The loud screams of 20,000 fans in the almost sold-out Capital One Arena filled the room in anticipation of Post Malone’s reserved, calming voice. As he emerged from the stage in the red, white, and blue jersey of this stop’s NBA team, the Washington Wizards—as he does for each corresponding city on his tour—singing the slow melody of “Reputation,” the crowd roared. Malone provided an exciting concert that gave D.C. the opportunity to let loose and sing along on a Tuesday night in October.
Malone announced his Twelve Carat Tour in June, which will bring him to 34 cities around North America from September to November. The tour is in support of his most recent album, Twelve Carrot Toothache (2022). Roddy Rich, who collaborated with Malone on the song “Cooped Up,” opens for him during all of his shows on this tour. And in the middle of the concert, Rich came back on stage, and they sang the track together. Everyone cheered for Rich when he appeared on stage again, especially when he and Malone hugged each other at the end of the song.
Austin Richard Post, professionally known as Post Malone, is known for his mixture of R&B, pop, folk, and hip-hop music. He started his career in 2011, but only started to gain recognition in 2015 when his single, “White Iverson,” climbed to number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. After that, Republic Records offered Malone a recording contract, and his first album with Republic Records, Stoney, was released in 2016. This album set the record for the longest amount of time (77 weeks) on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with songs like “Congratulations” becoming radio staples.
Malone’s reach only grew when his single, “Sunflower,” which is also included in Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019), was used as the lead single in the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Having his song in a popular movie brought a lot of recognition toward Malone and boosted his career forward, and that momentum has only continued since the release of Twelve Carat Toothache.
Malone has had a very successful career, but he does not let fame get in the way of who he truly is. “Seeing you all here tonight makes me not so scared to be a dad in this world,” referencing the recent birth of his daughter. Malone acknowledged that while life can be overwhelming he still loves his job. Concertgoer Giselle Virga (MSB ’25), said, “He was so down-to-earth and he seemed like he just wanted to give every fan a hug and encouraging words.”
The setlist of the concert included songs from each album but naturally focused mainly on his new album, Twelve Carrot Toothache. He did not take any breaks, except to speak with the crowd occasionally. Every time he spoke, he shared his feelings and spoke from his heart. “I still get so nervous every time I come and do this, but you guys make me feel so comfortable and I’m just so grateful for you all,” he said after his first couple of songs.
Throughout the entire concert, fans were up on their feet. Couples and friends were dancing and singing together, and every time Malone talked, the crowd was screaming. It seemed like everyone in the crowd knew almost every song. Malone played three of his classic songs, “Stay,” “Go Flex,” and “Circles,” acoustically while sitting on a stool. Malone’s performance of “Stay” was a particularly special moment in the concert as everyone’s flashlights waved back and forth, filling the arena with, what looked like, stars.
Malone ended the concert with “White Iverson,” which made the crowd go crazy from the first note. Everyone was cheering louder than they had the entire night. Malone noted before he sang the song, “How could I not play the song that made this all happen?” Immediately, the arena was filled with cheers and screams. “I honestly was kind of sad at one point because I thought he wasn’t going to play ‘White Iverson,’ but the second he started introducing it, I was so excited,” another fan, Anna Patel (COL ’25), said.
Malone’s successful career has led him to be able to reach his huge fan base by sharing his music in large arenas around the country, each time having the opportunity to share pieces about himself with his fans and feel more connected to them. Patel said, “I really feel like he wanted everyone to feel loved and supported by the end of the night. I had fun and also learned that Post Malone seems like an amazing person.”
Malone’s love for music shows in his concerts because the entire time it was just him, his voice, and sometimes his guitar. He just wanted to sing the songs that everyone knew and loved while adding his personality to the concert. He was high-fiving fans the entire time, signing items like shirts and posters that people were tossing him, and taking selfies on people’s phones. It was evident that Malone wanted his fans to have the best experience they could, and he showed that he wanted everyone to get to know him a little better. The concert was one to remember not only through Malone’s music and stage presence, but also because his personally kept the crowd engaged and involved the entire night.
