Bruno Mars performed before a sold-out crowd at First Niagara Center on Monday. (Getty Images file photo)

Bruno Mars is a talented guy. He can sing, he’s a decent guitarist, a passably funky drummer, and a good dancer.

You’d think all of these attributes would add up to a stellar showman. But on Monday, before a sold-out First Niagara Center, Mars proved that the whole is not always greater than the sum of its parts.

All of the pieces were in place. But what was strangely missing was that single ingredient that separates a good show from a great one – magic.

Mars and his entourage made all the right moves. But the magic didn’t appear.

Monday’s gig felt like a textbook-recitation on how to put on a modern pop show. But the one thing that can’t be taught is that ephemeral glue, that otherness, that blend of sex and soul and sweetness that carries a gig of this variety. That’s something that needs to be earned, and then honed over time. You can’t just walk into it, and drape it over yourself, like a cape.

Mars wants to be Michael Jackson and Prince rolled into one, he made plain throughout Monday’s show. He’s got a long way to go before he can even think about filling either one of those artists’ shoes.

Speaking of shoes – Mars’ and his entourage appeared to be attempting to forge a new style, one where skinny jeans gather a good six inches above the ankle, there to linger, displaying bare ankle and a sock-less entry into black patent-leather shoes. One can only hope this style does not catch on. It is, as far as any semblance of “coolness” goes, an epic failure.

Ahh, but back to the music.

Mars appeared at 9:15 p.m., as a horribly tacky curtain depicting a palm tree setting better suited to a Jimmy Buffet concert was torn away, to reveal the star and his entourage eager to tear into “Moonshine.” Mars was dressed in an awful Hawaiian shirt echoing the pattern on the curtain, with a straw boater perched atop his head and the aforementioned high-waters with no socks drawing our attention toward his feet. He looked like a tourist, sans camera. Nice ankles, though.

Oh, but can he sing, and did he ever, turning “Moonshine” into a soul-pop free for all, as his entourage cavorted around him, the horn players and backing vocalists intermingling, to the point where it became difficult to discern Mars from the rest.

The tunes came fast and furious and flawless, as if they’d been rehearsed in such a fashion.

Well, duh. There was nothing left to chance here, as Mars gave us a faux 70s soul take on “Treasure,” and then grabbed a guitar and spat out the evening’s first high point – a rather rocking version of “Money (That’s What I Want)” that led into “Billionaire,” just in case we didn’t get the idea that money, well, yeah, that’s what Mars wants. And then we were off, into the first of the evening’s medleys.

“Bam Bam/Show Me/Our First Time/Pony/Ignition” suggested that Mars, had he had the inclination to start his set 20 minutes earlier, could’ve avoided the dreaded Las Vegas-style medley. Regardless, he killed it, vocally, at least, though once again, Mars made it plain that a facility for Michael Jackson-like moves and a strong, versatile voice alone will not make you Michael Jackson. For that, you need that other thing – that magic.

So, what about the crowd? Well, the people appeared to be thrilled, standing with arms aloft and hips moving throughout the show, turning the packed FNC into a meeting hall for the Bruno Mars fan club for one evening.

And that, really, is what this is all about.

It’s not really about the music, although Mars does more than most of his peers bother to do, by bringing elements of Motown, Stax, 80s pop, 70s soul, and classic R&B to bear on his unabashed pop sound; It’s not really about the fact that the set list does not change from night to night on the Mars tour; It’s not about the bare reality that everything Mars did on Monday evening at FNC has been done better, with more inventiveness, elsewhere, and often.

It’s about whether or not the people who dropped down their hard-earned cash to buy a ticket went home happy. And by all appearances at press time, they seemed to be poised to do just that.

Ahh, but those high-waters with no socks? That’s gotta go, man. C’mon, now. That’s just never gonna be cool.

one thing that Bruno Mars lacks to be the next MJ is an aura

[Edited 7/1/14 16:46pm]

Prince wanted to be Sly Stone and Miles Davis rolled into one.
Michael Jackson wanted to be James Brown and Fred Astaire rolled into one.
Bruno Mars wants to be MJ and Prince rolled into one.

