Post Malone and Slushii rocked the Undergraduate Student Government’s annual Back to the Brook concert on Sept. 22 in the Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
Hundreds of students waited on line outside the venue for 7 p.m. to roll around. But that was not the only indication of Stony Brook’s anticipation for the show.
When asked if he was excited, Anthony Stephens, a sophomore biology major, responded, “It’s f**king Post Malone.”
The doors opened and Ardit Piroli, a student DJ, set the mood for Slushii, mixing hip-hop chart toppers like Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.”
Around 8 p.m., opener and self-proclaimed “slush connoisseur” Slushii took the stage. The blue-haired electronic music producer hyped up the crowd with an eclectic group of remixes ranging from Oasis’s “Wonderwall” to Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble.”
“Let me see those middle fingers up,” Slushii commanded.
He closed his set with a remix of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. Concertgoers sang the lyrics in unison, illuminating the arena with phone lights. Despite this, Slushii tweeted after the show, “lol New York is always hard to please.”
https://twitter.com/SlushiiMusic/status/911430833856221192
The crowd then anxiously awaited the headliner.
“I heard Post Malone was gonna be here, and I like his music a lot,” Rokas Jeriomenko, a junior biology major, said. “I watch h3h3Productions on YouTube and they talk about his music so I came to see what he’s all about.”
Everyone in the venue went wild when Post Malone, dressed in a flannel and tan work boots, walked onstage with a red solo cup in hand. He grinned, showing his gold teeth and shouted, “Stony Brook, what the f**k is up!”
Before performing, he paid his respects to artists who have passed. Among them was A$AP Yams, a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, who died in 2015 from a drug overdose at the age of 26.
He then told the audience he doesn’t want to “die too young,” segueing into the song “Too Young.”
Post played all the familiar singles from his debut album “Stoney,” including “Deja Vu,” “Go Flex” and his breakout hit “White Iverson” as well as his new song with 21 Savage, “rockstar.” Throughout, he encouraged the audience to smoke with him.
“If you guys wanna join me feel free to smoke whatever you want,” Post Malone said. “Meth, PCP, whatever,” he added, proceeding to light up a cigarette of some sort under the gaze of university police officers who were watching from the stands above him.
Mid set, Post grabbed a glittery guitar and geared up for intimate acoustic moments with Stony Brook. He soothed the audience with “Feeling Whitney,” a song about struggling with drug addiction. Halfway through the song he stopped, took a sip from another red solo cup, and tossed it into the crowd. He resumed and the crowd softly sang the woeful “ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-oohs” of the song together.
Post covered Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” strumming the guitar with his painted black fingernails, his growly voice the perfect texture for the angsty self-deprecating rock song.
Between Slushii’s energy and Post’s raw intimacy, the crowd seemed happy with this year’s fall concert.
“They made a good choice this year with the artists,” Marissa Bavaro, a senior business major, said. “I’m a senior and this is the first time I’ve ever come.”
The concert ended with the perfect celebration from Post Malone. He sang his highest peaking single on the US Billboard Hot 100, “Congratulations.”
