So...the concert. I'm a big fan of Vicente Fernández, I like his voice, I like his demeanor, I think he's kind of cute for an old man and he looks a lot like my father. I also like him as an example of a lot of cultural beliefs in Mexico, but I'll talk about that later.
We went back to the hotel to rest before the concert but ended up watching a weird old sci-fi movie on tv. It ended at 10pm which is when the concert started so we were late. Luckily it was only 5 or so blocks to the bull ring and got there fast in a cab.
Because we were late, the door we were supposed to use was closed. There was a young Mexican guy and his girlfriend also trying to get in that door. He was very insistent and I just kind of stood behind them to see if he would succeed. I knew if he didn't we sure wouldn't. Finally, they told him they would let him in there but that they would not let him farther on. He stormed off dragging the girlfriend and I grabbed Mimi and we tried to keep up. He passed the main entrance which is where they had told him to go and went on up the street a ways to another door. He blustered at the guard and they were let in, Mimi and I just showed our tickets too and went in right behind them. Much to our surprise, it was the backstage door and the couple went right into an RV they had parked there for performers.
Mimi and I went on into the ring and were treated like we had a back stage pass and allowed to stand near the stage. They told us that they couldn't get us to our seats until the lights came up but that they would help us as soon as they could. I didn't care, we were really close and I had a good view although Mimi's wasn't so hot. Vicente was already singing, he must have gone on right at 10pm, we arrived about 10:20. A little later, the house lights came on for a minute and a guy came and led us to another side of the ring. It was clear that we weren't going to get to our assigned seats which were up in the stands, 3 rows back. Those seats cost about $65 US and the ones down on the floor of the ring cost from $100 to $125.
So for another while we stood on the stairs next to the pit where they had the bar setup. We had a great view and a railing to lean on, I was happy there. A while later though another guy came and said to follow him. He took us along the edge of the ring and put us in a reserved row down on the field. We were about 10 rows from the stage in the high priced seats. Really nice. As Mimi said, it often pays to be late.
He was incredible! He was alone on the stage, his band was in a pit around it, and he held the crowd in his hands all night. He would occasionally stop singing and cup his hand behind his ear and hold the mike out to the crowd, everyone in that huge stadium could sing every word of his songs. The crowd was like a huge chorus, they sang with him all night.
It was very different than concerts in the US, very different. For one thing no one was searched coming in, everyone had a bottle, they sold set ups and ice along with beer. There were guys walking through the crowd selling french fries and cotton candy. The crowd yelled and cheered and raised their glasses to him and their hands in salute. Frequently a roar of "Vicente, Vicente" would go around the ring, other times they would use his nickname "Chente". I heard guys behind me yelling "Queremos Vicente" (we love you Vicente) and calling him "Papa".
He was dressed in the traditional charro suit, with silver conchos on the pants, the knotted scarf tie and ... a silver holster and pistol! The holster and gun butt were solid, engraved silver and they flashed as they caught the lights.
He sang and sang, he drank a clear liquid from plastic cups that I know wasn't water. As the night wore on, people would pass him bottles from the audience and he would carry them for a song and take a swig and pass it back. He smoked cigarettes, he talked a little more between songs as it got later, he raised his glass and said "salud" to the crowd and glasses were raised back at him from all the around the ring. With the opening bars of a song from the band, he would lean back and pump his fists, his joy in singing and his joy in the crowd was palapable.
The crowd was wonderful. There were all ages, from well dressed matrons to 20 something tough guys to 40 something professionals to cowboys of all ages. Everyone was smiling, laughing, cheering, drinking and singing along with every song. That's another difference between Mexico and the US, I can't imagine anyone that could draw a crowd this diverse in age in the US and have all of them thrilled to be there and knowing every word of every song.
Mimi and I were by no means the whitest people there but we were the only gringos that I spotted. We felt completely comfortable. We were sitting behind a row of young guys and one girl in their late teens and they were drinking steadily. Even late when they were clearly pretty loaded, they were nice, they were respectful and they were friendly. As it got later, another group of young men moved to the railing right behind and over us. They were sloppy drunk and my only complaint was when they started singing and chanting I couldn't hear what Vicente was saying between songs. I also didn't like them slopping beer on me but each time it happened they apologized.
His voice is like deep, dark velvet. So strong that he often had to move the mike out as far as his arm reached when he was really pouring it out. I love the tone of his voice, even when he is talking it is a really smooth deep sound. His stage presence is incredible, he worked the crowd like the pro he is. He is relaxed and comfortable and he makes you feel you are in a small club instead of a huge bull ring. A round stage is tough on a performer but he moved to all sides evenly without it looking contrived.
Somewhere around 1am they brought out a small table and chair and he sat for 2 or 3 songs. Even then he moved the chair all around the table, never leaving anyone behind him for long. The man is almost 70 years old, I couldn't believe his stamina.