Everyone takes from the best, and then slowly starts to originate a craft, or a sound. Chuck Berry took everything from the blues and jazz music and turned it into rock and roll... The Beatles took that rock and roll and made it more atmospheric and not as meaningless as it was... and there you go, the secret of every successful artist in history, you take from the best, you make it your own, and the rest is what people will remember you for.

Plus, the magic of Bruno is probably not for men audience, for instance, when you see his rendition of Gorilla; a cheesy stupid song about animalistic sex, you could tell this man is unique.

Before Guns steps in and says that the org is sick of Bruno Mars and all of his shit. He is right and I approve what he says, the dude is on tour and we'd look stupid if we base all our opinions on 2 albums or a show on his 1st arena tour....

Shawy89 said:

Before Guns steps in and says that the org is sick of Bruno Mars and all of his shit. He is right and I approve what he says, the dude is on tour and we'd look stupid if we base all our opinions on 2 albums or a show on his 1st arena tour....

believe it or not i wasn't goung to say all that.

This article is kind of dumb... idk what magic it's talking about. This sounds like the same type of person who hates on Lennt Kravitz like crazy. But thinks Beck is a musical genius... which for the record i'm a big fan of both.

It's a pretty well known fact Brunaaaaaa is a huge fan of Mj, prince and all dat jazz. And pretty well known he has that type of thing going in concert... so idk what the reviewer expected.

If i go see a Miley Cyrus show... i can't complain. I know the type of music she does and what type of show it is

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I had the displeasure of reading this poor excuse for a review earlier today...this hit piece is not an objective review but a pointless anti-Bruno rant disguised as a "review" by some bitter guy jealous of Bruno's incredible success. And before anyone dismisses what I say as the rantings of a big Bruno Mars fan, consider the fact that THIS REVIEW is the ONLY NEGATIVE REVIEW that's been written about Bruno's concert performances.

There have been nothing but rave review after rave review posted about his tour by real, legitimate critics and the people who paid to go see him have said they had an awesome time and that this was the best concert they've ever seen (believe it or not )

I dont see how this person can call themselves a legit music critic when half of this ridiculous review was spent on ridiculing Bruno's wardrobe. Um so he didnt care for the show but he thought Bruno has nice ankles? Whatever dude, this wasnt a fashion show, its a freakin concert! Like this guy was seriously searching for something to find fault on and he goes in on Bruno's clothes, lack of socks and the "tacky curtain"

But to answer the question, no this review does not sum up Bruno Mars--not by a long shot. Bruno has his obvious inspirations and he's never hidden the fact that he grew up listening to and being inspired by Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown, Elvis, The Police, etc. He regulary pays homage to not only them, but the bygone music era of the 50s-90s. Bruno is not trying to be MJ, Prince or anybody else, he's just doing what he loves making music inspired by the artists and music he grew up listening too. But I guess some people get it and others dont. Oh well, Bruno will keep on slaying and is still on the road to being a legend in the making

Shawy89 said:

Prince wanted to be Sly Stone and Miles Davis rolled into one.
Michael Jackson wanted to be James Brown and Fred Astaire rolled into one.
Bruno Mars wants to be MJ and Prince rolled into one.

Everyone takes from the best, and then slowly starts to originate a craft, or a sound. Chuck Berry took everything from the blues and jazz music and turned it into rock and roll... The Beatles took that rock and roll and made it more atmospheric and not as meaningless as it was... and there you go, the secret of every successful artist in history, you take from the best, you make it your own, and the rest is what people will remember you for.

Plus, the magic of Bruno is probably not for men audience, for instance, when you see his rendition of Gorilla; a cheesy stupid song about animalistic sex, you could tell this man is unique.

Thank you Shawy, Bravo! Perfectly stated! People dont seem to realize that Bruno is still growing as an artist (and as a person too) and what we are getting from him right now isnt necessarily what we will get from him 3, 5, 10 years from now. He's only got 2 albums out and this is his first headling arena tour. Give him time, he WILL develop his own style and leave his own unique mark in music because he has what it takes to make that happen. People just need to give him time to grow. A baby doesnt grow into a teenager in one month.

