Write-up: Brianna Guinigundo
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
(Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL) “Wow.” This is the title of one of Post Malone’s own songs that aged well among many of his works, but “wow” is also the appropriate word to describe Post’s outstanding performance in Orlando on June 10.
Post Malone's confidence radiated off of him and into the crowd so that you, too, wanted to swagger with your hands holding your belt. Like the true rap-turned-country star he has become, Post made his entrance from backstage smoothly and slowly, red Solo cup in hand with a baseball cap on. But the stage was not simply just the traditional one that came to mind with a regular, rectangular stage at the front of the crowd. In addition to this, Post would move back and forth along the long runway that opened up into a T-shape for him to grace lucky fans on the floor with his touch. This runway was electrifying, with its sides outlined with different flashing lights of various colors that shot upwards into the stage, almost like a massive skateboard rink aglow.
During “I Fall Apart”, the lights instead shot vertically upwards into the sky like beacons of white light, cultivating a more ethereal scene for this vulnerable song. Overall, the simplicity yet versatility of this particular set was truly one of the most impressive I’d ever seen. Two large jumbotrons adorned both sides of the stage, but in between them were two additional, yet slightly smaller screens. Together, the four screens essentially created a frame around the stage, one that fully captured various angles of Post Malone, performers, audience, all in real-time. At some points, each jumbo screen displayed two different camera angles, so the audience could experience up to eight different perspectives of Post Malone all at once. But this was not overwhelming in the slightest; in fact, it was accessible, convenient, and thoughtful to have included so many distinct shots for all to feel immersed. Even the individuals toward the very back of the stadium had their own up-close feel since there were two additional jumbotrons in the back of Camping World held up by the tallest of poles. This inclusion allowed fans to enjoy the concert carefree without having to worry if they could even see, something that could have been easily overlooked but this particular tour had grandly covered.
Setting the scene, Post Malone encouraged the audience to enjoy themselves as much as he was, taking swigs from his newly-received red Solo cups before performing the next song. Connected with his fans, he even walked down the stairs of the stage to greet fans along the railing for lucky selfies and smiles, all while still singing. Post made sure that his hit songs did not sound exactly like what fans were accustomed to hearing on the radio as he consistently supplemented his classic songs with different, but complimentary, instruments such as incorporating a violin that was being played on stage.
However, during “Better Now”, Post surprised dedicated fans by waiting longer than the original piece for the chorus to commence, but the second the beat dropped was when red fireworks paraded into the sky simultaneously. Why save all the festivities for just the end of the show when they could dazzle for select choruses throughout the evening? Audience members were not expecting the first round of fireworks as early as the fourth song of the night, but also because Post was straddled atop the decorated barricade at the end of the runway, showing how fun and “rebellious” he could be. This tatted country rockstar image was further complemented by Post Malone’s various hat changes throughout the night. Alternating between cowboy hats and baseball caps was symbolic of his musical range of both country and rap. His opening act, Jelly Roll, also fit into this similar gray zone between the two genres. It is no question how significantly fond the pair were of each other, Post and Jelly. It truly warmed the heart hearing each artist talk about how great the other was and referring to each other as “brother”. Post even mentioned that Jelly “taught him how to be kind”. Together, they dedicated their next song “to all the losers”, then played “Losers” with Jelly showcasing one of the tour’s unique merchandise items: a blue foam finger in the shape of an “L” with the words “Let’s Hear It For The Losers”. It was clear how strong the pair’s bond was, with neither of them trying to be subtle about their care for each other but rather explicitly empowering the other, such as Jelly saying “We love you Posty! That man is amazing.”
Before Jelly exited the stage after their duet, the iconic pair shared with the crowd, “Know that you are loved, and that you always have a spot in a Post Malone concert.” As if the audience was not already moved enough by their heartwarming chemistry, Post then said that he hated to see Jelly go because he was “no good at goodbyes”. Warm orange fog clouded the stage with Post Malone singing “Goodbyes” right in the middle of it. He continued the blues melodies with “I Fall Apart” right after, not afraid to get close and personal with the stage ground as he fell to his knees, then to the floor, finally just laying there.
Doing a pushup on his way up from the ground and back on his feet, Post Malone told the audience that he had “a thing for shapes to the point that it’s affecting my life so much that I wrote a song about it”, transitioning into performing “Circles”. This song in particular occupied the radio for quite a while so individuals may have actually known more words than they were expecting simply because of how frequent his song had been played over the years. His works range to embody his newfound country identity, performing songs like “Texas Tea” as his first song and “Pour Me a Drink” towards the end of the night. As these titles alluded to, Post further encouraged his audience to join him in a “nice cold beer” as he sang, still tempting fans by continuing to sip out of a new red Solo cup. But the true country star feel would not have been complete without him taking his time to light his cigarette and take occasional drags in between his songs, and at one point, taking off his flannel shirt and being greeted with loud cheers. However, what the crowd really was in awe of was his performance for “Rockstar”. A full force of energy, Post gave the audience what they would expect of the title: blazing bouts of fire shooting up like columns as Post walked through them, blissfully unbothered by all the heat surrounding him as he was busy passionately rapping into the microphone, immense amounts of fog clouding the stage so that you could only focus on Post, and the most amount of fireworks amplifying the beats dropping and drowning out the countless audience members dedicatedly singing along.
At the end of the night, Post closed things out with his song “Congratulations” with even more fireworks sending everyone home with a bang. He thanked his adoring fans saying, “Thank you for giving me the heart, the hope, and the strength to chase my dreams. I hope everyone else finds the heart, the hope, and the strength to chase their dreams too.” With a show like his, experiencing that live was a dream come true in itself.
An absolutely memorable night in Orlando for sure!
