for Mr. Worldwide himself.
Pitbull took the stage dressed in his trademark black outfit and shades, the iconic look that made him an icon. He opened with Don’t Stop the Party, continuing the theme set down by T-Pain and moved through hits from across his career like Hotel Room Service to International Love. Backed by a very tight band, and flanked by his dance team, he brought each song to life with choreography and charisma making his persona he has built shine.
A highlight was during Fireball. The pyrotechnics were synced with the perfection of Pitbull and the dancers. T-Pain returned to the stage in a yellow dinner jacket and did a duet with Pitbull, now wearing a red dinner jacket, of their hit Hey Baby (Drop It To the Floor). They laughed at the end that they looked like Deadpool and Wolverine!
Besides the non-stop party moments, Pitbull took a few moments to speak directly to the crowd, sharing his gratitude and reflected on his journey from Miami to worldwide fame. He introduced Good Life by reminding the crowd that every day above ground is a good one. The intro to his finale, Give Me Everything showcased his legacy.
Now this next record is my favorite to perform all around the world, because it gives me a chance to show everybody how I’ve taken my life from a negative to a positive.
He shared the story of going to 25 different schools without ever finishing high school and finally meeting a teacher named Hope, an irony if there ever was one, who believed in him and helped turn his life around. Today, Pitbull has provided the means for charter schools attended by almost 7,000 students in 14 schools in Florida, Nevada, Georgia and Arizona. They have an almost 100% graduation rate.
Offering this insight makes him more relatable to the audience who responded with an iconic hand gesture of his that displays turning a negative to a positive. His music may produce a party atmosphere, but he is touching the world in a more powerful way. He brought the energy back up one more time during the song, with confetti cannons bursting and the crowd in a frenzy, ending the concert on an inspirational high note and sent everyone home with love in their hearts and a smile on their faces.
T-Pain Setlist:
1 Good Life
2 Low
3 All I Do Is Win
4 Shots
5 Welcome to My Hood
6 Tipsy
7 I’m Sprung
8 Bartender
9 5 O’Clock
10 Dan Bilzerian
11 Snap Ya Fingaz
12 Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)
Pitbull Concert Setlist
1 Don’t Stop the Party
2 Hotel Room Service
3 International Love
4 Rain Over Me
5 I Feel Good
6 Feel This Moment
7 Gasolina
8 Shake
9 Culo
10 I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
11 On the Floor
12 Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)
13 Fireball
14 Time of Our Lives
15 JUMPIN
16 Timber
17 Give Me Everything
