Sueños fans waited one year for Peso Pluma to headline the Latin music festival in Chicago’s Grant Park after his set was canceled by festival organizers last year over thunderstorms.
“It’s good to be in Chicago,” Peso told attendees at the top of his one-hour-and-15-minute set on Saturday (May 24). “Remember last time we got rained out? Well, no rain can stop me this time.”
The significant crowd that gathered to see him perform at the event’s main stage roared, crowding the stage area to be closer to Peso.
Although the air was crisp and unseasonably cold temperatures had festival-goers rethinking their summery wardrobe choices, it did not rain. This time, mother nature was on Peso’s side. And so he went on to sing his biggest hits, including “AMG,” “Rubicón,” “Nueva Vida,” “La Patrulla,” “Rompe La Dompe” and “Lady Gaga,” to name a few on his Sueños setlist.
Dressed casually in jeans, a black T-shirt with a black puffer jacket over it and a black and white Chicago White Sox baseball cap (which he later traded for a beige one), Peso was accompanied by his band composed of nearly 10 musicians — giving life to signature sound powered by instruments like charchetas, trombones and trumpets and following Peso’s lead.
“They are my family,” Peso gushed about his band. “Over the past three years, we’ve grown this project together.”
A handful of artists joined him onstage as special guests, including Oscar Maydon and El Alfa — both who had performed earlier in the day — and labelmates Tito Double P and Jasiel Nuñez. Throughout his show, Peso expressed his Mexican pride and wrapped a Mexican flag at the end of his set saying, “Viva la cultura mexicana!”
And, although he didn’t address head on the bans on narcocorridos in Mexico and the U.S., and how they’ve impacted a few of his fellow regional Mexican hitmakers, Peso made note during his set that he’s focusing on romantic corridos.
According to Sueños’ website, as of Saturday, about 95% of the passes to the event were sold, although actual daily attendance figures were not made readily available by festival organizers. Now in its fourth edition, day one of Sueños featured other acts like NSQK, El Malilla, Dei V, Oscar Maydon, El Alfa and Arcángel. Shakira closed out Saturday with a 90-minute set.
Don Omar and Grupo Frontera will headline day two of Sueños on Sunday (May 25).
