26 January 2020 (gig)
30 January 2020
Latin-music sensation Marc Anthony, who performed a live show at the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts on January 27, 2020, was a grand celebration of a musical myriad of genres from salsa, bachata, soul, and love serenades.
A massive 17-piece backing band recreated Anthony's mesmerizing creations. Anthony, in the midst of his "Opus Tour 2020," made his way to the microphone onstage with flair by walking down a set of lighted stairs, sporting sunglasses, fashionably torn jeans, and a stylish mid-length coat. He blasted his way through scorching versions of "Valió la pena" ("It Was Worth"), "Y hubo alguien" ("And There Was Someone"), "Flor pálida, ("Pale Flower"), a smash hit for Anthony from seven years back, and "Hasta ayer" ("Until Yesterday") which brought the Boston crowd to their dancing feet, and they rarely sat down during the night.
"Contra la corriente" ("Against the Current"), was amazing, but the heat of the song was upped a level due to the amazing drum (and bongo) spotlight solo from the band's percussionists.
A mid-set cover of José Luis Perales' 1982's "Y cómo es él?" ("And What Is He Like?") was a great revamping of the classic song of a jealous man whose lover was poached by another.
As the show was held the same night as the Grammy Awards, an amazing moment came when the huge screen over the stage showed the cover of Anthony's "Opus" album, and informed the audience that the disc had just won a Grammy for the Tropical Album of the year, which led to a well-deserved thunderous audience ovation. Anthony said that while the Grammys were in Los Angeles, he was much happier to be celebrating in "Boston."
Of all the material from "Opus," "Parecen Viernes," a single from the record which reached number one on the Tropical Airplay chart last summer, is a sizzling dance floor masterpiece, and propelled the hips of the Boston audience even more.
In the wake of the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant earlier this same day, a replica of Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers shirt hung on the top of the stairs on the stage. As Anthony tried to sing a tribute to Bryant, Anthony was brought to tears and let the band finish the song. The moment was beyond emotional and it elicited a massive "Kobe" chant from the audience. It was impossible to not feel the pain that Anthony was enduring and was a rare real (albeit extremely sad) show of true emotion from a celebrity.
Opening the night was comedian Joey Vega, who delivered a very funny routine of comedic scenarios and playfully poked fun at stereotypes, security members near the stage, and the unlucky ones who were getting to their seats during his routine. The set was highlighted when he brought actor Luis Guzman to the stage, joking that Guzman has been in almost every movie ever made. While Vega has not graced the acting world as much as Guzman, he has made appearances in vehicles as "The Sopranos" and the 1998 Matt Damon/Ed Norton film, "Rounders."
