Post Malone admirably went above and beyond for the fans near the front during his Summerfest headlining show June 27 in Milwaukee.
For everyone else at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, I’d argue not so much.
At the end of “Congratulations” Malone hopped off the end of the runway into the security pit to bear hug a fan front and center against the barrier with a sign that said they came here from Denmark for their 28th show. He then gave an uplifting speech from the heart encouraging everyone to believe in themselves, and not let the weight of the world bring them down, culminating with a passionate scream as his nine-piece backing band went into rock overdrive.
From there Malone spent six minutes in the pit, taking selfies, signing autographs, giving out hugs, even giving one fan the shirt off his back. And after he returned to the stage to say his goodbyes, he returned to the pit after the house lights went up to mingle with fans up front for another four minutes.
A pretty cool gesture from a very likable performer. But here’s the thing. Malone sang his final note at Summerfest at 9:41 p.m. He took the stage just 66 minutes prior. When the night was done, he performed just 16 songs.
That’s incredibly inconsiderate, considering ticket prices earlier this month were starting at $118.80 for the cheapest seats, and going for as much as $751.65. It’s also inconsiderate considering just how many hits the prolific Malone has – 14 that hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, to say nothing of his 97 other songs that cracked the chart.
And so at Summerfest, Malone didn’t offer enough time to play smashes like “I Like You (A Happier Song)” or “Take What You Want,” nor did he offer any previews from a forthcoming album he’s finishing, the reason he said he canceled some shows earlier this year (even though some have speculated soft sales were to blame).
At Summerfest at least, sales didn’t appear soft – the 23,000-seat venue, perhaps not sold out, was packed. And even though his time on stage was short, Malone indisputably brought a lot of passion to the stage.
To borrow the title of one of his biggest hits, he had some help. Actually, a lot of help. Unlike at Fiserv Forum for his inaugural Milwaukee show in 2022 (which was longer, at 95 minutes), Malone had a powerhouse live band behind him, a smart choice in the wake of his pivot from hip-hop and pop to country with 2024 album “F-1 Trillion.”
They made their welcome presence known with the night’s second song “Better Now,” with twangy acoustic guitar, country organ and pedal steel ratcheting up the tension before Malone spit on stage, threw his plastic cup into the crowd, and screamed into the mic, his raw and aggressive voice for the song’s climax less indebted to the smash hit’s smooth passivity than Malone’s throat-ripping televised tribute to Nirvana.
The keyboardist’s Elton John-inspired flourishes also brought an inspired touch to a live rendition of “White Iverson,” while Malone’s gum-chewing fiddle player brightened Swae Lee collaboration “Sunflower” with a runway-strutting solo. And after Malone’s heavy-handed drummer and electric guitarists dominated the mix for most of the nights, they really let it rip as flames went flying for “Rockstar.”
Malone did too on vocals, collapsing from the song’s intensity, before doing 10 push-ups on stage. As much as he was vibing during the set, strolling around barefoot in his jeans and vintage Doobie Brothers shirt, wearing a lei and series of hats thrown at him by fans, Malone indisputably brought passion and power to his vocals. With a touch of sand in his elastic croon, Malone’s vocal highlight at Summerfest was indisputably a pained solo performance of “Stay,” which he sang while strumming an acoustic guitar, lit cigarette between his fingers.
But despite the heaviness of that song, and Malone at one point confessing he was having a harder day, Malone was mostly in party hard mode at Summerfest.
“I hope you had half the amount of fun that I had tonight, because I had a (expletive) blast,” a shirtless Malone told the crowd on stage at night’s end.
Too bad he didn’t let the fun last longer.
Carter Faith opens
Country newcomer Carter Faith showed she had some mighty pipes during her 45-minute opening set, belting out the done-me-wrong ballad “Six String,” from last year’s debut album “Cherry Valley,” with melodramatic gusto. But even with clear talent, Faith at her first Milwaukee performance sought to set herself apart by defying expectations. Faith made “Grudge,” also from “Cherry Valley,” sound sweet as honey, which made her funny and vindictive lyrics more biting. Faith and the band also offered up a twangy take of Britney Spears’ “Oops!…I Did It Again.”
Post Malone’s Summerfest setlist
Contact Piet Levy at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Post Malone brings passion to Summerfest, but still shorts fans
Reporting by Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
