Mobile hip-hop artist PBE Pluto returns home for a concert at Soul Kitchen on Friday, July 17, timed to follow the 2026 Reader’s Choice Awards ceremony at the Saenger Theatre the same night, giving downtown Mobile back-to-back events for the city’s arts and entertainment community.
Doors open at 8:30 p.m. at Soul Kitchen, 219 Dauphin St., with tickets priced at $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show. PBE Pluto’s local music roots run deep: his career began with a stint in the Bay City Brass Band at age 10, before he later worked to establish himself in Atlanta’s rap scene — the birthplace of trap music — though he ultimately found Atlanta more restrictive than his hometown. “I’d rather go where I’m celebrated, not tolerated, if it makes sense,” Pluto said of returning to build his career around Mobile. “Some people are gonna tolerate you because they know you. When people celebrate you, it’s just because of your art and what you got going.”
The bill includes a full lineup of supporting acts: PBE Krimson King, Beastmode Boys, Angel Bean, Member$ Only, and Big Snap x BMC Milly, with DJ Tev handling the turntables. Pluto said he intentionally built the show around independent local talent. “I got all independent artists on it as openers,” he said. “I’m bringing out some independent artists from the city that probably should have been got stamped or promoted on a bigger level. They just may not understand how to execute outside this market or have the funding to be able to maneuver outside the market to get that catch that they need.”
Pluto runs his own entertainment company, Parkerboy Entertainment, producing and promoting events that have included a Dubai-themed party, an all-white party aboard a New Orleans paddleboat, and an exclusive meet-and-greet at a Las Vegas mansion. He said he’s been surprised by how far his audience reach has extended beyond the Gulf Coast, citing unexpected followings in cities like Omaha, Nebraska, St. Louis and Louisville, Kentucky.