And I agree with what Gunshalen said too


ETA: This comment posted in response to this crap review is everything!:

[Edited 7/1/14 20:08pm]

[Edited 7/1/14 20:19pm]

He threw a few bones:

>

"It’s not really about the music, although Mars does more than most of his peers bother to do, by bringing elements of Motown, Stax, 80s pop, 70s soul, and classic R&B to bear on his unabashed pop sound;"

>

"Bruno Mars is a talented guy. He can sing, he’s a decent guitarist, a passably funky drummer, and a good dancer."

>

"Oh, but can he sing, and did he ever, turning “Moonshine” into a soul-pop free for all, as his entourage cavorted around him, the horn players and backing vocalists intermingling, to the point where it became difficult to discern Mars from the rest."

I like bruno, but I want more substantial music. He is at the beginning of his stardom compare that to MJ(OTW) or Prince(1999) at the beginning of their stardom.

(Granted MJ was a kid star.)

Couldn't say if it's true or not... wasn't able to attend one of his concerts because it was sold out. But I like his music, it's different from most new music out there.

MotownSubdivision said:

The point of the article can be attributed to every top mainstream act we have now (well, those with actual talent). They all lack the aura that the top stars of the past had though Bruno is the closest to unlocking that latent "magic". Shawy couldn't have said it better.

>

Lady Gaga hands down!

[Edited 7/2/14 8:36am]

CynicKill said:

Well, Bruno has been performing since he was a toddler. I don't know what other magic one might require.

CynicKill said:

Magic missing in Mars’ sold-out performance

Bruno Mars performed before a sold-out crowd at First Niagara Center on Monday. (Getty Images file photo)

By Jeff Miers | News Pop Music Critic | Google+

on June 30, 2014 - 11:17 PM

, updated July 1, 2014 at 12:45 AM

Bruno Mars is a talented guy. He can sing, he’s a decent guitarist, a passably funky drummer, and a good dancer.

You’d think all of these attributes would add up to a stellar showman. But on Monday, before a sold-out First Niagara Center, Mars proved that the whole is not always greater than the sum of its parts.

All of the pieces were in place. But what was strangely missing was that single ingredient that separates a good show from a great one – magic.

Mars and his entourage made all the right moves. But the magic didn’t appear.

Monday’s gig felt like a textbook-recitation on how to put on a modern pop show. But the one thing that can’t be taught is that ephemeral glue, that otherness, that blend of sex and soul and sweetness that carries a gig of this variety. That’s something that needs to be earned, and then honed over time. You can’t just walk into it, and drape it over yourself, like a cape.

Mars wants to be Michael Jackson and Prince rolled into one, he made plain throughout Monday’s show. He’s got a long way to go before he can even think about filling either one of those artists’ shoes.

Speaking of shoes – Mars’ and his entourage appeared to be attempting to forge a new style, one where skinny jeans gather a good six inches above the ankle, there to linger, displaying bare ankle and a sock-less entry into black patent-leather shoes. One can only hope this style does not catch on. It is, as far as any semblance of “coolness” goes, an epic failure.

Ahh, but back to the music.

Mars appeared at 9:15 p.m., as a horribly tacky curtain depicting a palm tree setting better suited to a Jimmy Buffet concert was torn away, to reveal the star and his entourage eager to tear into “Moonshine.” Mars was dressed in an awful Hawaiian shirt echoing the pattern on the curtain, with a straw boater perched atop his head and the aforementioned high-waters with no socks drawing our attention toward his feet. He looked like a tourist, sans camera. Nice ankles, though.

Oh, but can he sing, and did he ever, turning “Moonshine” into a soul-pop free for all, as his entourage cavorted around him, the horn players and backing vocalists intermingling, to the point where it became difficult to discern Mars from the rest.

The tunes came fast and furious and flawless, as if they’d been rehearsed in such a fashion.

