Concert Review: Christian Nodal
On October 28th, Christian Nodal brought his Foraji2 Tour to Mohegan Sun in Montville, CT. I’ve spent the past week pondering where I should start with this review, only to come up with the most obvious answer, the beginning. When I first arrived at the venue I was stunned by just how back the line to get through security was. Hundreds of Nodal’s die-hard fans stood anxiously waiting to get inside. Men and women were sporting cowboy hats and boots, some even brandishing elaborately glitzy belt buckles. There was an obvious unspoken theme to the dress code for the night that the fans picked up on long before arriving. I couldn’t help but notice that a large amount of the audience tonight spent their time pre-gaming the concert at the various restaurants and bars throughout the casino. This definitely kept their spirits up as they waited to enter the venue.
Photographed by Natalie Colon for Melodía Magazine
Once in the photo pit, I could tell the audience was ready to get on their feet for Christian’s performance. People were vibing with the music playing over the speakers and waiting in anticipation for the lights to dim low signifying Christian’s entrance. The audience was waiting, and waiting, and waiting… Christian still hadn't made his way on stage an hour and a half after the scheduled start time. I was just as confused as the audience, wondering where he was. Suddenly the lights dim and out not Christian. Instead, it’s a young man in a beige cowboy hat and blazer. He began to sing as Chrisitan’s band joined him on stage. At this point, the crowd was ecstatic that they could finally listen to some live music, even if it wasn’t Christian. For an hour he serenaded the crowd with classics like “La Chona”. I want to note that this individual had a stunning vocal range with a pleasant tone and sharp vocal clarity. A few songs in an overeager fan attempted to storm the stage to hug him. Luckily security took hold of the situation and no one was injured. The singer then passed the mic over to his bandmate so he could descend the stage and interact with the fans. This small gesture of kindness resonated with the crowd as people all over the left section of the arena made their way down to snap a photo with him. His impromptu photo session worked to help tame the crowd as people had begun to get a bit rowdy about Christian’s absence. After that brief intermission, he returned to the stage to continue for about an hour or so.
Photographed by Natalie Colon for Melodía Magazine
As the band left the stage the audience grew hopeful that Christian would make an appearance soon, and honestly, so did I. About 30 minutes later the band came out once more adorned in Mariachi outfits, and I was hopeful this marked the start of Christian’s set. Instead, another band member stepped up to the mic and began singing. The crowd had been good sports most of the night. The show’s start time was 8:00 pm and we were nearing 10:30 pm without any sign of the headlining act. It's also important to note there was not supposed to be an opener for this show. Unfortunately at this point, the audience began to turn on the band who was doing their best to keep everyone’s spirits up. His band members were the true MVPs of the night taking every moment in stride until his arrival. The Mohegan Sun staff also did their best to keep the audience calm ensuring that Christian would be there soon, and patiently listening as some fans aired out their grievances.
Photographed by Natalie Colon for Melodía Magazine
The crowd began to get rowdy wondering where Christian was. Luckily around 11 pm, the lights dimmed once more, and we were greeted with the opening of “Se Me Olvido” as Christian rose from a platform below the steps on stage. The crowd erupted in cheers genuinely ecstatic that he had finally made his entrance. A collective moment of relief rushed over myself and the staff at the venue, as the crowd’s mood shifted for the better. A couple of songs in Christian detail the reason behind his delay which was a flight booked for the wrong time. He went on to say that there was a mishap with his flight booking as they didn’t consider the time change which caused his delay to the venue. Although by “Botella Tras Botella” the audience did not seem to hold a grudge. Christian gave a note-worthy vocal performance which was incredibly impressive seeing as he was on the move for what I can only assume was an extremely long day of travel. It was admirable that Christian played his full set although he may have faced penalties from the venue. He powered through the unfortunate circumstances and delivered a memorable performance.
Photographed by Natalie Colon for Melodía Magazine
To catch Christian Nodal on the rest of his Foraji2 Tour click here. Stream his music here.
