After hearing “Treasure” overplayed on the radio, I could not stand the song and was unsure of how much I would enjoy the Bruno Mars concert at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. Because of the overabundance of auto-tuned songs on the radio, I had already lost hope for the future of the music industry (Yes, all at the age of 17.) Therefore, I expected an unimpressive, duller version of the voice I had heard so often on the radio to be blasting from the concert speakers. However, as Bruno Mars ran up on the stage, I could not help but grin as I saw his infectious smile light up on the big screen and the teenage girl in me swooned as he sang his heart out during “Moonshine.”
Bruno Mars is one of those artists whose singing is just better live. The digitally enhanced songs on his album do not do his voice justice. As he sang, he struck me as someone with an old-fashioned soul, with his hip thrusts and energetic dance moves that reminded me of the Elvis videos I had watched as a child. What surprised me the most was how beautiful “Treasure” sounded live, which made me forget that I had deemed the popular song as annoying for the past three weeks. His pitch seemed flawless throughout the entire concert and he was the perfect entertainer. He cracked jokes, serenaded a nearly crying girl named Mercedes, and interacted with his band, the Hooligans, the entire time. In fact, the Hooligans, who all seemed to be close to Bruno, is the reason that the concert was so enjoyable. Their energy and evident passion for both music and performing were admirable–they not only showcased their individual personalities as they ran around the stage and danced, but also swung their hips in perfect unison with Bruno. One noteworthy member, Philip Lawrence, sang a part of “Beautiful Girls” and truly impressed me with his distinct voice.
In addition to tracks from his own album, Bruno covered many other songs. Two of my favorites were Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” and Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It,” which I sang along to with excitement. The entire concert was a representation of his unique, fun-loving personality and he even showed off his impressive guitar skills with a couple of solos. Also, his eclectic taste in music truly shined when he played a Reggae-style song. As if his musical skills weren’t enough to woo the audience, he also slipped in a few flirty remarks that made all the women in the audience shriek with delight.
Although I could feel the overwhelming presence of estrogen in the entire arena as the young girls in front of me screamed his name and frantically waved their hands in the air, attending a Bruno Mars concert was a remarkable experience. Bruno’s performance was genuine, the set list was unique, and I left the concert as a newly, devoted fan
