After a video went viral a few months ago of Post Malone (Austin Post) moving his body strangely and appearing to have lost a lot of weight, the online community quickly dismissed the Texan singer as junk. He himself denies all rumors. In fact, if we are to believe his Instagram message about it, the opposite is true: He has never felt better as a young father. He has stopped using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes will come later.
Where Post performed a bit soberly in 2019, according to this newspaper, he seems to have thrown everything away on the first of two Ziggo Dome evenings. Despite the fact that he feels a bit ‘under the weather’ (‘Please don’t be hard on me’), he radiates energy and gratitude. The trash can that was already on fire in the square in front of the hall turned out to be not the only fire tonight. Malone still moves as strangely as in the infamous video, but that turns out to be ‘just’ the way he dances – a bit like the drunken uncle who no one knows what he’s doing on the barbecue anymore. His shirt says “wine please” and he is offered a drink up to ten times. He jumps and swings, screams and whispers with his unique voice and attracts everything that is thrown at him – also because he rips his pants while dancing. At the end, he just didn’t change his shoes.
Emotional speeches
Despite the rotten pace with which he chases half his oeuvre into the hall, the frequent interaction with the audience is lively and sincere. From slapstick humor (“I wrote ‘Circles’ out of love for parallelograms”) to emotional speeches about fatherhood (“shoutout to all the babies”) and hymns to Amsterdam (“The best city ever”). He even gets two people from the audience to play ‘Stay’ on guitar and sing along. The audience can’t take it: next to me, two people faint. The first aiders have a busy evening.
Although the show is somewhat predictable and rehearsed, it does not lose any of its spectacle. This is also due to the light and laser show and the creative visuals, which transform the performance into a kind of video clip. Add to that the fireworks, the flames behind the stage and the support act of equally iconic rap duo Rae Sremmurd, and you simply have a world-class show. Whether he’s the Cobain of our generation, like The morning suggested after his show in Antwerp, I don’t know, but there is no denying that he forms a generation musically. His new album will be released on July 28 Austin out. Hopefully there will be as much zest for life as in his concert.