The last time Los Temerarios performed in Chicago was in 2019 at the Rosemont Theater, which has a capacity of a little over 4,000. Since then, the Mexican grupero band hadn’t performed in the Midwest city due to the pandemic shutdown. But their return to the Chicago couldn’t be stronger, even more so than the 90 mph winds that threatened the area on Friday (March 31).

As part of their 2023 tour, Los Temerarios — led by brothers Gustavo and Adolfo Ángel — performed two back-to-back sold-out shows at Allstate Arena (capacity of 18,500), just a few miles from the Rosemont Theater where they last played.

“It’s a complicated night,” an emotional Gustavo, the band’s lead singer, said at the beginning of the show. “I was backstage and was hearing about all these alerts of winds, so we’re really thankful to all of you for being here despite all that. Chicago is special to us. It’s the second city we ever visited in the U.S. when we started working over here back in like 1985. Imagine what we feel to see this place packed. Thank you for all the love you’ve given our music throughout all these years.”

Adolfo, the group’s keyboardist and co-founder along with his brother, was less talkative throughout the set but got equally emotional thanking fans for embracing their music for so many years.

“Chicago brings back so many memories, and we’ve missed you all so much,” he added.

The band went on to serenade a sea of fans who sang along throughout the entire show, during which they performed all the oldies but goodies in the form of ballads, cumbias and pop songs. The setlist included “Enamorado de Ti,” “Tu Infame Engaño,” “Como Te Recuerdo,” “Tu Última Canción,” “Dímelo,” “Ven Porque Te Necesito” and “Te Hice Mal.”

During the more than two-hour set (they kept coming back after the crowd requested an encore three times), Los Temerarios proved their endurance with a high-energy and dynamic performance that had Gustavo working the crowd with jokes and quirky dance moves. But more than anything, they shined with timeless songs that showcase Gustavo’s high, expressive tenor. And, of course, Adolfo’s knack for writing lyrics on love and heartbreak that will live on forever thanks to fans who continue to take solace in these anthems.

Los Temerarios’ return to the live scene coincides with the band’s 40 years in music, which will be marked by a special edition vinyl La Colección (out in April) and will include 10 brand new songs. Overall, the romantic group, known for their wistful keyboard-heavy ballads, has notched 41 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, 17 of which are top 10 hits, including four No. 1s.

“Staying relevant in this industry is not easy so we have nothing but gratitude for our fans, we feel very fortunate,” Adolfo previously told Billboard. “We’ve always had a great respect for this career that has given us so much that’s why we always give our best when it comes to our albums, our live shows, we make sure our production is top quality across everything we do. Our brother and I also have a mutual respect and admiration for each other, that’s been fundamental for us to keep going for so many years.”

Los Temerarios continue their tour — which launched in February in San Jose, Calif., in states such as Nebraska, North Carolina and Georgia before wrapping up April 22 in Missouri.