September, 2000 - San Antonio

What happens when you lose all the gravity in your body and you just float on air? Direct from Argentina, Fito Paez came to the United States to do a previously canceled tour and to also pick up a few awards along the way.

A few weeks ago San Antonio was able to see a true living musical legend to many. He is one of the most recognizable Latin rock artists to the music industry and to the thousands of fans who follow him throughout Latin America especially in Central and South America.

The team of individuals who came along with Paez surely has forgotten of when they got their start and when people used to close doors on them. This is the feeling that we got when asked for an interview with the "master" and we were denied entrance backstage because surely time was running short and we could not interrupt "his majesty". That was truly interesting, not so much for the experience itself, but because that same night, there was a more or less known photographer and pseudo-journalist for various Latin Rock publications which was granted access backstage almost immediately after we were denied. At the same time we were informed that would only be allowed to take pictures only during the first song of the concert.

As soon as the event began, I took out my camera and took photos during the first song and as soon as it finished, I quickly put it away and saw the rest of the show. It was strange to see the previously mentioned photographer continue to take pictures, with flash, during the rest of the show. How is it possible that the other person was granted "privilege" above others and that other journalists are denied that same "privilege"? Maybe one should ask Paez's road manager.

The concert itself was mediocre. There were times when the 100 or so concert attendants were having fun. There were also times when they seemed extremely bored. Paez began the night playing a great deal of songs from his most recent album, Abre (Open), with songs such as: "Al Lado del Camino (Next to the Path)" and "Abre (Open)". The performance of these songs was good, melodramatic, but many times just too lengthy. The musicians that backed the Argentine up were really good. The sound and lights were also of impressive quality.

At a point during the night, between songs, several girls who were in attendance and knew his songs started to request songs from previous albums. They wanted to hear his mega-hit "Mariposa Tecknicolor (Technicolor Butterfly)". He did not only not satisfy their request, but in a very sarcastic tone said: "stop bothering…I don't want to listen to the buzz that is in my ear saying butterfly, butterfly; we are few, the night is long, the song will be played, so stop bothering me." You judge for yourselves.

The motive for the late start of the concert, about an hour and a half late, was that the attitude of his management was terrible and the same negative attitude by Paez towards his small audience took away my desire to stay and see the rest of the show. I just decided to leave and go to sleep.