By: Destiny Arredondo
Peso Pluma’s show at Toyota Center on July 26th was a celebration of Mexican culture and a tribute to his roots.
Peso Pluma, known for his distinctive fusion of corridos tumbados and Latin urban beats, has been setting the music world on fire. With a Grammy already won for his last album, Génesis, fans were excited to hear the newest release, Éxodo, performed live. This concert was more than just a show; it was a vibrant celebration of Mexican culture and Peso Pluma’s musical journey.
It was clear that Peso’s impact was huge, as there were fans of all ages attending the show. Despite the large venue’s size, it was jam-packed with eager fans ready to hear Peso on stage.
The stage setup featured a main circular stage towards the back of the venue, connected by a catwalk to a medium-sized rectangular stage at the front. This arrangement allowed Peso Pluma to feel close to fans throughout the venue and ensured easy viewing of all the on-stage action. With almost every seat in the venue filled, the lights finally dimmed, and La Patrulla began blasting from the speakers. A full regional Mexican band was now on stage, with every instrument needed. An elegant chair resembling that of a “king’s chair” was now also in the middle of the stage, and a masked Peso Pluma was emerging from the middle of the stage. The crowd went wild as the brass instruments boomed through the speakers. Even though he had a broken foot from performing at the Governors Ball Festival back in June, he made sure to give it his all at all times. His energy was vibrant as he riled up the crowd while sitting down.
A distinctive moment of the concert was when Luna started playing. Fans grabbed their significant others and swayed from side to side as they sang along to every word. Peso also had an inflatable moon flying across the entire venue, allowing everyone to feel even more immersed in the show. A familiar requinto started reverberating at the venue, and the fans immediately knew what song was playing. The long-awaited Ella Baila Sola sounded through the speakers, and the crowd was singing every single word.
Act 3 of the show was memorable because it was considered to be the “reggaeton" part of the concert. The intro to MALA started playing, and the crowd went wild as they prepared for what was coming. An all-male group of backup dancers came onto the stage and started dancing around Peso’s throne. Eventually, QUEMA started playing, and the female group of backup dancers came out. The crowd was dancing like crazy and clearly enjoying themselves, with the girls “perreando” and the guys dancing right along with them. He continued to play songs like QLONA (in collaboration with the one and only Karol G) and La Bebe, another huge collaboration that fans loved. He closed Act 3 with a song he made with El Alfa, Plebada, which was filled with high-energy that had everyone moving.
As the talented artist continued performing on stage, it was very evident that his impact would forever leave a huge mark on the Latin community. He was able to bring such a special and important genre of music to mainstream popularity in the US, which is such a significant achievement. Throughout the night, he made sure to express how grateful he was to be where he was, acknowledging how much this meant to the "raza." He even paid his respects to all of the legends that came before him and allowed him to be where he is now. One example of this was when he covered Los Talibanes del Prieto, a song by the legendary Ariel Camacho.
He closed out his set with lots of energy, performing TEKA with all of his backup dancers on stage with red flares waving back and forth. The entire venue had their phones out with flashlights, creating a sea of lights, as Peso had requested. The night finally came to a close with a powerful and energetic finish.
As a frequent concertgoer, it's very apparent when an artist has true passion for what they do. I can say without a doubt that I 100% saw it in Peso Pluma. The fact that he is so adamant about the driving force behind everything he does just makes his fans love him that much more. He understands how much performances like this mean, and he makes that clear. Seeing a performance of such caliber makes me excited to see what is to come for the Latin community, and I can’t wait to experience it.
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