It was 4 a.m. when Carlos Contreras showed up at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas — more than 16 hours before cover-star Peso Pluma took the stage for Rolling Stone’s second annual Future of Music SXSW showcase.
The avid concert-goer arrived early to make sure he was the first in line, and it paid off. By midday, the line for the showcase was several blocks long; in the evening, it reached an estimated four-mile length. Not only did Contreras’ dedication help him snag a great view of the performance, he also managed to meet Peso.
“I’m a Mexican, I’m Hispanic, so that’s my man,” Contreras told Rolling Stone social media director, Waiss Aramesh while he was waiting outside the venue.
Backstage after the showcase, Contreras took several photos with his idol and asked Peso to sign a photo for him. The fan’s excitement is palpable in videos capturing the interaction.
“I was shaking,” he tells Rolling Stone. Still, Contreras can be seen making jokes and dancing for the cameras before letting the Mexican singer know what he means to him. “With all due and respect, you’re truly the shit,” he told the star in Spanish.
Contreras doubled down on his dedication as he shared his plans to see Peso on tour in Chicago, and recounted the time he camped out at midnight for a concert in South America. By the end of their sweet interaction, after a handshake and several hugs, Peso promised Contreras full access to his future shows. “From now on, you won’t need a ticket,” said the artist.
Contreras was floored by the experience. “In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be able meet Peso Pluma in person,” he says. On top of the unexpected sequence of events, Contreras couldn’t believe how friendly and caring Peso was: “He treated me like a friend, not a fan.”
Peso — who recently announced that he will follow his breakthrough record Génesis with a new album this summer, titled Éxodo — was the hottest ticket of SXSW 2024. The 24-year-old superstar — fresh off his historic first Grammy win for Best Música Mexicana Album — topped a packed bill on Wednesday. As Peso delivered hit after hit, he told the crowd that night: “As long as I’m alive, we’re going to keep breaking records.”
He was joined by Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, Mexican folk singer-songwriter Kevin Kaarl, Dominican MC J Noa, and Puerto Rican pop-rock-urbano experimentalist Pink Pablo.