Post Malone was the star of the BottleRock opening day in Napa Valley with his solo show.
With a pre-recorded soundtrack of his chart-topping hits playing behind him at total volume, the tattoo-covered Texan pop sensation — once described as having a complexion resembling a middle schooler’s desk — furiously paced the stage, crouched with intent and occasionally threw a live verse on top of his easy-to-love and hard-to-remember tunes such as “Better Now” and “Sunflower.”
Even though the Grammy winner, born Austin Richard Post, appeared to be putting in minimal effort for such a coveted festival slot, he was mesmerizing to watch.
The 27-year-old said, “It’s a strange couple of years,” referring to the chaos caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. He did this in his typical rambling and expletive-laced monologue on stage. “How badass it is to be out there and celebrate life?”
He said the Friday, May 26, show was held on his daughter’s first birthday.
Post Malone repeated one of his favorite gimmicks from his past tour for the BottleRock crowd by inviting a member of the audience up onto the stage to help him perform the ballad “Stay” on an acoustic guitar — the only other person to join the singer onstage besides a person whose sole responsibility appeared to be delivering a fresh Solo cup to the singer between every song.
He then smashed it with an overly-detailed rendition of “Rockstar” before diving into the pit and handing out the pieces to the fans in front of the stage.
“I came to play some s— songs and get f— while we do it,” declared Post Malone, who last month insisted he was sober.
Last week, the singer, known for his versatility, announced the name and release date of his forthcoming fifth album, Austin, which will be released on July 28. The BottleRock crowd got a sneak peek at the new material when he gave one of the songs its American live debut.
But the highlights of his set came with the songs that have become ubiquitous pop radio staples, including “Circles” and “Chemical” — moments that seemed to elevate Post Malone’s one-man-spectacle from watching an erratic performer having an episode on the subway platform to the force of nature that became the youngest artist to have the record for most simultaneous top 20 Hot 100 Billboard hits.
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