Post Malone was told he would never play his hometown stadium. He kicked off his nationwide tour there anyway.

The first show of a stadium tour is full of surprises and genuine joy: Fans in attendance are the first to experience a brand new setlist, the first to lay eyes on the fireworks, confetti, or other theatrics.

But Post Malone’s first ever stadium show in Utah, the performer’s adopted home, proved extra special for fans—a homecoming for him and them, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

On April 29, Malone kicked off his “Big Ass Stadium Tour” at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. And, once again, fans showed up to support, decked out in cowboy boots and hats, some sporting Malone’s signature face tattoos, and many more rocking Malone merch.

Three sisters—Lauren, Jenny and Katie Bald—sat a mere handful of rows away from the edge of the stage. They’ve been fans of Malone since they first saw him in 2016, as the opener for Justin Bieber on his Purpose World Tour.

“We were like, ‘Who is this dude that was just shimmying around on stage,’” Lauren said. “He had braids and was just really cool. He had a presence.”

A presence and persona, Lauren said, that hasn’t changed since the beginning. The sisters loved to see Utah fans acknowledged as Malone kicked off his stadium tour and commended his support for all things local.

“It’s things like this, like show number one here … it just feels very cool, like he’s throwing one back for us,” Katie said.

Malone built up fans’ anticipation to see him, with his three openers (Jelly Roll, Sierra Ferrell and Chandler Walters) and a prolonged intro onto the stage—so much so that fans anxiously began chanting “Posty.”

A bright belt buckle that read “Posty Co.” hung over the massive stadium stage—and while the company part might refer to his openers and co-musicians, or even his crew, on opening night it also referred to Malone’s diehard Utah fans.

The show’s setlist was a perfect blend of his hip-hop tracks and more recent country songs from his last studio album “F-1 Trillion.” The setlist featured fan favorites like “Sunflower,” “Better Now” and “Circles.”

Fans trickled down the stadium seats in excitement, posing for photos, like Tayla Merkely and her group of five friends from Vernal.

For younger fans like Megan Fisch and Holly Breit, the Utah tour stop was a chance to see Malone up close in a way they haven’t before.

“I just love that he’s true to his hometown,” Breit said.

Logistically, there were some opening night issues.

Fans expressed confusion on how to get inside the venue, with lines wrapped around the stadium before doors opened. Malone also took to the stage 40 minutes after when he was originally scheduled to. Some of the visual features lagged behind during some songs and the fireworks, while impressive, garnered smoke that blew back into the floor area and left fans coughing between songs.

But, those issues didn’t stop fans from enjoying the nearly two hour show. With the bass vibrating through the speakers, up through the floor, and directly to the soles of their feet—fans sang, danced, and raised their glasses to Malone.

A view of the crowd and Post Malone’s fiery stage at Rice-Eccles Stadium. – Trent Nelson // The Salt Lake Tribune

Fireworks, a cowboy hat and Jelly Roll

The stadium setup stole the show, with bright lights and fireworks galore. Massive illuminated cowboy and cowgirl signs bracketed the expansive stage and made for an immersive visual experience, alongside other decor and massive screens so everyone in the stadium was able to see.

Malone had six different drinks while on stage, though he lost the fifth and poured a good chuck of the first and sixth into the crowd. He also interacted with fans, catching things they threw at him and wearing them—like a necklace with his face on it and a cowboy hat.

The Utah crowd was nearly as enthusiastic for Jelly Roll’s opening set as they were for Malone. The artist, best known for his Southern hip-hop style, was the perfect precursor to the headliner. Jelly Roll’s handful of songs had the crowd singing along emotionally, especially during “I Am Not Okay.”

“I believe music can heal people,” he said, before performing the song.

Jelly Roll also spoke about how this was his first stadium tour, and showed love to the Utah crowd. “I knew Post Malone was right when he said we had to start the tour at home.”

During Malone’s set, he performed a song with Jelly Roll (“Losers”)—a beautiful duet moment for the two artists. He also performed “Never Love You Again” with Ferrell later on in the night, and wore a Ferrell shirt throughout the show.

Malone came into the music scene nearly a decade ago, but to this day, he continues to be himself on stage: gripping a cigarette in between his mic as he sings “Hollywood’s Bleeding” on his knees, dancing around the stage, swearing profusely and always expressing gratitude for his fans.

That’s how he ended his first stadium show—by looking back and giving thanks.

“It’s been 10 years of me doing this,” Malone told the crowd during a pause in his last song, overcome by emotion. “I remember at the beginning, everyone called me a ‘one hit wonder.’ They said, ‘You’ll never be in a billboard in Salt Lake City or Rice-Eccles f—ing stadium.’”

He thanked Utah fans for the continuous love they have shown him, for helping him accomplish something he’s wanted to do for “as long as he can f—ing remember.”

“Don’t give up on your f–ing dreams,” he told the crowd, “no matter what the f— anybody has to f—ing say about you.”