Calle 13 mania is taking over and all I can say is it’s about time…

I got to see them perform live last night for the first time at Nokia Theater and it was pretty amazing. Though I don’t know who really made the show more: Residente or his lil sis Ileana (aka PG-13) with her parasol antics on stage. Who needs an official hype man when you can have your lil sis on stage dancing around with an open parasol? She is just too darn cute! I wanna be like her when I grow up. One thing is for sure, this family loves what they do, it was written all over their faces the entire show. They live to perform and engage crowds and engage they did – leaving everyone screaming for an encore.

The show was great, covering songs from all three albums (the new one is set to drop October 21st) with lots of hardcore Boricua spanglish weaved in the interludes. It ended abruptly with the anthem “Atrévete-Te” and even though the crowd chanted for an encore, the venue wouldn’t let it go down. While the drummer was still on stage ready to start up another tune the union shut the lights back on and threw on salsa music to signal it was time for everyone to gets-to-stepping.

While they never made it to perform my personal fave song “La Jirafa” (I know, it’s too darn sappy) they did introduce us to a new track off their upcoming album Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo. In true Calle 13 fashion,  “Que Lloren” attacks the music industry and talks about the politics behind it and how people are sell-outs in reggaeton right now – calling out Ivy Queen and Wisin and Yandel (surely for their temper tantrum at the Latin Grammys when Calle 13 won and they didn’t). It’s a hot song, check it out here.

Residente and Visitante have been enlightening and entertaining listeners with their unique brand of “alternative” Latin hip hop since 2005. I myself have been a fan of their antics and snarky lyrics not since “Atrévete- Te”, but rather since they spoke out against the U.S. F.B.I for killing Filiberto Ojeda Ríos in “Querido F.B.I.” What I love about them most is their versatility. One minute they are dissing Puff Daddy in “Pididi” the next Residente is singing a love poem with beautiful metaphors and imagery in “La Jirafa.” I love that song for its surrealist qualities, both in the lyrics and the video. It’s this versatility that has won them 5 Latin Grammy awards and one Grammy. I look forward to what else they have in store for us on the new album.

Check out more political musings from Calle 13 as Artist of the Week on MTV here.

Photos via Getty