Singer detours from his new country career during headlining set, but enlists bluegrass buddy for “Rockstar” and “Stay” at the festival
Post Malone took a brief break from his burgeoning country career to perform a hits-filled headlining set at Bonnaroo. But the singer did incorporate some roots-music vibes into his performance by bringing out Billy Strings to play on a pair of Beerbongs & Bentleys singles.
Midway through the set, Malone — an admitted Strings superfan — lit into a pyro-filled rendition of “Rockstar.” In between bursts of flame, the silhouette of Strings, with his acoustic guitar in hand, appeared onstage and the quick-fingered player added bluegrass textures to the hard-rock song. Afterward, Strings hung around for a stripped-down acoustic take on “Stay.”
Even before Posty Went Country, Malone and Strings have shared the stage together, linking up at the latter’s Santa Ana, California, concert in April 2022 to cover Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues.” The duo hung out backstage later that year when Malone’s tour brought him to Nashville.
Malone and Strings’ friendship dates back to at least 2020, when the bluegrass musician would hang out and jam at Malone’s Utah compound during the pandemic. “He’s a fucking super-nice guy. Like Del McCoury nice,” Strings told Rolling Stone of Malone in 2022. “You gain respect for somebody who knows every single word to ‘Jambalaya (On the Bayou).’ It’s like, ‘Damn, this motherfucker knows more Hank than I do.’”
“Hell ya, what a good night,” Malone told Rolling Stone of the jam session. “It was at my house, got some beers and got out the guitars. He was recording in a town not too far from where I live. When I found out, I told him to head over.”
Prior to Malone’s set, rumors were abound that he would be joined onstage at the festival by his “I Had Some Help” cohort Morgan Wallen at Bonnaroo, which is just down the highway from Wallen’s home base in Nashville. However, Wallen was a no-show when Malone eventually performed their collaborative Number One single solo during the encore.
Reporting by Joseph Hudak