When Spanish rock star Enrique Bunbury (often known simply as Bunbury) performs in his native country or in Latin America, he can sell out stadiums, but in the U.S. he plays much more intimate venues, allowing for an up-close-and-personal experience that fans in other countries don’t typically get. More than 30 years into his career, Bunbury still attracts huge crowds, eager to hear music from his eclectic back catalog, from his early days with influential Spanish rock band Heroes del Silencio through his numerous solo albums, with styles ranging from rock to electronic to traditional Latin sounds.
Unlike a lot of veteran artists, Bunbury is always experimenting with new approaches, refusing to rely on the familiar. Even in concert, he resists just running through a parade of hits. Reaching out to audiences in the U.S. is part of that risk-taking, and he’s been cultivating new fans around the world in recent years. “I love to go to places where I don’t know what is going to happen,” he told LA Weekly in 2016. “It’s not important how many people are coming. The important thing is to go there and to start a relationship with the audience.”
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 8:30 p.m. May 2, starting at $39.50 plus tax and fee, 18+. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