Mimi got this great shot of a young cowboy across the arena with his son in his arms. He was singing along to the boy and holding his hand up in salute to Vicente.
...continued
We went back to the hotel to rest before the concert but ended up watching a weird old sci-fi movie on tv. It ended at 10pm which is when the concert started so we were late. Luckily it was only 5 or so blocks to the bull ring and got there fast in a cab.
Because we were late, the door we were supposed to use was closed. There was a young Mexican guy and his girlfriend also trying to get in that door. He was very insistent and I just kind of stood behind them to see if he would succeed. I knew if he didn't we sure wouldn't. Finally, they told him they would let him in there but that they would not let him farther on. He stormed off dragging the girlfriend and I grabbed Mimi and we tried to keep up. He passed the main entrance which is where they had told him to go and went on up the street a ways to another door. He blustered at the guard and they were let in, Mimi and I just showed our tickets too and went in right behind them. Much to our surprise, it was the backstage door and the couple went right into an RV they had parked there for performers. Mimi and I went on into the ring and were treated like we had a back stage pass and allowed to stand near the stage. They told us that they couldn't get us to our seats until the lights came up but that they would help us as soon as they could. I didn't care, we were really close and I had a good view although Mimi's wasn't so hot. Vicente was already singing, he must have gone on right at 10pm, we arrived about 10:20. A little later, the house lights came on for a minute and a guy came and led us to another side of the ring. It was clear that we weren't going to get to our assigned seats which were up in the stands, 3 rows back. Those seats cost about $65 US and the ones down on the floor of the ring cost from $100 to $125.
So for another while we stood on the stairs next to the pit where they had the bar setup. We had a great view and a railing to lean on, I was happy there. A while later though another guy came and said to follow him. He took us along the edge of the ring and put us in a reserved row down on the field. We were about 10 rows from the stage in the high priced seats. Really nice. As Mimi said, it often pays to be late.He was incredible! He was alone on the stage, his band was in a pit around it, and he held the crowd in his hands all night. He would occasionally stop singing and cup his hand behind his ear and hold the mike out to the crowd, everyone in that huge stadium could sing every word of his songs. The crowd was like a huge chorus, they sang with him all night.
It was very different than concerts in the US, very different. For one thing no one was searched coming in, everyone had a bottle, they sold set ups and ice along with beer. There were guys walking through the crowd selling french fries and cotton candy. The crowd yelled and cheered and raised their glasses to him and their hands in salute. Frequently a roar of "Vicente, Vicente" would go around the ring, other times they would use his nickname "Chente". I heard guys behind me yelling "Queremos Vicente" (we love you Vicente) and calling him "Papa". He was dressed in the traditional charro suit, with silver conchos on the pants, the knotted scarf tie and ... a silver holster and pistol! The holster and gun butt were solid, engraved silver and they flashed as they caught the lights.
He sang and sang, he drank a clear liquid from plastic cups that I know wasn't water. As the night wore on, people would pass him bottles from the audience and he would carry them for a song and take a swig and pass it back. He smoked cigarettes, he talked a little more between songs as it got later, he raised his glass and said "salud" to the crowd and glasses were raised back at him from all the around the ring. With the opening bars of a song from the band, he would lean back and pump his fists, his joy in singing and his joy in the crowd was palapable.
The crowd was wonderful. There were all ages, from well dressed matrons to 20 something tough guys to 40 something professionals to cowboys of all ages. Everyone was smiling, laughing, cheering, drinking and singing along with every song. That's another difference between Mexico and the US, I can't imagine anyone that could draw a crowd this diverse in age in the US and have all of them thrilled to be there and knowing every word of every song. 
Mimi and I were by no means the whitest people there but we were the only gringos that I spotted. We felt completely comfortable. We were sitting behind a row of young guys and one girl in their late teens and they were drinking steadily. Even late when they were clearly pretty loaded, they were nice, they were respectful and they were friendly. As it got later, another group of young men moved to the railing right behind and over us. They were sloppy drunk and my only complaint was when they started singing and chanting I couldn't hear what Vicente was saying between songs. I also didn't like them slopping beer on me but each time it happened they apologized.
His voice is like deep, dark velvet. So strong that he often had to move the mike out as far as his arm reached when he was really pouring it out. I love the tone of his voice, even when he is talking it is a really smooth deep sound. His stage presence is incredible, he worked the crowd like the pro he is. He is relaxed and comfortable and he makes you feel you are in a small club instead of a huge bull ring. A round stage is tough on a performer but he moved to all sides evenly without it looking contrived. 
Somewhere around 1am they brought out a small table and chair and he sat for 2 or 3 songs. Even then he moved the chair all around the table, never leaving anyone behind him for long. The man is almost 70 years old, I couldn't believe his stamina. Mimi got this great shot of a young cowboy across the arena with his son in his arms. He was singing along to the boy and holding his hand up in salute to Vicente.
...continued
posted by Jonna at 9:38 PM
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