Well, duh. There was nothing left to chance here, as Mars gave us a faux 70s soul take on “Treasure,” and then grabbed a guitar and spat out the evening’s first high point – a rather rocking version of “Money (That’s What I Want)” that led into “Billionaire,” just in case we didn’t get the idea that money, well, yeah, that’s what Mars wants. And then we were off, into the first of the evening’s medleys.

“Bam Bam/Show Me/Our First Time/Pony/Ignition” suggested that Mars, had he had the inclination to start his set 20 minutes earlier, could’ve avoided the dreaded Las Vegas-style medley. Regardless, he killed it, vocally, at least, though once again, Mars made it plain that a facility for Michael Jackson-like moves and a strong, versatile voice alone will not make you Michael Jackson. For that, you need that other thing – that magic.

So, what about the crowd? Well, the people appeared to be thrilled, standing with arms aloft and hips moving throughout the show, turning the packed FNC into a meeting hall for the Bruno Mars fan club for one evening.

And that, really, is what this is all about.

It’s not really about the music, although Mars does more than most of his peers bother to do, by bringing elements of Motown, Stax, 80s pop, 70s soul, and classic R&B to bear on his unabashed pop sound; It’s not really about the fact that the set list does not change from night to night on the Mars tour; It’s not about the bare reality that everything Mars did on Monday evening at FNC has been done better, with more inventiveness, elsewhere, and often.

It’s about whether or not the people who dropped down their hard-earned cash to buy a ticket went home happy. And by all appearances at press time, they seemed to be poised to do just that.

Ahh, but those high-waters with no socks? That’s gotta go, man. C’mon, now. That’s just never gonna be cool.

I hope there's a place in heaven where MJ can see all these folks trying to fill his shoes. I swear if I live to be 100, there will be kids of that generations STILL trying to be Michael.

With that being said, it sounds like this writer woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He/She peppered in a few nice things but this sounds like a hater wrote it. Hasn't BM been touring for months now? Give him a damn break! Everyone knows who his influences are/were so we don't need to be reminded about it. Let this guy breathe already!

He's got a long way to go but people like him because he's not some loser with tattoos, autotune and no talent (not going to mention any names because it might start a war in here!)

Everyone's got the right to be their own badass...we gotta give it TIME. Does anyone remember what that is anymore?

Shawy89 said:

Prince wanted to be Sly Stone and Miles Davis rolled into one.
Michael Jackson wanted to be James Brown and Fred Astaire rolled into one.
Bruno Mars wants to be MJ and Prince rolled into one.

Everyone takes from the best, and then slowly starts to originate a craft, or a sound. Chuck Berry took everything from the blues and jazz music and turned it into rock and roll... The Beatles took that rock and roll and made it more atmospheric and not as meaningless as it was... and there you go, the secret of every successful artist in history, you take from the best, you make it your own, and the rest is what people will remember you for.

Plus, the magic of Bruno is probably not for men audience, for instance, when you see his rendition of Gorilla; a cheesy stupid song about animalistic sex, you could tell this man is unique.

I agree with you, especially when you say the artists must make it their own. I think that's what's lacking with many artists these days. Blatant copying of others with nobody to guide them into being their own damn artist. I think it's mostly the record companies to blame.

Fred Astaire is other worldy and so is Gene Kelley.

Have you guys seen Gene Kelly dance on skates? I seriously doubt anyone else will pull that off. There's nothing wrong with admitting that some artists are once-in-a-lifetime. Prince, MJ, Fred Astaire and everyone else you mention are rare talents.

[Edited 7/2/14 13:08pm]

MotownSubdivision said:

The point of the article can be attributed to every top mainstream act we have now (well, those with actual talent). They all lack the aura that the top stars of the past had though Bruno is the closest to unlocking that latent "magic". Shawy couldn't have said it better.

I agree. Sometimes I wonder if the internet/social media is to blame for how quickly the mania about a new artist dies down. What do you think?

