Last Saturday night in Las Vegas, Bruno Mars had another sold out residency run and the most streamed song on the planet. Things were good, not just good – amazing.
The crowd at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM (where Mars has his residency) ranged from young to old – his appeal crossed age and race. He has held this residency at Park MGM since 2016, and its evolution has been meticulously honed and crafted by Mars and his band The Hooligans.
There were nine musicians on stage together who moved as one, flowing and feeding off one another in unison. Watching them was a masterclass. The show was two of the best hours of entertainment you’ll ever see – if you can secure a ticket.
Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars of Silk Sonic perform onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mars recently wrapped up his residency in Las Vegas at Park MGM with an epic performance.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The audience watched Mars with no distractions as he locked everyone’s phones in pouches upon entering the venue (which he also created a song about in the show). A move which, in today’s world of viral moments, seemed risky at first. But Mars was no fool. By forcing the audience all to pay attention to him and the show without worrying about getting the best video possible, they were taken away. Mars transported audience members from their own personal stress and dramas, and let themselves live free in the present, a rare accomplishment in today’s world. He didn’t need the audience to give him a viral moment – he reminded them that he was the viral moment.
Mars moved under the lights with the precision of a surgeon, his voice and body the instrument, sharpened through 30 plus years of performing. Audience members watched him glide across stage, spinning around and giving the audience a thrust. Yes, he was showing off, and that’s what the audience wanted to see.
Bruno Mars of Silk Sonic performs onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mars recently wrapped up his residency in Las Vegas at Park MGM with an epic performance.
Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
You could see the glimpses of influence from Elvis, Michael Jackson, and James Brown as he paid tribute to them through dance. Through various points in the show while he made his way through his catalog of global hits, he reminded his sold out crowd that he’s not just a pop star or a singer – he’s a musician. Just as he manipulated his voice to sing and it made us feel something, he manipulated his guitar to do the same. The high of his falsetto pierced us just as much as his anthemic guitar riff did.
There was an element of absolute joy during the show, seeing the inside jokes play out on stage between Mars and The Hooligans as they laughed while performing.The show was both intimate and a spectacle, the lighting and effects so perfectly timed to enhance the music. But perhaps the most striking thing was being witness to an artist and his band so in their prime that as the curtain fell and the echo of the last note was still in the air, you weren’t sure what hit you, you just felt lucky you got to be there.
Bruno Mars will return to Park MGM on December 18th.
