The Texas heat had Gloria Trevi visibly uncomfortably drenched in sweat before she even sang the first note, but that was not going to stop Mexico’s pop icon from taking the near sold-out crowd at Austin’s Moody Amphitheater on Saturday (Aug. 27) night through a metaphoric journey of endurance, devotion, and passion to her Isla Divina.
Themed, theatrical concerts are a rarity amongst Latin pop stars but Trevi has never shied away from putting on a show. This time around, as she kicks off a long US tour this week in Texas that runs through November, she is embracing the recent challenges the world faced during the pandemic and smartly tying them up with the troubles of love and relationships that always take centerstage at her concerts.
To sum it up, Trevi and the audience embark on a voyage with the final destination being this divine island where happiness is abundant, hate is nonexistent, and anything is possible. And, her songs fit this narrative perfectly.
Trevi started off the show like she did her career. Her debut single ‘Que Hago Aqui?’ (what am I doing here?) appropriately opened things up. With a career spanning three decades, Trevi had to find a way to mix her vast amount of hits with her more current efforts which is why she quickly jumped into a six-song medley that included fan-favorite ballads such as ‘El Recuento De Los Daños’ and ‘Que Voy Hacer Sin El,’ as well as the more upbeat, reggaeton-infused tracks ‘Hijoepu*#’ and ‘Me Lloras’ which feature Karol G and Charly Black respectively.
“It is crazy how something so small, something invisible caused us so much harm,” she said in reference to the coronavirus when she first addressed the crowd. “We lost so many people we loved, but they will always be watching over us.”
This lead to ‘Tu Angel De La Guarda’ (your guardian angel) during which miraculously, if you believe in that, rain started falling from the sky and the unbearable heat diminished at the beautiful outdoor venue.
Trevi talked a lot throughout the show. In between playful sexual innuendos, she focused on the seriousness of the human spirit and being able to overcome anything and everything.
She even touched on femicides which have been a big problem in her home country of Mexico over the last few years. She went on to condemn those that infiltrate protests and resort to vandalism to tarnish the reputation of those speaking up. This fit in perfectly with her 1989 hit ‘Dr. Psiquiatra’ in which her dancers dressed as vandals amidst a background set to a mental hospital. “I’m not crazy, I’m just desperate,” she sang.
Following that first act during her two-hour show, it was time to finally sail the seas in search of this island. She jumped on a boat that appeared on stage and performed some of her 2000s hits such as ‘Cinco Minutos’ and ‘En Medio De La Tempestad.’
After reaching land, in what was one of the highlights of the night, she gave her 1991 hit ‘Pelo Suelto’ a cumbia-like arrangement that had the audience dancing despite the rain intensifying. She kept the energy up with ‘Con Los Ojos Cerrados’ before engaging in passionate sing-a-longs with fans on ‘El Favor De La Soledad’ and ‘Vestida De Azucar.” She even introduced her alter ego Mr. Trevi – sporting man’s beach clothes and even a faux six pack prosthetic – to perform a great cover of Raphael’s ‘Como Yo Te Amo.’
The end of the show had an atlantis theme as her dancers sported costumes with a poisedon meets a warrior aesthetic. Trevi, covered in a dazzling blue short dress with a golden armpiece, did her version of Laura Branigan’s ‘Gloria’ which has become a big to-do in her repertoire throughout her touring career. She then moved on to her collaboration with Spanish singer Monica Naranjo, ‘Grande,’ which appears on her Isla Divina album and hit number one in Mexico recently. The song that ultimately revived her career in 2006 and enforced the fandom of the LGBT community towards her, ‘Todos Me Miran,’ came next to the biggest pop from the audience of the night. 2019’s Diosa De La Noche single ‘Abranse Perras’ closed out the main set before she turned up again for a one-song encore of the emotive ‘Siempre A Mi.’
All these years into a storied career, Gloria Trevi is perhaps at her very best on stage. The Isla Divina World Tour is easily a must-see production as one of the finest shows on the road right now by an international star.
The Isla Divina World Tour continues through November with stops in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and many more cities across the United States.
