Rauw Alejandro provides an audio, visual feast for reggaetón aficionados

If there’s a comfort zone for Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro, he didn’t seem to park himself in it Friday night at the Save Mart Center.

He pranced.

He danced.

He demonstrated why his blend of reggaetón, ballads, Latin R&B and rhythmic pop sets him apart from a growing legion of Puerto Rican reggaetoneros. (Shakira has tapped him to collaborate with her on ‘Te Felicito,’ a single that will premiere on April 22).

He ruled the stage much like a trainer gets a seal to perform tricks for food morsels … except that it was the 29-year-old singer – already the owner of one Latin Grammy Award – who delivered the treats to an attentive audience that didn’t sit down during the more than 1½-hour performance.

His high-energy show – which included a dozen dancers and a surprise appearance by De La Geezy – was most likely fed by the pandemic that basically shut down most live concerts worldwide for almost two years.

Rauw Alejandro alluded to it in his website prior to kicking off his ‘Rauw Arena Tour,’ which opened in the U.S. at the Barclays Center in New York City and continues with a Saturday stop at The Forum in Los Ángeles.

“I miss doing shows too much, visiting different countries and being able to connect with the public. The mandatory pause that COVID-19 caused has only increased by desire to deliver more and a better show. See you soon,” he posted.

The show was a production of Elite Media and Marketing.

Rauw’s pent-up energy was fueled by smoke, fire, streamers, laser lights and six giant screens that gave the audience a more intimate look at the singer who has made Caribbean trap music a worldwide phenomenon.

One of his Youtube music videos, ‘Todo de Ti,’ has gotten more than half a billion views since May 2021. ‘Tattoo Remix,’ in which he paired with Camilo, has more than 711 million views since July 2020.

But Friday night, the largely Mexican crowd at the Save Mart Center savored Rauw in person. Last year, he appeared at the Rainbow Ballroom.

“I missed him last year. I didn’t want to miss him this time,” said a twenty-something man from Merced. “He’s original. He does his own thing.”

Rauw, who began his show at 9:17 p.m., bantered with the audience in English and Spanish. He often got them to sing back portions of his hit songs like ‘Museo.’

His reward?

An audience that never sat down for the entire show, and at least a couple of bras that were thrown at him.