Los Bukis make Milwaukee history with triumphant Mexican Fiesta 50th anniversary kickoff in 2023

You only turn 50 once.

The organizers of Mexican Fiesta in Milwaukee really made it count.

On the eve of the festival's 50th anniversary at Maier Festival Park, Fiesta officials, with help from Madison-based, Live Nation-backed promoter FPC Live and Summerfest parent company Milwaukee World Festival, booked a special kickoff concert at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater with one of the most popular Mexican bands of all time, Los Bukis.

Led by Marco Antonio Solís, who's doing his own arena and amphitheater tour right now, the Latin pop band has played fewer than 20 shows since reuniting in 2021. Those shows, including two sold-out SoFi Stadium gigs in Los Angeles for 70,000 people each, followed a 25-year hiatus.

That they played for two hours and 37 minutes Thursday — for about 20,000 people in a packed amphitheater — for one of only two performances this year is the sort of jaw-dropping booking rarely seen in Milwaukee. The only apt comparison within the past decade was when the Rolling Stones played the amphitheater to kick off Summerfest on a 2015 stadium tour that skipped over New York and Chicago.

So this was a very, very big deal.

But Solís and his six longtime bandmates — the newest member, José "Pepe" Guadarrama, joined way back in 1988 — kept their egos in check. They certainly dressed the part of flashy superstars, wearing matching shimmering gold-and-black-checkered shirts, sequin-loaded loafers and black leather pants.

But the humility, grace and tenderness that's the key to their catchy catalog extended to the stage Thursday. Each member spoke at least once, with a musician speaking practically after every song. They showered the audience with countless words of gratitude, and lifted up their fellow "paisanos" with sweet speeches about the power of love. Solís spoke movingly about how cultural roots and family bonds sustain us through difficult times like the pandemic and political turmoil, and the band recognized people from nearly every state of Mexico — to rousing cheers.

Los Bukis may have had their name on the marquee, but gestures like those made it clear this night was a celebration of everyone.

And fitting for Mexican Fiesta, it was a celebration of Mexico and the Mexican people, the beauty and the struggles.

"Los Alambrados," a corrido from 1978 telling the tale of two migrants trying to cross the Mexico border for a better life, was accompanied by black-and-white footage with protests that included one sign that read "Build Bridges Not Walls."

And a smitten rendition of "Morenita" from 1993 had the packed crowd swooning and singing at the top of their lungs. On paper, Solís, true to Los Bukis' romantically phrased disposition, pines for a woman who "stays in my chest forever," whose absence makes his loneliness feel like death. But Thursday, the "Morenita" he sang to was Mexico itself, with gorgeous footage of an Aztec temple, pan dulce, food vendors, dancers and more cultural touchstones, with Solís at one point joyously mirroring the movements of the women dancing in Jalisco dresses on the screen behind him.

But in terms of dancing Thursday, no one in Los Bukis busted out better moves than Eusebio "Chivo" Cortéz — arguably, the most animated bassist gigging today outside of Flea. Cortéz peppered most of the night's 33 songs with leg kicks, hip shakes, festive spins and peacock-style strutting, his wiggling getting especially wild for 1991's "Chiquilla Bonita."

Joel Solís, cousin to Marco Antonio and the band's only other remaining co-founder, shuffled his shoes a bit, too, but where he really shined were his guitar solos, particularly his groovy electric licks for 1982's "Yo Te Necesito" and 1986's "Me Volví A Acordar De Ti," and some lush, Spanish-guitar-style sizzle for the big-hearted 1992 ballad "Mi Mayor Necesidad."

Percussionist Jose Javier Solís (Marco Antonio's younger brother) and drummer Pedro Sánchez supplied the night's irresistible rhythms, with Marco Antonio Solís getting behind his own percussion station, twirling his drum sticks and smacking the metal sides of drums, and adding extra bounce to setlist highlights like "Mi Najayita," "Viva El Amor," "Mi Pobre Corazón” and “Dime Dónde Y Cuándo."

