Text by Marcelo Gomes
Since the announcement of the Titãs Encontro , in which the band's original members would participate, anxiety gripped fans who had been waiting for this moment for many years. The shows scheduled for huge venues hinted at the grandeur to come. São Paulo, the band's hometown, got not just one show but three at Allianz Parque, all sold out.
With a stage worthy of any major international act, Paulo Miklos , Tony Belloto , Arnaldo Antunes , Nando Reis , Charles Gavin , Sérgio Britto , Branco Mello , and Liminha performed to a stadium that seemed to have more people than its capacity. Initially scheduled for 8:30 PM, the show only started 20 minutes later, such was the flow of people still entering the stadium at the scheduled start time.
With five giant screens on stage and excellent camera direction, the band provided a great show for the fans, who could follow every move of their idols from any corner of the stadium. “Diversão”, “Lugar Nenhum” and “Desordem” kicked off the performance, and nostalgia quickly took over the audience. The veterans recaptured everything that still fills the minds of their fans, who, in addition to the music, have always had very unique performances.
When Branco Mello took the microphones, speaking about his recovery, his happiness at being cured, and being with his longtime friends, he received warm applause. His hoarse voice in "To Cansado" didn't bother anyone; everyone respected and understood the situation of the singer who recently had throat cancer. The big question was how Arnaldo and Nando would sound with the band after so much time. Fortunately, those who saw them could confirm that they are in great shape and still carry the "Titãs" spirit with them.
Before playing “Comida,” Arnaldo says it’s very special to be back, even more so in the city where it all began. In turn, Nando says they’re back to reiterate what they’ve always said, and then announce “Jesus Doesn’t Have Teeth in the Land of the Toothless.” Besides singing very well, he didn’t leave anything to be desired on the bass, which had an excellent sound.
After “Cabeça Dinossauro,” they presented a short video with old images of the band. Receiving a standing ovation, they returned to the stage with an acoustic setup. Under the lights of cell phones, they opened this part with “Epitáfio,” which quickly became one of the most emotional moments of the night, followed by “Os Cegos Do Castelo” and “Pra Dizer Adeus.” A special moment was when Marcelo Fromer , Alice , was invited to sing “Toda Cor” and “Não Vou Me Adaptar,” representing her late father very well. Before ending the acoustic set, they paid a beautiful tribute to Rita Lee with the song “Ovelha Negra,” a classic by the band Tutti Frutti .
After being introduced by guitarist Tony Belloto, Liminha (former bassist of Os Mutantes and music producer), who was invited to play Fromer's parts on this tour, said how special it was to play in that location, since Os Mutantes used to rehearse a block away. He finished by saying that the Pompéia neighborhood is the cradle of São Paulo rock, and then they resumed the show, which in this last part featured another barrage of the band's hits. Among them were "Família," "Go Back," "Flores," "Polícia," "Bichos Escrotos," and others that were sung like anthems of a generation. With almost 2 hours and 30 minutes of performance, they closed with "Marvin" and "Sonífera Ilha.".
The feeling that remains is that it doesn't matter what the reasons were that led the Titans to reunite. With an incredible performance, the band showed that the differences were overcome and that in the end, what matters is the music that continues to move the fans. Certainly, these moments experienced at the show are what will be forever etched in everyone's memory, making it all worthwhile.
