Published: June 1, 2014 Updated: 6:05 p.m.
Avid concert-goers who regularly frequent the Hollywood Bowl are accustomed to the wide-eyed gawking that comes from young superstars when they first play the most world-renowned venue west of the Mississippi.
Take Gwen Stefani, who briefly returned to this hallowed stage Saturday night, thrilling the crowd by busting out “Hollaback Girl” during Pharrell Williams’ debut set, a warm-up for an even more electrifying Bowl first from headliner Bruno Mars. No Doubt’s vocalist was certainly taken aback when she initially performed here.
“Think what it felt like for me when they said the Hollywood Bowl sold out in 20 minutes,” she remarked that evening in October 2005. “This is (bleeping) crazy. The Hollywood Bowl? Who the (bleep) am I?” Just an Orange County girl living in an extraordinary world, she answered.
At about that same time, Mars, the 28-year-old sensation who competes with only Justin Timberlake for the current crown of most exciting live performer, had just launched his career inside the City of Angels’ array of shoebox-size clubs.
“I’ve been living in L.A. for over 10 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen the Hollywood Bowl,” he admitted at the outset of his terrific, fireworks-filled show Saturday.
It isn’t unusual for upstarts who make it here to share their history, and Mars was no different: “About five years ago,” he mentioned later, “you could find us playing every bar in Los Angeles.” He rattled off some favorites: Bardot, King King, Molly Malone’s, Pickwick’s Pub. “I wasn’t working on my original material – I just needed to eat.”
He could have left it at that, as most would. Instead, in a brilliant move that perfectly summed up his neo-traditionalist rock ’n’ soul aesthetic, the Hawaiian transplant reflected on his ascendancy from tiny joints to Grammy-grabbing, platinum-selling, Bowl-packing status with a show-stopping moment.
“Y’all wanna see what we used to do?” he asked. Then, striking his red Telecaster, he fired up the monster riff of “Whole Lotta Love,” roared out Robert Plant’s wailing part on that Led Zeppelin classic – and then started shifting gears like a NASCAR driver avoiding an accident on his way to the finish line.
He signaled to his drummer, brother Eric Hernandez, who cut the beat just as Bruno switched to the Outfield’s “Your Love,” the sort of high-pitched melody he was born to nail. He signaled again – and the band jumped into Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” with cohort Phillip Lawrence (for whom the term “hypeman” is a sorry understatement) handling low lead before Bruno cried out the chorus.
What next? How about Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”? And Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step”? And one for the king, the forebear to whom Mars bears the most artistic resemblance, Michael Jackson? He was note-perfect reviving “Rock With You,” then flashed his million-dollar smile and dedicated it to the song’s producer, Quincy Jones, who was among the dozens of celebrities on hand Saturday night, from Lea Michele and Zac Efron to Quentin Tarantino and Paul Anka.
Even for a guy who has killed more than once at the Grammy Awards in front of an arena full of bigwigs – and who delivered one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows ever in February – this had to be a profound occasion. It showed all over his beaming face, more so than with seemingly nonplussed Billy Joel when he made his Bowl debut earlier this month.
How triumphant Mars must have felt coming offstage before his encore, knowing he’d just wowed a capacity crowd with an undeniable knockout performance – a premiere to rank with the greatest here – and was about to take it one level higher.
His set had already been a dazzling display of both his vocal prowess and virtuosity in a variety of styles, from the disco blast of “Treasure” and the adrenalized soul of “Runaway Baby” (each treated to good-footin’ full-band choreography straight out of the James Brown playbook) to the electro-rock of “Grenade” and the reggae dreams of “Billionaire,” led into via the Motown staple “Money (That’s What I Want).” (Another Jamaica-fied groove, “Show Me,” got a coda of ’90s jams like Ginuwine’s “Pony” and R. Kelly’s “Ignition.”)
Mars also dug into the past to salute his father, in the audience this night, with a little slide work from Santo & Johnny’s “Sleep Walk” and a sweet snippet of the Chantels before his own retro homage “Marry You.” And he’d finished by soaring, dramatically so, in the piano ballad “When I Was Your Man” and then with sweetness for “Just the Way You Are.”
Now he was back for the same drum solo that kicked off his Super Bowl show, a huge singalong for “Locked Out of Heaven,” a visit from Pharrell to tear through N.E.R.D.’s “Rock Star,” and finally a pyrotechnics-powered take on “Gorilla,” the night sky resembling the Fourth of July.
Bowl debuts don’t get much better. Maybe the ghost of Jackie Wilson wouldn’t mind if we start calling him Mr. Excitement.
No one is apt to apply that same descriptor to Pharrell; his performance style, more a producer’s than a star’s, is much too laid-back and humble, which might explain why Saturday’s largely on-time crowd seemed only mildly engaged during the first half of his opening set, heavy on tracks from his recent album “Girl.”
Donning a green version of his famous Vivienne Westwood hat, he sounded vocally stronger than he did at either of his Coachella appearances, but he couldn’t get the majority to their feet until he started dropping samples of hits he has written or shaped: Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Jay Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
Then Gwen emerged, people went nuts – and the energy, bolstered by Pharrell’s ace band, remained high through more recent smashes: Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and his own anthem, “Happy.” It may not have been as rousing as Bruno’s set, nor as whoa-inducing as Pharrell’s parade of guests in Indio, but it certainly was a worthy first performance at this iconic spot.
Bruno Mars - Bruno Mars & Pharrell Serve Up Hits Package At Hollywood Bowl
Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williamsthrilled fans by teaming up at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Saturday night (31May14) for a hits-packed show.
Williams was a late support slot addition for Mars' two-night stint at the fabled music mecca and he brought leading lady and new mum Gwen Stefani onstage for a rendition of their tune Hollaback Girl.
The couple has been teaming up a lot lately - Stefani joined Williams for his headlining set at the Coachella festival in California in April (14) and the two pals will join forces again as first-time judges on the next season of American Tv talent show The Voice.
Mars, who was making his debut at the Bowl, stunned fans with an energetic hits-laced set and covers of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love and Montell Jordan's This is How We Do It, among others.
But he left the best until last when he performed an encore featuring the hits Locked Out of Heaven and Gorilla and brought Pharrell back out onstage for a rendition of N.E.R.D.'s 2002 hit Rockstar.
Mars and Williams return to the Hollywood Bowl for a second show on Sunday night (01Jun14).
http://www.contactmusic.com/story/bruno-mars-pharrell-serve-up-hits-package-at-hollywood-bowl_4224558
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They performed together!
To be honest, I would be surprised if we get any kind of new music from Bruno next year. Dude has been too busy touring over the past year. Maybe he will guest on some other artist's song, but as far as a new album, I say 2016 at the earliest.