The energy inside Arizona Financial Theatre thrummed on the precipice of chaos as Peso Pluma took the stage on Saturday night. The 24-year-old superstar has brought regional Mexican music into an explosive moment in the mainstream and the sold out crowd raised voices and glasses all night long.
The banner came down on the stage and Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija emerged in a ski mask and snapback to pace the stage and drum up the hype for his first song. Backed by a plethora of multi-talented instrumentalists on guitars, horns and even a cello, it wasn’t immediately noticeable that the band lacked a drummer.
Laija is a master at pumping up a roomful of people and his music speaks volumes to a generation of fans clamoring for this exact sound. “La Belicon” already had the audience on their feet while “Rubicon” was a favorite of the night. “Por Las Noches”, “La Bebe” and “Lady Gaga” helped round out an impressively long setlist that kept the crowd moving all night.
He was joined onstage early on by singer Jasiel Nuñez who lent a crackling vocal chemistry to the set. When Laija wasn’t directly interacting with his adoring audience, he was singing the praises of his backing band, all of whom are longtime friends, collaborators and brothers sharing this wild dream.
This show was night one of his time in Arizona, with the second being at Desert Diamond Arena- both of which sold out in minutes. With the number of fans who pressed themselves close to the barricade and lifted their phones to capture every moment, Peso Pluma is on the verge of becoming one of the most prominent artists in the world. We’ll be anxiously awaiting his next tour announcement- selling out arenas around the world.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
