There is no way you can avoid falling in love with Post Malone the moment you see him. He absolutely oozes authenticity and genuineness, and you can tell he is simply living his best life and he doesn’t have a pretentious bone in his body.
His current tour rolled into Chula Vista and loyal fans were excited to see him perform at North Island Credit Union.
Ask any of his followers and they would say he is America’s most unconventional artist. With an infectious smile that is always plastered across his face you just get drawn into his music. He is purely and unapologetically himself, and that really resonates with people.
The vibe that everyone could feel in the air was this night was going to be a blast. I was extra early, yet the VIP areas were already in full swing with patrons decorating their faces with temporary tattoos that matched Post’s.
The parking lot was buzzing with fans tailgating and lining up for the first chance at his merchandise tent. As soon as people entered the venue, they made a beeline for the alcoholic beverages and Trejo’s tacos. It was amazing to see that 10,000 of the 19,000 in attendance were on the lawn; it was like a party out there with thousands of people.
The show started with an indie band from New York called Beach Fossils and they seemed like an atmospheric band to get the crowd warmed up.
They released their fourth album in June, “Bunny,” and I liked the giant animated bunny that was moving in the background for their set.
From the moment that Austin Richard Post or “Posty” (as he is known by the faithful), took the stage, the energy from the entire crowd soared. Clearly, he is explosive and the fireworks and pyrotechnics were a great match for his stage presence. He danced, jumped, and rolled around on the stage for the entire show, never standing still. While he claimed it wasn’t hot, he was sweating up a storm thanks to all his antics.
The first chunk of songs included “Better Now,” “Wow,” “Zack and Codeine,” “Take What You Want,” “I Like You (A Happier Song),” and “Feeling Whitney.”
What amazes anyone who follows him is that he is incredibly humble and tries to express to his fans that they are the only reason he is still here.
He said he started his musical journey at 18 or 19 years of age, and now he is doing this tour at the age of 28.
This was his first time touring with a full band and also playing the electric guitar, and I loved when his four-person string section – including violinists and cellists – all started head banging along to the songs.
After almost every single song, Post would say “Thank you so very fucking much!”
He was beyond grateful to his fans for where he is today and constantly expressed himself making a heart with his hands or thanking the crowd for all they have given him.
What is not always headline news is that Post has a great sense of humor and it translates on stage.
He busted out a lot of “Napoleon Dynamite”-esque dance moves and the crowd was loving every minute of it. He joked about every song having enough fire/pyro in it.
A special moment took place when Post spotted a fan in the crowd wearing a shirt that read “Can I play ‘Stay?’” Post invited the guy onstage to play the guitar portion while he sang.
The fan was overcome with joy and got at least 10 hugs from Post before they got him off the stage. You could tell that Post is a man of the people and wants to spread his positivity and joy to everyone he interacts with.
After that special performance of “Stay,” he did a hit parade of “rockstar,” “I Fall Apart,” “Over Now,” “White Iverson,” “Overdrive,” and “Congratulations.”
For his encore, he did “Sunflower” and “Chemical” before saying a final goodnight to the screaming crowd. I’m pretty sure we all could have stayed all night!
It was an absolutely amazing and magical night with Post Malone! One of my personal favorite songs is “Circles,” so it was really awesome to see that live.
I also got a kick out of seeing “Stinky” on his guitar strap. Such a wonderful person and incredible talent!
Post Malone will spend the rest of the year touring the world thanks to a full calendar of dates on almost every continent. If you have not picked up his new album, “Austin,” do it now!
