Post Malone’s Live Show is Exactly What We Need Right Now

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Once I arrived at Outside Lands festival in San Francisco final weekend, I used to be skeptical of whether or not Post Malone would work as a Sunday evening headliner on the primary stage. This is identical stage that acts like Stevie Surprise, Metallica, and Arcade Hearth have closed down earlier than and now this man was gonna observe swimsuit?

I’ll admit, I haven’t been the most important fan of Put up Malone over time. He all the time struck me as an artist who benefited from being white (he did), sliding from hip-hop to rock to nation and again seemingly on a whim. However now, as he has turn into one of many greatest pop and hip-hop stars on the planet, the problem is to current himself with authenticity.

It’s laborious to be at a live performance today and never marvel what the “new regular” is that we’re residing in. With COVID charges nonetheless everywhere in the map, what are we risking by being at a live performance, not to mention a competition with tens of 1000’s of individuals round you for a headlining set? I’ve discovered that you really want to give up to the circumstances to have the ability to method the connection we used to really feel with artists earlier than March of 2020. Give up to the music, give up to what is perhaps within the air, and simply let go. It’s a slippery proposition, however we want stay music proper now greater than ever. And there’s not a extra highly effective live performance second recently than when an artist helps get you over that hump of anxious power so that you may be within the second.

As Put up Malone walked out onto the stage, with a pink cup in hand, one of many first issues he mentioned to the gang was, “I’m right here to play some sh*tty music and get f*cked up!” The group of tens of 1000’s roared. I sorta rolled my eyes and puzzled if this was only a shtick. However what I quickly got here to comprehend about him, is that he was completely wrapped up within the second your complete time.

You see, the factor that’s probably the most fascinating about Put up Malone on stage, is that he’s up there by himself in entrance of a wall of lights and the occasional pyrotechnics that erupt round him. There’s no DJ, there’s no hype man, no band, and many others… So it actually raises the stakes as a result of the eye is all the time centered totally on him.

He stood there in white Chuck Taylors, a T-shirt with Cameron Tucker’s face from Fashionable Household emblazoned on it, and cut-off jean shorts that confirmed off all of his decrease physique tattoos. He opened with “Wow,” from 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, then went into “Wrapped Round Your Finger” from the newly launched Twelve Carat Toothache, adopted by “Higher Now” from 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys. It struck me simply how a lot the Put up Malone discography had grown and once I regarded round throughout “Higher Now” particularly, probably the most various crowd of the weekend was simply the most important, too. And everybody was transferring. The group was gripped.

Justin Yee

As Posty’s efficiency saved going, I discovered myself more and more eager about all the pieces he was going to do subsequent. On “I Fall Aside,” he bent over and straddled the mic together with his mouth, palms behind his again, whereas singing as loudly as he might. When that music ended, he grabbed an acoustic guitar and took a seat to sing “Keep” and “Go Flex,” a cigarette in between his fingers the entire time. It was a pure show of emotion.

I beloved the way in which he danced and moved and labored the gang; dropping himself, his happiness was galvanizing. When he performed “White Iverson,” the music that first put him on the map eight years in the past, it felt like an actual second of togetherness for the gang. And even when it has its limits sometimes, his leaned-out Gen Z falsetto was endearing and pure.

But it surely was the way in which that he was unapologetically himself that caught with me probably the most. He sings about getting f*cked up (and sometimes about the ramifications of it, too) and he presents himself like he’s in the identical mind-state as the gang when he’s on stage. He’s beaming, he’s partying, however he displays on his insecurities, too. “Thanks a lot in your love and help over time,” he instructed the gang. “The world has been such a sh*tty place and it simply feels so lovely to be out right here with you to have a great time. I really feel like I’m the luckiest f*cking man on the planet. How everybody was so affected person with me and supportive of me. …this lengthy stretch we’ve had.”

He introduced the notion that he wanted this simply as a lot as we did and in that second, the stage form of disappeared. By the point he closed with “Rockstar” and “Congratulations,” it felt like we have been all there getting f*cked up collectively, besides certainly one of us was singing and their gratitude confirmed. Right here was an artist who needed to be misunderstood earlier than he might be accepted. Absolutely we will all relate.

And I got here round to Put up Malone that evening. When he smashed his guitar after which set it afire in a managed blaze, then smashed it some extra to extinguish it and gave the items to the gang earlier than strolling off? I felt that. And there was one thing particularly highly effective seeing all of it with 20,000 different individuals. As a result of we’re all nonetheless attempting to determine what the brand new regular is on this world and Put up Malone’s wild efficiency made a lot sense in its personal chaos.

As a result of it’s alright to occasion your face off and lose your thoughts for some time. This era has been aware of method an excessive amount of BS and it’s not stopping anytime quickly. But when we will simply let go, and give up collectively, we’d nonetheless make it.



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