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
(Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL) “Wow.” This is the title of one of Post Malone’s own songs that aged well among many of his works, but “wow” is also the appropriate word to describe Post’s outstanding performance in Orlando on June 10.
Post Malone's confidence radiated off of him and into the crowd so that you, too, wanted to swagger with your hands holding your belt. Like the true rap-turned-country star he has become, Post made his entrance from backstage smoothly and slowly, red Solo cup in hand with a baseball cap on. But the stage was not simply just the traditional one that came to mind with a regular, rectangular stage at the front of the crowd. In addition to this, Post would move back and forth along the long runway that opened up into a T-shape for him to grace lucky fans on the floor with his touch. This runway was electrifying, with its sides outlined with different flashing lights of various colors that shot upwards into the stage, almost like a massive skateboard rink aglow.
During “I Fall Apart”, the lights instead shot vertically upwards into the sky like beacons of white light, cultivating a more ethereal scene for this vulnerable song. Overall, the simplicity yet versatility of this particular set was truly one of the most impressive I’d ever seen. Two large jumbotrons adorned both sides of the stage, but in between them were two additional, yet slightly smaller screens. Together, the four screens essentially created a frame around the stage, one that fully captured various angles of Post Malone, performers, audience, all in real-time. At some points, each jumbo screen displayed two different camera angles, so the audience could experience up to eight different perspectives of Post Malone all at once. But this was not overwhelming in the slightest; in fact, it was accessible, convenient, and thoughtful to have included so many distinct shots for all to feel immersed. Even the individuals toward the very back of the stadium had their own up-close feel since there were two additional jumbotrons in the back of Camping World held up by the tallest of poles. This inclusion allowed fans to enjoy the concert carefree without having to worry if they could even see, something that could have been easily overlooked but this particular tour had grandly covered.
Setting the scene, Post Malone encouraged the audience to enjoy themselves as much as he was, taking swigs from his newly-received red Solo cups before performing the next song. Connected with his fans, he even walked down the stairs of the stage to greet fans along the railing for lucky selfies and smiles, all while still singing. Post made sure that his hit songs did not sound exactly like what fans were accustomed to hearing on the radio as he consistently supplemented his classic songs with different, but complimentary, instruments such as incorporating a violin that was being played on stage.
However, during “Better Now”, Post surprised dedicated fans by waiting longer than the original piece for the chorus to commence, but the second the beat dropped was when red fireworks paraded into the sky simultaneously. Why save all the festivities for just the end of the show when they could dazzle for select choruses throughout the evening? Audience members were not expecting the first round of fireworks as early as the fourth song of the night, but also because Post was straddled atop the decorated barricade at the end of the runway, showing how fun and “rebellious” he could be. This tatted country rockstar image was further complemented by Post Malone’s various hat changes throughout the night. Alternating between cowboy hats and baseball caps was symbolic of his musical range of both country and rap. His opening act, Jelly Roll, also fit into this similar gray zone between the two genres. It is no question how significantly fond the pair were of each other, Post and Jelly. It truly warmed the heart hearing each artist talk about how great the other was and referring to each other as “brother”. Post even mentioned that Jelly “taught him how to be kind”. Together, they dedicated their next song “to all the losers”, then played “Losers” with Jelly showcasing one of the tour’s unique merchandise items: a blue foam finger in the shape of an “L” with the words “Let’s Hear It For The Losers”. It was clear how strong the pair’s bond was, with neither of them trying to be subtle about their care for each other but rather explicitly empowering the other, such as Jelly saying “We love you Posty! That man is amazing.”
Before Jelly exited the stage after their duet, the iconic pair shared with the crowd, “Know that you are loved, and that you always have a spot in a Post Malone concert.” As if the audience was not already moved enough by their heartwarming chemistry, Post then said that he hated to see Jelly go because he was “no good at goodbyes”. Warm orange fog clouded the stage with Post Malone singing “Goodbyes” right in the middle of it. He continued the blues melodies with “I Fall Apart” right after, not afraid to get close and personal with the stage ground as he fell to his knees, then to the floor, finally just laying there.
Doing a pushup on his way up from the ground and back on his feet, Post Malone told the audience that he had “a thing for shapes to the point that it’s affecting my life so much that I wrote a song about it”, transitioning into performing “Circles”. This song in particular occupied the radio for quite a while so individuals may have actually known more words than they were expecting simply because of how frequent his song had been played over the years. His works range to embody his newfound country identity, performing songs like “Texas Tea” as his first song and “Pour Me a Drink” towards the end of the night. As these titles alluded to, Post further encouraged his audience to join him in a “nice cold beer” as he sang, still tempting fans by continuing to sip out of a new red Solo cup. But the true country star feel would not have been complete without him taking his time to light his cigarette and take occasional drags in between his songs, and at one point, taking off his flannel shirt and being greeted with loud cheers. However, what the crowd really was in awe of was his performance for “Rockstar”. A full force of energy, Post gave the audience what they would expect of the title: blazing bouts of fire shooting up like columns as Post walked through them, blissfully unbothered by all the heat surrounding him as he was busy passionately rapping into the microphone, immense amounts of fog clouding the stage so that you could only focus on Post, and the most amount of fireworks amplifying the beats dropping and drowning out the countless audience members dedicatedly singing along.
At the end of the night, Post closed things out with his song “Congratulations” with even more fireworks sending everyone home with a bang. He thanked his adoring fans saying, “Thank you for giving me the heart, the hope, and the strength to chase my dreams. I hope everyone else finds the heart, the hope, and the strength to chase their dreams too.” With a show like his, experiencing that live was a dream come true in itself.
An absolutely memorable night in Orlando for sure!
RSS Feed