Editor’s Note: Some of the songs mentioned and linked below may contain profanity. 

By Arya Gupta

Lil’ Jon performing. Photo credit: Arya Gupta.

Though quite warm, I refused to let a little sweat ruin my bald cap experience. I was wearing a black skirt, my dad’s collared white shirt, a black tie, and of course my Spirit Halloween tan bald cap. After eight months of waiting and planning, the moment had finally arrived.

On August 17, my parents, Atul and Reena Gupta, Ekta Sethi (‘29), and I got in the car and began our three-hour drive to Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater in Bristow, Virginia. We arrived around 7:30 p.m., grabbed dinner inside, and then quickly scurried to our seats. Not long after, Lil’ John bounded onto stage and hyped up the crowd. Playing his hits like “Shots,” “Turn Down for What,” “Get Low,” and incorporating other artists’ songs into his own, such as “Yeah” by Usher, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, and “Party Rock Anthem” by Lauren Bennett, Lil’ John was able to get everyone up and moving. 

While Pitbull has been singing since the early 2000’s, the bald cap phenomenon didn’t start until earlier this decade, when fans began showing up at his concerts dressed like Mr. Worldwide himself. The concert outfit went viral on TikTok, turning the costume into a tradition at concerts. Ever since I was a child, numerous car rides with my father have been spent listening to Pitbull. He loves Pitbull because of the ”high energy in the music and the fact he does a lot of collabs.” Pitbull brought that same energy to family and friend events, which is where Sethi first discovered her love for the Cuban American singer. 

Fans wearing bald caps at a Pitbull concert. Photo credit: PA via itv.com. 

At around 9:25, Pitbull came on to stage blasting “Don’t Stop The Party.” I put my sunglasses on, grabbed Sethi’s hand, and started screaming, letting myself be engulfed by the music, without a care in the world. Pitbull was joined by his dance troupe, “The Most Bad Ones,” or “Las Mas Malas,” which is captained by Michelle Burgos. A few songs later, he played a classic, “Hotel Room Service,” and while I was already breathing hard and dripping, I still was determined to wear my bald cap the whole concert, no matter how sweaty it got. 

After “Hotel Room Service,” Pitbull boasted that this was his first show back in the United States for the second leg of the tour, which I was not aware of, and it made the experience all the more exciting. While my parents may have not been as enthusiastic as me, or as in shape physically to dance the night away, I was delighted to have Sethi by my side, who was copying whatever I did, whether it was jump, scream, or dance. 

Pitbull at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2020. Photo credit: Taimy Alvarez.

Ten songs in, I turned to my mom and screamed extremely loud as the intro to “Suavemente,” my favorite 2018 Just Dance Video Game song, filled my ears. I flailed my arms around to whatever dance moves I remembered, probably embarrassing Sethi, but having the time of my life. After “Suavemente,” he played “Can’t Stop Us Now,” “On the Floor,” and a few more. However, between every ten songs, Pitbull would go backstage and leave us with his DJ, DJ Laz, who made the concert incomparably more entertaining by playing upbeat anthems like “Hello,” “Danza Kudura,” and “Baby.” While some took this break to relax and rest their feet, Sethi and I were bouncing around, giving it our all. Sethi said she “enjoyed how Pitbull made me feel alive when I really needed it!”  

My favorite part of Pitbull’s concert wasn’t when I was singing my favorite song, but rather when I was attempting to sing an unfamiliar one. As I squinted my eyes and concentrated, in hopes that it would help me identify the song, I felt the crowd around me re-energize. I swayed and hopped, not understanding a single word he said until we got the chorus, and everyone shouted one thing, “Culo!” While I may not have known 99% of the words to the song, being able to scream the one word I knew with everyone else, which shows how easily it is to feel included in Pitbull’s community, and how his music draws people in. 

Just as I thought his concert was coming to an end, “Gasolina”  by Daddy Yankee pumped onto the speakers as he danced along to it onstage. He then proceeded to play “Damn I Love Miami,” “Timber,” and ended with what I thought was “Feel this Moment.” Before exiting the stage, he gave a speech on his accomplishments and expressed gratitude to everyone for believing in him and helping him get to where he is now. 

Pitbull at Acrisure Amphitheater in Michigan last month. Photo credit: Veronica Ann Dearborn. 

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, grew up in Little Havana, Miami, rapping poetry lines to his father as far back as kindergarten. His father and mother later divorced due to his father’s drug addiction, which Pitbull struggled with also, causing him to end up in foster care at 16. After witnessing his exceptional lyrical rapping abilities, Hope Martinez, his high school’s drama teacher, helped improve his talent and even helped him get into a DMX rap battle video, where he displayed his talents. It was there that he used the name Pitbull for the first time, choosing it because “[pitbulls] bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. They’re basically everything that I am. It’s been a constant fight.” After graduating, Pitbull’s real fame started after he met Lil’ Jon and the two produced “Pitbulls Cuban Rideout” in 2002, and soon after their song “Culo” rose to the top of the charts. 

Crowd of bald heads. Photo credit: Emily Bashforth.

At the concert, Pitbull spoke about what it was like growing up and thanked his teacher for seeing the light in him that he, and others, failed too. His love for teachers and kids led him to launch 14 public charter schools through SLAM foundation, now serving more than 7000 kids. At the concert, Pitbull showed photos of his students and schools, grinning from the side of the stage like a proud dad.

After thanking us for attending and thanking his dancers, he disappeared from view, and people began exiting their seats, thinking the concert had ended. However, having some concert experience, I knew he was going to come back out soon, for he’d not yet played “Fireball.” As I predicted, about five minutes later he hopped back onto stage for an encore, singing “Time of Our Lives.” When the cheering stopped, silence settled in the air until a whooping, fiery guitar, and clapping beat filled it. “Fireball,” his most recognizable tune, flooded into our ears as the crowd lit up, stomping their feet and shaking their bodies. Though I was drained, my energy quickly shifted from a negative to a positive. Pitbull performed his witty rap and added a build-up to the final “Fireball,” bringing the intensity and energy. When he finally reached “FIREBALL,” Sethi and I flung our hands up into the air and jumped. 

Photo credit: Arya Gupta.

Makeup smeared and dehydrated, I slung my arm around Sethi’s shoulders as the final song, “Give me Everything,” swirled into my ears. I let the song captivate me, not yet ready to leave the festive environment Pitbull had created.

While hearing my favorite artists and songs live is unforgettable, it’s the people I share it with that truly stick with me. Being able to share our love for music and feed off each other’s energy always makes the experience much more fulfilling and amusing. By living in the moment and leaving our outside worries behind, we, a crowd of strangers, are able to bond creating an unforgettable and electrifying night.