An epic night with Enanitos Verdes in Anaheim

Excitement filled Anaheim as fans eagerly waited outside the House of Blues in the rain. The line was so long that security had to redirect people inside the 4th floor of the parking garage in the Garden Walk! Although rain was falling, it did not bring down the moods of eager Enanitos fans. As soon as the line began to move, the crowd roared with anticipation. As time went by, the dancefloor began to fill. Fans began to stock up on their favorite drinks in anticipation of the show. As I was in line, a security guard came up to me and asked me how long I’d been in the club. When I asked what club he was talking about, he responded with the “Cool Mustache Club”. That interaction set the mood for the rest of the night.

As 8pm rolled around, the stage lights went dark, followed by the roar of an excited crowd.

After the unfortunate passing of their frontman and bass player Marciano Cantero back in September 2022, lead guitarist Felipe Staiti took the helm as frontman of Los Enanitos Verdes. Back at the very first Besame Mucho Festival in 2022, Felipe explained to the crowd that they did not know what the future would hold for the band. Felipe was very nervous to be the singer for the band then, but those nerves have clearly subsided since, now two years later. 

The rest of the band slowly took their spots onstage and kicked off their first song. You can feel the electricity and energy radiating from the very passionate crowd as they sang every lyric, word for word. The fellow photographers sang their hearts out as they worked their magic. The artists onstage began smiling from ear to ear, as they noticed the crowd was immediately at their most excited. In between songs, Bosco Aguilar, their keyboard player, stepped away from his keyboard to pose for my camera. After taking a few photos of him, I threw up the peace sign thanking him and he smiled while throwing one back.

In the middle of their set, Felipe decided to “take things back to El Rancho” as he raised a shot of tequila towards the crowd with a very eager “Salud”! Everyone raised their drinks and yelled “Salud” in response. The energy was high.

Towards the end of the set, Felipe dedicated the song “Mariposas” to the late and great Marciano.

Emotions were strong as they played this song; it felt like Marciano was in the room with us. As the band finished their last song, they gathered for a final bow to the crowd, wishing everyone goodnight. As the house lights turned on, the audience was greeted with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” — a great segue. The crowd sang this at the top of their lungs as they slowly exited the venue. It was definitely a night to remember.

Photography by Guillermo “Memo” Sanchez

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