During Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, Nick Garcia was one of 400 extras dressed as a candy cane. Hour by hour, he recounts his craziest day at Levi's Stadium.
Nick Garcia grew up playing American football and going to watch the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. All his life he dreamed of attending the Super Bowl. On February 8, the dream came true — but not exactly as planned.
Garcia would take to the pitch as D83, alongside some 400 other extras dressed as candy cane grass for the Bad Bunny halftime show. “I always imagined coming out of the Super Bowl tunnel as a football player”confides Garcia by videoconference. The moment turned out to be just as powerful as in his fantasies: “The flashes of the cameras, the screams of the audience… My childhood dream came true. »
Garcia would like to pay tribute to whom it may concern: “All the credit goes to Bad Bunny. »
The Puerto Rican's historic performance was praised for its detailed storytelling and the complexity of its set design. But the tall plant structures – which turned out to be real human beings – unleashed passions. As soon as spectators in the stadium posted videos of the bushes moving, the internet went into frenzy. Some are already claiming the “Bad Bunny bush” as their Halloween costume. (It’s February, friends.)
If human bushes have conquered the web, the choice to use extras rather than accessories is a logistical constraint. Levi's Stadium, which has a real natural turf, limits the number of carts allowed on the field to protect the turf. The solution? Human beings, obviously. In January, the Backlit agency, specializing in live entertainment, published a call for applications for extras. The document specified a minimum size requirement and emphasized that it was not “not a dancing role”but of “structured movements and placement within a large-scale production”. No mention of the viral potential of the case.
Garcia, already galvanized by the Super Bowl being held in his city, jumped at the opportunity. “The Super Bowl, right in my backyard — I thought maybe my chances were better given the proximity”he remembers. After sending measurements and photos, he learned that he was selected to join the field casting.
Impossible to imagine what awaited him — until the first day of rehearsal. “We were told, 'You're going to be a meme for a long time.' » I remember the moment when we all discovered the costumes in real life… A mixture of amazement, laughter and excitement. » Even the centerpiece of the costume – an element of 15 to 18 kilos placed on the shoulders – did not dampen his determination. “Heavier than expected, but nothing was going to stop us from carrying out this show”he assures. “We were going to give it our all for Bad Bunny, no matter what. »
This determination only grew on the big day. Garcia agreed to recount each step to WECB.
