Pitbull Brought the Party to St. Louis with Lil Jon
–by Carrie Ogle
There are concerts, and then there are concerts that basically turn the entire amphitheater into one giant party. Pitbull’s stop at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis was definitely the second kind.
Lil Jon was the perfect person to get the night started. From the minute he hit the stage, the energy jumped. He joked about the days of partying in clubs until 3 a.m. and talked about how grateful he was to still be out there doing what he loves.
He also got serious for a minute and talked about losing his son this year. He said he was going to honor him by continuing to live and do what he loves – performing. It was a really touching moment in the middle of such a high-energy set.
Then came Mr. Worldwide.
You seriously could not have fit another person into the amphitheater. The place was packed, and for a late-September night in St. Louis, it was absolutely stifling – hot, humid and sticky from the start. Honestly, it felt pretty fitting for a Pitbull show.
And the crowd completely committed to the theme. There were hundreds of concertgoers dressed like Pitbull, walking around in black suits, bald caps and sunglasses. Seeing so many mini “Mr. Worldwides” throughout the amphitheater made the whole night even more fun before Pitbull ever stepped onstage.
Pitbull hit the stage and barely let the energy drop for the rest of the night. The production was huge – massive video screens, dancers, a full band, lights, smoke effects and a stage show that constantly had something happening.
The setlist was basically hit after hit. He opened with “Don’t Stop the Party” and rolled through “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)”, “Hotel Room Service”, “International Love”, “Rain Over Me”, “I Feel Good”, “Suave”, “Feel This Moment”, “Fireball” and “Give Me Everything.” He also worked in songs he’s featured on or closely associated with, including “On the Floor”, “I Like It”, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” and “Gasolina.” By that point, the entire amphitheater was one giant sing-along.
There was also a fun moment when Filmore joined him for “Yeehaw,” which added another little twist to a show that already had plenty going on.
As a photographer, this show was just fun to shoot. There was always something happening -dancers, lights, smoke blasts, huge screens. It was one of those shows where you almost didn’t know where to point your camera first.
Pitbull looked like he was having just as much fun as everyone else. He smiled constantly, worked the whole stage and kept the energy up from start to finish.
This was easily one of the most entertaining shows I’ve photographed this year. Lil Jon brought the party, Pitbull kept it going, and St. Louis was more than happy to come along for the ride.
Mr. Worldwide definitely delivered.
Be sure to check out the full gallery of photos from the evening after the setlist below.
Pitbull Setlist:
Don’t Stop the Party
Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)
Hotel Room Service
International Love
Rain Over Me
I Feel Good
Suave
Yeehaw – Filmore cover, with Filmore
On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez cover
I Like It – Enrique Iglesias cover
DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love – Usher cover
Feel This Moment
Gasolina – Daddy Yankee cover
Fireball
Give Me Everything