Stephen Thompson | August 15, 2023
The Tiny Desk has hosted plenty of major pop, rock and hip-hop stars in its 15-plus years, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one more agreeable or self-effacing than Austin Richard Post. Whether lamenting the state of his singing voice, joking about his nerves or sitting slack-jawed in awe of the fantastic band his people had assembled for this show, Post had the bearing of a lottery winner who wouldn't even give himself credit for buying a ticket.
Before, during and after the show, Post Malone was a joy to have around. But he also just happened to bring a few of the biggest pop hits of the 21st century: Set-opener "Sunflower," for example, has been certified eighteen-times platinum by the RIAA since its release in 2018 - that's an all-time record - while the 2017 single "I Fall Apart" and 2019's "Circles" lag behind at a mere ten-times platinum apiece. "Enough Is Enough," which closes this set, enjoys no such designation, but give it time: A track from Post Malone's new album Austin, it's only been out for a few weeks.
So enjoy this set for what it is: one of the world's biggest stars, performing a few of the world's biggest songs, each set to a luminous arrangement. Post Malone himself seems surprised by how great this Tiny Desk concert sounds, and that's not just the humility talking.
SET LIST
"Sunflower"
"I Fall Apart"
"Circles"
"Enough Is Enough"
MUSICIANS
Austin Post: lead vocalist, guitar
Hannah Juliano: vocalist
Elliot Aguilar: vocalist
Chauncey Matthews: vocalist
Kola Rail: vocalist
Destin Johnson: drums
Emily Rosenfield: guitar
Bobby Wooten: bass
Louis Bell: piano
Kevin Kuh: strings
Francesca Dardani: strings
Kiku Enomoto: strings
Kirin McElwain: strings
TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Bobby Carter, Suraya Mohamed
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Zayrha Rodriguez, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Catie Dull
Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Cills
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
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