
Donald Glover‘s Childish Gambino era is almost over, but first he has one more album (and a surprise film) to release to fans. Ahead of the July 19 release of his final album, “Bando Stone & the New World,” Glover played through every track at New York’s intimate outdoor venue Little Island.
The 687-seat amphitheater on Manhattan’s Little Island was sold out for the listening party, and some fans brought picnic blankets to lay out on the grass or flocked to the nearby rooftop park at Pier 57 to catch a faraway glimpse of Glover. It was a humid 90-degree Saturday night, but tickets sold out within minutes after they went on sale. As the sun set, a screen projected a live feed of Glover walking up to Little Island off the street, and cheers erupted when he entered the circular stage and began the show.
Related Stories
VIP+High-Resolution 8K Has Its Places, but TV Might Not Be One of Them

Steve Martin Turns Down 'SNL' Offer to Play Tim Walz Because 'I’m Not an Impressionist'
Glover played 15 tracks out of order from “Bando Stone & the New World,” with styles ranging from the hard rap of “Camp” and “Because the Internet” to the experimental, pitched-up vocals of “Awaken, My Love.” If this really is Glover’s final album (at least as Childish Gambino), he’s going out with a mashed-up highlight reel of his career hits.
Popular on Variety
The two tracks that had nearly every attendee nodding their head along to the booming bass were “Talk My Shit” and “Yoshinoya.” The former includes a feature by Flo Milli and a pitched-up verse that Glover called his favorite on the album. After a brief technical issue with Little Island’s bass speakers, Glover returned to “melt faces off” with “Yoshinoya.” Glover spits verses angrily on track, telling off his haters and casting away any lingering doubt that he’s simply an actor who raps.
The other standout track, “Can You Feel Me?”, included heartwarming lyrics from Glover’s young son, Legend. The pair sing together over a chorus reciting the ABCs, with Glover touching on his own dad’s death and themes of family and fatherhood. It’s the most personal track off the album and marks one of the sweetest parent-child rap songs (sorry Drake and Adonis, and Kanye and North West!).
The other features on “Bando Stone” include Steve Lacy and Fousheé on a sentimental, stripped-down track called “Steps Beach.” Both artists sat front row at Little Island, and Lacy played some quiet guitar riffs while Glover sang a soft, relaxing melody. Fousheé returned for “Runnin’ Around,” a feel-good, rocking party anthem. Though they weren’t at the listening party, Yeat features on “Cruisin’,” a dramatic 2014 track that Glover only recently finished, and Jorja Smith and Amaarae sing on the groovy “In the Night.”

As the sun went down, Glover recommended people light up a joint or take an edible for the slow, ultra-vibey “No Excuses,” the longest track from the album. Before the show ended, he also played the intense techno song “Got to Be,” the laid-back, sunny instrumental “Happy Survivor” and the Eurodance, Daft Punk-esque “Place Where Love Goes.” Glover closed out the show with the recently released rock single “Lithonia,” where the entire crowd sang along.
Much like how Glover’s music soundtracked his 2019 short film “Guava Island,” “Bando Stone & the New World” is the companion to a sci-fi film of the same name. Not much is known about the forthcoming movie, but it stars Glover as a musician named Bando Stone who must survive the end of the world. He teams up with a woman and her son on a mysterious island as lasers from space and giant creatures terrorize them. The first trailer was set to “Lithonia,” but it’s unclear how the album’s songs will be used until it comes to theaters later this year.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety

SciTech Awards Committee Investigating 11 Areas of Innovation for Academy Consideration

High-Resolution 8K Has Its Places, but TV Might Not Be One of Them

‘Zone of Interest’ Backer Access Funds New Holocaust Music Doc for BBC Arts

‘Kneecap’ Selected by Ireland for Oscars International Feature Film Race

Hollywood Must Define AI Technical Standards to Prep for Its Future

Jimmy Kimmel Turned Down Hosting 2025 Oscars Because ‘I’m Not Good at Balancing’ It and Late Night Show: ‘It Was Just Too Much Last Year’
Most Popular
‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes First Animated Film to Hit $1 Billion at International Box Office

Channing Tatum Says Gambit Accent Was Supposed to Be ‘Unintelligible’ at Times and He Was ‘Too Scared to Ask’ Marvel for the Costume to Bring…

Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher Drop Biggest Hint Yet That Group Is Reuniting

Box Office: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Returns to No. 1 in Fifth Weekend as ‘The Crow’ Bombs and ‘Blink Twice…

Ryan Reynolds Was ‘Mortified’ to Cut Rob McElhenney’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo but the ‘Sequence Wasn’t Working’: ‘I Had to Kill a Darling…

Taylor Swift Praises Charli XCX After ‘Sympathy Is a Knife’ Reignited Feud Rumors: ‘Her Writing Is Surreal and Inventive’

‘Ted Lasso’ Eyes Season 4 Greenlight With Main Cast Members Returning

China Box Office: 'Alien: Romulus' Becomes Hollywood's Second Biggest Film of 2024

Bradley Whitford Slams Cheryl Hines for Not Speaking Out After Her ‘Lunatic Husband’ RFK Jr. Endorsed Trump for President: ‘Way to Stay Silent…

‘Super/Man’ Trailer: Christopher Reeve Doc Captures the Late Actor’s Superhero Stardom and Life After His Near-Fatal Accident

Must Read
- Film
‘Megalopolis’ Trailer’s Fake Critic Quotes Were AI-Generated, Lionsgate Drops Marketing Consultant Responsible For Snafu

- Music
Sabrina Carpenter Teases and Torments on the Masterful — and Devilishly NSFW — 'Short n' Sweet': Album Review

- Film
Tim Burton on Why the 'Batman' Films Have Changed and How 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Saved Him From Retirement

- Film
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 2020s

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjqasrKGTZLOmrdOuqZ6rX5m8r63LnWSgpJ%2BrsrN5wqGgpZyZqLVus8CmmaKmn2KvorrDqGSsrJ%2Bjsm6ty5uspmWgp7K3tcSwZGpqY2t9d36Rb2to
