Julión Álvarez Gives His 1st U.S. Concert in 8 Years: ‘I Must Confess That I Was Close to Tears’

Regional Mexican star Julión Álvarez made his return to the U.S. stages on Thursday night (April 17), with the first of three shows of his 42/18 Tour at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. — a record for a Latin artist at the venue. Previously, Los Bukis — also Mexican and representing the same musical genre — held the record there with two performances in August 2021.

It took eight years for Álvarez, also known as the King of the Box Office, to perform in the U.S. again after he was accused by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of money laundering in 2017, a charge he was cleared of in 2022.

“I must confess that I was close to tears. I’m trying to stay strong, but I’m truly very emotional and happy. You can’t imagine the amount of feelings and emotions I’m experiencing right now. I hope you enjoy this as much as I am,” Álvarez said shortly after starting the show with a Mexican flag and a snippet of “Cielito Lindo,” singing in Spanish, “Let them say I’m asleep and bring me here, beautiful and beloved Mexico, if I die far from you.”

“I hadn’t come to sing for you in eight years,” he continued. “Thank God and thanks to all of you, I’m still doing what I love — the work on which so many families depend. Thanks to my family, who supported me through everything. Thanks to the friends who were always there. But above all, a thousand thanks to the audience, and to the media who were always present. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Álvarez then embarked on a musical journey through his career, performing hits such as “Regalo de Dios,” “Te Hubieras Ido Antes,” “Rey Sin Reina,” “La Frontera” and “Mi Mayor Anhelo,” a song that brought back memories of his days as the vocalist for Banda MS, which he thanked for the lessons he learned from the band. In another touching moment, his musicians played the classic “Las Mañanitas,” and his daughters Maria Julia and Maria Isabel joined him on stage to celebrate his April 11 birthday.

Known for performing shows lasting up to four hours, the artist born Julio César Álvarez Montelongo explained to the audience that venue rules would prevent him from singing for more than two hours. “I hope you can forgive me, but I must respect the laws of this land,” he said before closing with a medley of José Alfredo Jiménez’s classic rancheras “El Rey” and “Ella,” along with his rendition of “Volaré.”

After his shows on Friday and Saturday (April 18 and 19) at SoFi Stadium, Álvarez will continue his 42/18 tour on May 24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.