When Post Malone stepped off the stage at the Events Center on Thursday, his night had just begun.
The rapper appeared at The Colonial, a bar and restaurant in Downtown Binghamton, where he downed shots, tended bar and took selfies with fans.
According to Siaki Tetteh-Nartey, a senior majoring in computer engineering, Post Malone tried to engage with everyone who approached him.
“He would take people’s phones and do Snapchat videos for them or make them drinks,” Tetteh-Nartey said.
Within 10 minutes of his arrival, word had spread and people, mostly students, showed up looking for him. Post Malone stayed for between 90 minutes and two hours, according to Alex Jaffe, ‘14, one of the owners of The Colonial.
“A lot of people would be bothered by the fact that 1,000 people tried to show up to take pictures, but he was a champ about it,” Jaffe said.
Bartenders gave Post Malone The Colonial’s “Flaming Shot Menorah,” a menorah affixed with nine shots that is lit on fire. Malone passed out shots from the menorah to people near the bar, including Tetteh-Nartey.
“We all took our shot together while he clinked his drink against ours,” Tetteh-Nartey said.
According to Jaffe, the menorah idea was created by a bartender two or three years ago.
“During the holiday season, we like to go all out with our decorations to celebrate for Christmas and Hannukah,” Jaffe said. “We just make nine shots, light them on fire and give them out. It’s a really fun thing to give out — we love seeing people’s reactions.”
A video of the menorah shots was posted to Facebook early Friday morning by BingPop, a hyperlocal social media blog that highlights and promotes events in Binghamton. Since then, the video, titled “Post Malone celebrates Chanukah at the Colonial,” has garnered more than 8,000 views.
When The Colonial closed at 1 a.m. Friday morning, fans stayed in the bar in an attempt to keep interacting with Malone.
“At 1:10, [Colonial workers] were yelling at everyone to get out,” according to Leor Wasser, a senior majoring in psychology.
Jaffe said his staff did a good job handling the extra attention and customers.
“It was just another busy night at the bar — it happens,” Jaffe said. “Everyone, I think, had a good time. After the bar closed, we had to get everyone out.”
Before Post Malone headed Downtown, he enjoyed food and other items provided by the Student Association Programming Board. According to a copy of his hospitality rider verified by the Student Association, the list of requirements ordered by performers and provided by the host site, the rapper and his team wanted 24 assorted sandwiches, two large bags of Ruffles potato chips, two one-liter bottles of Pedialyte, Hot Pockets and Cup o’ Noodles, among other items.
Update, Monday, Dec. 4 at 12:15 p.m.: A previous version of this article stated Malone’s rider included: two cases of water, three dozen mild chicken wings, three orders of french fries, two large bags of Lay’s potato chips, assorted Pure Leaf teas, two bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne, six cans of Red Bull energy drinks, one bottle of Hennessey cognac and five packs of Backwoods rolling papers.
This list of requests was found in the concert’s press room and provided to Pipe Dream. This rider hasn’t been confirmed as belonging to either Post Malone or his opener, Dave East.