Former Grapevine, Texas resident and current rap-pop superstar Post Malone is headed back to the Lone Star State on a new North American tour.
Malone, who boasts three Grammy nominations, three diamond certifications for album sales, and a face full of nearly 80 tattoos, hits downtown’s Toyota Center on October 25 as part of his Twelve Carat Tour. The trek supports Malone’s highly anticipated new album Twelve Carat Toothache.
He’ll also visit his old stomping grounds in North Texas with a trip to Dallas’ American Airlines Center on October 21 and Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena on October 26. He’ll also head to Austin’s Moody Center on October 22. The tour, which also features guest star Roddy Ricch, kicks off in Omaha, Nebraska on September 10 and closes in Los Angeles on November 15.
Tickets go on sale starting at 10 am Friday, June 17 at livenation.com. Citi cardmembers can score presale tickets from 10 am Tuesday, June 14 to 10 pm June 16 through the Citi Entertainment program.
Blending his signature style of hip-hop meets alt-rock, Malone’s new album, mostly penned during the pandemic, delves into his trials and triumphs with fame. The new release features collabs with big names such as tour guest Roddy Ricch, The Weeknd, Doja Cat, and more.
Though he now enjoys global fame, Malone, who spent much of his early years in Grapevine, has always showed Texas major love — especially with his adoration of cowboy hats. In 2020, he gifted students at his alma mater Grapevine High School with his limited — and highly sought-after — line of Crocs.
When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.
The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.
Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.
One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.
He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.
There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.
Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.
Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.
