Peso Pluma Attends Exodo Tour in Houston With Broken Foot

Peso Pluma jumped, rolled and gave an all-out boost during his Friday night concert at Toyota Center, despite a broken foot that has prompted recent cancellations in a handful of cities.

The regional Mexican singer was injured last month onstage at the Governor’s Ball in New York. “Broken foot? I don’t care!” he wrote on Instagram. Among the cancellations was a concert scheduled for Thursday in Laredo.

Onstage in Houston, “La Doble P,” as he’s known, wore a medical boot on his right foot. Accented with yellow lights, of course, to keep with the mood. Although he performed in the Houston area less than a year ago, this show was a huge step forward in every sense of the word. He rose from beneath a 360-degree stage, sitting on an ornate, black-and-gold throne with wheels. His eyes peered through a black, glittery ski mask as mechanical birds with red eyes flew through the air.

Peso kicked off his two-hour show with “La Patrulla” and was joined on the main circular stage by a brass band and 16 bright-eyed dancers. He sat down a few times to rest his foot, but the injury only seemed to spur him on more. He jumped around on stage and even did a few moves with the dancers. He used crutches to navigate a long runway that extended into the crowd, but tossed them aside after a few seconds.

The music is a fine balance of modernity and tradition. Imagine the music of your Mexican parents or grandparents filtered through hip-hop and pop. The sound has exploded in recent years, from Grupo Firme to RodeoHouston headliner Ivan Cornejo to local singer Amanda Solis. Peso Pluma is at the forefront, thanks in large part to the song “Ella Baila Sola.” It went viral on TikTok and became the first regional Mexican song in history to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

The rest of his music builds on that sound and makes the most of his distinctive voice. His deep, nasal tone sounds powerful on “Lady Gaga” and “Rosa Pastel” and then exudes vulnerability on “Luna” and “14-14.” The audience, made up of equal parts young men and women, sang along with every word, reacting enthusiastically every time Peso shouted “Mexico!”

He was joined by singer Estevan Plazola on “Hollywood,” a track from the recently released “Exodo” album. “Plebada” was a deluge of hard-hitting beats and fast-paced verses. “PRC” featured images of regional Mexican legends including Ramon Ayala and Joan Sebastian, and new acts like Junior H (who will perform at the venue next month). During “La People,” Peso played to a frenzied crowd behind the main stage.

“There is only one Doble P, cabrones“Remember this,” he shouted.

He maintained a defiant and serious demeanor for most of the show. But every time the crowd began chanting “Peso! Peso!”, his solemn face lit up with a radiant smile.