Wisin y Yandel's Los Vaqueros: El Regreso Tour
With Gadiel
American Airlines Arena
Friday, June 3, 2011
Better Than: Pushing through the stifling crowds on South Beach to grind on complete strangers. So much easier to let the crowd come to you in our city's state-of-the-art facility with AaC cold enough for winter coats.
There's something special about Wisin y Yandel. Reggaeton, the seemingly ubiquitous Spanish-language blend of dancehall, rap, hip-hop, and plenty of other crap layered over the same beat (dun-DA, dun-DA) doesn't often stray from formula. This Puerto Rican duo, however, add a little more to the mix, and don't skimp on the swagger.
That's really the key, and it showed at the AAA. While some songs like "Yo Te Quiero" aim for the soft spot and paint the duo as lovelorn dudes simply pining for the affections of someone who will understand them, their best work (and biggest crowd response) comes from balls-out, knock-down, fuck-anyone-who-gets-in-the-way sonic attacks like "Racata." In a certain way, Wisin y Yandel's music is basically danceable Hispanic cock-rock, with a tearjerker or wistful glance occasionally thrown in for the ladies in the audience.
(Meanwhile, the guy they brought out, Gadiel, was sadly nothing to write home about. And apparently, the crowd agreed, and headed for the booze stands and bathrooms, just to be out of earshot.)
Anyone, even those who dismiss reggaeton as being too simplistic, can't help but get behind Wisin y Yandel. Sure, a power ballad, even if it's danceable, may not be your deal. But this tag team is magnetic, just like a brewing brawl.
Think back ... Anytime that anyone threw down a challenge in a bar or on the street, you looked. And Wisin y Yandel have perfected that throwdown mentality, shoved it in a blender with the traditional reggaeton influences, and added a full backing band to give their music even more bite. It's usually all drum, but with synths and guitars behind them, Wisin y Yandel gave Miami something to shake its ass to last night.
No surprise, Miami obliged in full.
Critic's Notebook
The Crowd: At first glance, it was a stereotypically Miami crowd. There were plenty of people shelling out $35 for valet, some even arriving in limos. The men were either well dressed (read: bathed in Axe and hair gel) or not so much (fans of bedazzled Ed Hardy). Women, across the board, came dressed for the club, set to impress. The oddest (though not so uncommon) sights of the night ... Whole families.
Overheard in the Crowd: "OH MY GOD!" A pretty generic screech for any concert, sure. But there was just something special about it coming from a particularly large gentleman, making Argentina proud while rocking that nation's soccer jersey and gyrating as if though he was engaged in some kind of dance battle with every woman in the arena.
Wisin y Yandel's Setlist:
-"Abusadora"
-"Ahorra Es"
-"Callate"
-"Tu Olor"
-"Sexy Movimiento"
-"Racata"
-"Yo Te Quiero"
-"Telefono"
-- Nelson Hernandez
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
