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UPDATE: This story was updated at 12:27 p.m. on September 9, 2024.

The evening of Pitbull’s concert started off clear after a bout of rain in the afternoon. But when the artist started to sing “Rain Over Me,” it was as if his lyrics queued a heavy downpour on the crowd, which sang along amid the raindrops.

Pitbull took the stage at Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview on Saturday night for the 11th stop of his Party After Dark Tour, and his first appearance in Syracuse since 2021. The concert featured special guest T-Pain, who also had a recent performance in Syracuse at University Union’s 2022 Juice Jam festival. Globalization DJs and DJ LAZ also performed opening sets for the show.

After the opening performances, the audience waited in silent anticipation until Pitbull appeared on stage. When he came out, accompanied by a squad of dancers, the crowd was instantly full of cheers.

“Who came to party? Let’s party then. Dale,” Pitbull said after opening his setlist with “Don’t Stop the Party.”

But the party wasn’t limited to the stage – it started in the venue’s parking lot, which was filled with tailgates in the evening leading up to the show.

Kassandra Gallo, a teacher’s assistant in the Syracuse City School District, and her husband set up their tailgate at 5 p.m., almost two hours before Globalization DJs started their set to kick off the concert.

Gallo and her extended family attended the Syracuse University football game against Georgia Tech earlier Saturday, then rushed home to change into their concert attire for the group’s second tailgate of the day.

“Pitbull is when we can get everyone unified to be here,” Gallo said.

The last time Gallo was able to get all of her family together for a tailgate was Pitbull’s 2021 performance in Syracuse. This year’s tailgate was an upgrade in size compared to ones they’ve done previously, Gallo said. For Pitbull’s performance, Gallo managed to wrangle four families into coming.

Gallo said she can’t always convince her husband to attend all the concerts she wants to, but for Pitbull, he agreed to come because “all the guys are here—”

“—Saturdays are for the boys,” jumped in another attendee of Gallo’s tailgate, eliciting laughs from people in their tailgate tent.

Aliyah Gravante and her friends danced to music playing from a portable speaker perched on a car during their tailgate. The 22-year-olds recounted nostalgic memories of listening to Pitbull on the school bus in middle and high school.

Cassandra Roshu | Digital Managing Editor

“Being reminded of your childhood is a whole different experience,” Gravante said. “I feel like my inner child is excited.”

Other fans skipped the tailgates and opted for the food, drinks and merchandise offered in the venue – with some celebrating in costume. The amphitheater’s brilliant lights reflected off of various bald caps sprinkled throughout the crowd, worn by fans who wanted to replicate Pitbull’s look.

Before Pitbull’s party onstage, T-Pain performed his well-known pieces, as well as remixes that included snippets of classical compositions. For one song, T-Pain performed a dance number to Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11, his footwork resembling that of a ballet dancer.

“(Pitbull’s) in his dressing room, putting on the tightest suit known to man,” T-Pain said. “Which means we need to bring some classiness and some fanciness to this stage before he gets out here.”

Many times throughout his performance, T-Pain yelled “Cheehoo!” The term originates from Samoa culture and is used in Hawaiian slang as an expression of excitement and happiness.

Each time the artist instructed the audience to clap their hands or raise their arms, nearly everyone did. The audience, which was mostly made up of members of Generation Z and older, hollered every time T-Pain busted a new dance move.

“Aw man, Pitbull’s gonna love you,” T-Pain said just before closing out his set.

The first half of Pitbull’s performance started with “Hotel Room Service,” “International Love” and “Rain Over Me.” The performance reached its finale after party hits including “Timber” and “Time of Our Lives.”

Before concluding with “Give Me Everything,” Pitbull thanked his high school teacher, Hope Martinez, attributing her faith in him as the reason he turned his life “from a negative to a positive.”

Pitbull also took the moment to share about the SLAM! Foundation, a non-profit K-12 education organization he started in 2012. He said his fans’ support is the reason SLAM now has 12 charter schools open.

“I want you to leave here tonight and appreciate every second, every minute, every day, every week, every month, every year,” Pitbull said. “That’s why I tell y’all all the time: live life, don’t let life live you. And I know you will remember. This. Mother. F***ing. Moment…Dale.”

Published on September 8, 2024 at 4:39 pm