Nearly five years ago, Pitbull stopped by what was then the PNC Music Pavilion with Iggy Azalea and kicked off his set with “Don’t Stop the Party.” And yet I have no memory of that show being anything close to as big a party as what he threw at the newly branded Truliant Amphitheater on Wednesday.
Before the Miami took the stage, multiple conga lines of women wearing bald caps and white button-down shirts circled the aisles. The throngs of people packed on the lawn like sardines never stopped dancing from then on.
And then there was Pitbull himself. The 45-year-old rarely stood still. Even when he was talking to the crowd between songs — and he did a lot of talking — he paced the top of a staircase at the back of the stage. He also found plenty of time to dance, surrounded by six dancers just like his first Charlotte performance nearly five years ago.
Pitbull dropped plenty of wisdom on the young people in the crowd — proselytizing about not wasting time on social media, how you can be rich but still be broke, being happy just to see another day, etc. Most of all, he dropped a bunch of hits on the Queen City.
Sure, the setlist was super similar to his last stop in town, but when you’re known for an array of club bangers that get the crowd hype, why play anything else?
Known for his collabs across genres, Pitbull got plenty of audio help from backing tracks as Charlotte’s largest outdoor amp turned into a dance club.
“Don’t Stop the Party,” “Hotel Room Service,” “I Know You Want Me,” “On the Floor,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” “Timber,” “Time of Our Lives” — it was nonstop.
Opener Lil Jon joined Pitbull later on for “Jumpin” and “Damn I Love Miami” before the duo announced they have another song together coming out soon.
Jon opened the night with a 45-minute set full of his own hits, including “Shots,” “Get Low,” “Turn Down for What” and “Drink.”
Pitbull is heading west to finish up the US leg of his US tour before picking things back up overseas in late June.
Pitbull Setlist
Don’t Stop the Party
Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)
Hotel Room Service
International Love
I Feel Good
Yeehaw
Suavamente
Echa pa’lla
Bon, Bon
The Anthem
Shake
Culo
I Know You Want Me
On the Floor
I Like It
DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love
Feel this Moment
Gasolina
Jumpin
Damn I Love Miami
Timber
Time of Our Lives
Fireball
Give Me Everything
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