And keyboard-playing Guadarrama brothers Roberto and José (aka "Pepe") led the waves of nostalgia with lush melodies, supplemented by a sugary sax solo from "Pepe" for Los Bukis' ultimate romantic ballad, 1992's "Quiéreme," and some golden blasts of fluegelhorn by Roberto for the one of the night's most impassioned singalongs, 1988's "Tus Mentiras," near the night's end.

And then there was Marco Antonio Solís, as suave as ever at 63 without an ounce of arrogance, whose melodramatic crooning soared majestically, especially for 1979's "Te Quiero A Ti," a rare but welcome moment of show-stopping indulgence Thursday, and for 1993's "Tu Ingratitud," which he sang alongside his younger brother, their arms warmly wrapped around each other. And for anyone lucky enough to have seen one of Los Bukis' few post-hiatus shows, like at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021, the band added some gems to the setlist, including "A Donde Vayas” and "Encadenada A Mi."

The crowd relished it all, recognizing that Los Bukis in Milwaukee may well have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The city has a devout regional Mexican fanbase that frequently pack shows at the Rave, but shows at this scale rarely happen in Milwaukee.

And yet another one is just around the corner, with breakout regional Mexican superstar Peso Pluma playing Fiserv Forum in a couple of weeks. Milwaukee may not get to see Los Bukis again, but hopefully, this historic show will mark the beginning of a new era.

More: From tequila to Tejano music, here's what you need to know about Mexican Fiesta Milwaukee

More: From Los Bukis to Peso Pluma, more big regional Mexican concerts coming to Milwaukee

3 takeaways from Los Bukis' Milwaukee concert

• When Los Bukis kicked off Thursday’s show with “Mi Fantasia,” there was some major tension in my section of the amphitheater. Some people toward the back were yelling at people standing in front of them. But one person took it too far by slinging a full cup of nacho cheese at the people in front of them, splattering several people’s shirts, backs and hair. (I was in the crossfire. So long, brand-new Polo.) As the night progressed, most of the people in my section sat for most of the show, getting up on their feet for the higher-energy numbers and all of the encore.

• Thursday’s unbearable heat passed before the show started, thanks to some passing light showers and a breeze off the lake. The lower bowl of the amphitheater was still quite warm given the packed crowd, but in terms of heat, the amphitheater could have been — and has been — much worse.

• As expected, getting into the concert was a bear. It took me 50 minutes from the first traffic jam until I finally made it through the massive bottleneck at security. (Leaving was even worse; the lot I was parked in didn’t clear until 1:05 a.m., 90 minutes after Los Bukis took their bows.) And this was just for Los Bukis; Mexican Fiesta doesn’t officially start until Friday. So if you’re heading to Maier Festival Park this weekend, make sure you give yourself plenty of time — especially Saturday night, with Mexican Fiesta and a sold-out Lumineers show at the amphitheater both taking place.

Los Bukis' American Family Insurance Amphitheater set list

1. "Mi Fantasia"

2. "Como Fui A Enamorarme De Ti"

3. "Porque Siempre Te Amare"/"Este Adiós"

4. "Quiéreme"

5. "Mi Najayita"

6. "Te Quiero A Ti”/"Dime Que No Te Perdí"

7. "Y Ahora Te Vas"

8. "Mi Mayor Necesidad"

9. "Es Un Rato Más"

10. "Ladrón De Buena Suerte"

11. "Chiquilla Bonita"

12. "Me Volví A Acordar De Ti"

13. "Mi Pobre Corazón”/“Dime Dónde Y Cuándo"

14. "A Donde Vayas”

15. "Morenita"

16. "Acepto Mi Derrota"

17. "El Celoso/"Tu Ingratitud"

18. "Yo Te Necesito"

19. "Encadenada A Mi”

20. “Presiento Que Voy A Llorar”

21. “Viva El Amor”

22. “Necesito Una Compañera”

23. “Los Alambrados”

24. “Que Duro Es Llorar Así”

25. “Tu Cárcel“

26. “Loco Por Ti”

27. “Tus Mentiras”

28. “Necesita De Ti”/“Sí Vieras Cuanto”

Jovanny Hernandez contributed to this report.

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Los Bukis make Milwaukee history at Mexican Fiesta 50th anniversary