With nearly an hour and a half at Camp World Stadium at Camp World Stadium on Tuesday night, Post Malone sat on a shirtless stage, lit up his cigarette, looking as if all of his energy had been spent. After a while, he began a fiery production of his 2018 hit “Rockstar.” It featured a fire column that lit up all the corners of the outdoor venue and stage.
Almost ten years after his music career, Malone, nearly 30, has proven that he can be a rock star, rap star, country star, or what he wants. His setlist featured several hits from his first full-length country album, “F-1 Trillion,” but also featured many nods in his past as a hip-hop, R&B, trap and pop-rock artist. Many members of the Central Florida crowd gathered for the Post Malone’s Big Ass Stadium tour appeared in cowboy boots and hats, but it was clear that there were fans of all genres.
They were the same fans who dodged lightning and avoided it for hours by letting it rain in hopes of seeing both Post Malone and Jelly Roll appear on the show. The weather began to show the bad side with a lightning strike that raised hair around 6:20pm, and issued orders for shelter in the location.
By the time Jerry Roll finally got on stage just after 9pm, the poncho-clad fans were back in the crowd, unshaking wet. Live audio suffered from the crackling of technical hiccups that could be caused by the rain, but the singer was still shaking.
The band starts off by jamming with “Get by,” then stands up to “Liar,” and is a song powerhouse where background singers and stage fires explode. His signature style of storytelling weaves in the story of a rising demon and outweighs situations and temptations.
The singing version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” led to Jelly Roll’s “Lonely Road” on a set that was shortened due to rain delays.
“I don’t care if it’s raining more than on Tuesday nights than on Orlando,” said Jerry Roll, Jason Deford’s real name, in between songs. “Some of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life were in weather like this.”
The rapper-turned country singer Post Malone began performing with “Texas Tea,” “Amazing,” and “Now,” before becoming completely country with “The Wrong Things.”
After he joined Post Malone for “loser” to Post Malone, it didn’t take long for Jelly Roll to return to the stage after his abbreviated set.
The weather did not place dampers on performers or crowd energy as fireworks burst on stage and the fire effect was illuminated by a damp night.
There may have been a time when country and hip-hop were incompatible and on the extreme edges on the other side of the music spectrum, but in recent years Morgan Warren, Shaboosey and both musicians have been blurred in the Camp World Stadium lineup. Fans of both genres tend to be drawn to men who look a bit rough around the edges, and sometimes have facial tattoos, another common denominator for both Jerry Roll and Austin Richard Post.
The pairing makes perfect sense for tours like this, but their backstory couldn’t be any more different. Jerry Roll overcomes addiction and time in prison before attracting the attention of other Tennessee artists and record labels. Post Malone released the 2015 rap track “White Iverson.”
He found a start in hip hop, but artists always shunned the label of “rapper” and refused to put themselves in genre-specific boxes. Hip-hop music started everything for Post Malone, but the Texas-raised musician had the ambition to be a country artist all along. In previous interviews and tweets, I want to enter the genre by the age of 30 or 40.
“Women and everyone, as of July 4th, I’m 30 (exped) and I’ve been making music professionally for about 10 years,” he said between songs. “I would like to thank you for your love and support over the last decade. Thank you for giving me the heart, hope and strength to pursue my dreams.”
Post Malone appears to be enjoying this circle moment while living his long-awaited dream of country music. Hip-hop was a vessel to transport the Austin Richard Post to Stardom, but it wasn’t its final destination.
The rest of the night vibrated between genres, ranging from the loud and rough to the acoustic acoustics that were stripped off, but the audience seemed to stick to every word. The performer left another surprise at the number of encores on the night, “Congratulations” which was a 2016 track that reflected his new success. The crowd cheers as Post Malone emerges from the blue on a secondary high stage behind the floor, and fireworks explode just before midnight, closing down the night when both artists bring heat.
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