Gratitude and a light rain fell on a crowd of thousands as RBD – that’s Rebelde, the fictional band turned real-life superstars – played their final North American dates in Los Angeles on 22 October. After announcing a comeback tour earlier this year, the Mexican pop group hit the road for 30 dates across the U.S., wrapping up the final leg – four sold-out nights at BMO Stadium – with a final bow over the weekend.
“Thank you for giving us these nights of love, fun and nostalgia,” said member Maite Perroni, who played Lupita’s girl-next-door character on Rebelde. The teen drama series became a huge success and a favourite among young Latin American viewers after the first of hundreds of episodes aired in 2004. Set in the halls of the fictional Elite Way private school in Mexico City, the show followed a group of musically inclined young students – played by Perroni, Christopher von Uckermann, Dulce María, Anahí, Christian Chavez and Alfonso Herra, the latter of whom was absent from this tour.
“Rebelde has several variations in different Latin American countries, and the Elite Way school still serves as the basis for the Spanish television series Elite, created for Netflix and currently in its seventh season.
Before disbanding in 2009, RBD released nine studio albums in Spanish, Portuguese and English and played sold-out shows around the world. Prior to this tour, it had been more than a decade since RBD last performed in person (the group will reunite for a virtual show in 2020).
“It’s been a challenge for us, but at the same time it’s been the greatest gift we could have ever received,” Perroni continued in one of the many thankful speeches each member gave throughout the evening. “Thank you for insisting, for staying here – for being here, you’ve always been here for us.
The BMO shows marked the first four-night run in the building’s history and were the venue’s highest-grossing multi-night show ever, according to Live Nation, who produced the trek. Much of the set list remained anchored in the group’s biggest hits – from opener ‘Tras de Mí’ to heartfelt closer ‘Rebelde’, which saw the band trade in their glitzy stage attire for the red blazer and tie that served as the Elite Way uniform on the show.
The concert also gave each member ample opportunity to shine as a solo artist. Anahí has publicly stated that this tour is her “farewell to the thing I’ve loved doing the most in my life”, and that sentiment was on display as she delivered chilling falsettos during her rendition of ‘Sálvame’, which is the group’s most streamed single on Spotify with over 200 million plays. The performance was preceded by a video message encouraging fans to “embrace the heart of your inner child”.
Chávez, who only came out as gay after the group had already broken up, shone in an all-pink mariachi ensemble during a performance of “Tu Amor”, half in English and half in Spanish. “We were born with the universal and undeniable right to be ourselves,” Chávez’s voice boomed in the video message that preceded his solo performance.
The stage design was also incredibly impressive in its scale: During solo performances, such as von Uckermann’s piano rendition of ‘Inalcanzable’, members of the group descended on stage attached to giant neon-lit props that dropped them at various points around the stage.
When the show finally came to an end at 11pm – marked by fireworks and red and white confetti in the shape of little ties – the celebrations continued just outside BMO, where a man had set up a loudspeaker and DJ deck to play classic Latin party favourites such as ‘La Chona’ and ‘El Beeper’. Rebelde will continue to party until 1 December with more sold-out stadium shows across Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
