It was a little hard to imagine that barely 48 hours after rocking nearly 100,000 people at the Coachella festival for the second time in a week, fast-rising Mexican superstar Peso Pluma would jump on a plane and fly all the way across the country to play yet another gig, for an invite-only audience of 500 people.
But that’s exactly what the leading light of the Musica Mexicana movement did, rocking a mix of superfans, contest winners, New York University students and industry vermin like us at a special concert celebrating the launch of Sony Electronics’ ULT Power Sound Series at, fittingly enough, Sony Music Hall in New York’s Times Square. It was an abbreviated version of his galvanizing Coachella sets but deeply satisfying anyway, as he mixed the traditional music of his recent albums — accompanied by his seven-piece band — with a brief set of the hip-hop that launched his career, along with songs from his forthcoming album “Éxodo.”
Artists sometimes phone in shows of this nature but Peso brought it, propelling his wiry frame across the stage with his trademark, slightly staggery dance moves, riling up the ecstatic crowd with patriotic Mexican statements and rocking several different shirts (and, briefly, no shirt). He and his horn-powered band soared through hits like “Rubicon,” La Bebe (Remix)” and the newly released lead single from “Éxodo,” “Peso Completo.” The stage was flanked by towering walls of the new speakers, which were emblazoned with flashing lights and delivered a clean —and very loud and bass-heavy — sound.
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New York DJ Austin Millz warmed up the evening and was followed by a rousing set by Peso’s frequent collaborator Jasiel Nuñez, who joined the headliner for a song, as he had at Coachella.
The show was part of Peso’s first brand deal, a multi-level agreement for Sony’s “For the Music” campaign that encapsulates ads, videos and more. (SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae and others are also ambassadors.) “The powerful sound and massive bass of the ULT Power Sound series excites me,” says Peso in an announcement. “As a musician who relies heavily on bass when creating my music, I feel that these products provide the best listening experience for my fans and there is nothing else like it.” The partnership between Peso and Sony Audio was brokered by Rudy Lopez Negrete, his agent at CAA; Marcie Allen Consulting; and Sony’s Jordy Freed.