I actually think that even the best songs of all time are heavily influenced by other songs, or other material. For example, Bob Dylan was inspired to write most of his acclaimed songs by reading Woody Gruthie's lyrics aside from taking (in that case, ripping off) many poetic sentences from novels and books.

Michael Jackson was probably JBs biggest fan as he grew up imitating him, but the moment of Michael's genius is when he looked back to those 50s musical numbers, and maybe even before that.... That was something you'd see only in musical theaters, but Michael made it his own and transformed it into his music videos and clothing style (taking note from Fred and Gene Kelley (who's a very wonderful dancer) for example as SeventeenDayze said)

There was nothing original in music history, everything is related to its roots, even the most original albums of all time are inspired by stuff that a few bunch of people would even care to notice....

And about "decent guitarist passable drummer" hell its not like one should master all the instruments to be respected, Prince is a pro at guitar but his piano playing skills are slightly above average... and his drumming is probably weak.. same goes for Paul McCartney..... You can't be an all-instruments pro... A little something from everything.

See just like Guns said, its about which concert you're planning to see, if you go to a Radiohead concert, expect a mellow atmosphere, silent sequences and weird & psychedelic sounds all over the stage..... If you wanna see Bruno, you're just going to see one of those late 70s shows where everything is mixed.... About the music, everything evolves... everything reaches that point of "wow is that really him???" where the artist goes weird and all...

SeventeenDayze said:

MotownSubdivision said:

The point of the article can be attributed to every top mainstream act we have now (well, those with actual talent). They all lack the aura that the top stars of the past had though Bruno is the closest to unlocking that latent "magic". Shawy couldn't have said it better.

I agree. Sometimes I wonder if the internet/social media is to blame for how quickly the mania about a new artist dies down. What do you think?

.

If they weren't so disposable, they wouldn't be so easy to throw out.

.

To answer the question "Does this local review sum up Bruno Mars?" - Yes. He lays out with acerbic wit and painful truth the reality behind Peter Hernandez. Do ya'll think he'd sell/"get support" like he does if he called himself by his given name? Is this where I get labeled a bigot?

jeidee said:

SeventeenDayze said:

I agree. Sometimes I wonder if the internet/social media is to blame for how quickly the mania about a new artist dies down. What do you think?

.

If they weren't so disposable, they wouldn't be so easy to throw out.

.

To answer the question "Does this local review sum up Bruno Mars?" - Yes. He lays out with acerbic wit and painful truth the reality behind Peter Hernandez. Do ya'll think he'd sell/"get support" like he does if he called himself by his given name? Is this where I get labeled a bigot?

So you think he's hiding behind his nickname to hide his identity? He seemed to blend in pretty well with his bandmates....what do you think?

I had the exact same reaction to seeing the Black Keys at Staples Center a couple years ago. I noted then that they were good but not great, and couldn't realy connect with me over the huge arena floor. There's nothing WRONG with what they do, it's often objectively well-done and high quality. But I was left empty by it. No magic. Here's what I wrote at the time.

http://thelosangelesbeat....es-center/

But thinking about it now, part of the reason I don't find them "magical" is that those songs mean nothing to me. It's not equivalent to going to see the Who, or the Stones, or even Black Flag, where every song is sacred to me, reminds me of a point in my life where the music illuminated something for me. It's not that the Black Keys stuff is bad, it's just that I have no relationship with it.

Somebody who met their sweetheart while dancing to a Bruno Mars song probably finds that song totally magical. And if I had listened to Black Keys albums when I was a pimply kid just learning about rock and roll I'm sure I'd feel different.

I think reviewers who are my age and covering new music need to at least recognize that this happens, that we are not always capable of being objective about such things.

You know nothing Jon Snow; Bruno was his nickname ever since he was like 3 or 2...... and Mars was there YEARS before his stardom..... (When he used to be a songwriter for other acts).

SeventeenDayze said:

Shawy89 said:

I actually think that even the best songs of all time are heavily influenced by other songs, or other material. For example, Bob Dylan was inspired to write most of his acclaimed songs by reading Woody Gruthie's lyrics aside from taking (in that case, ripping off) many poetic sentences from novels and books.

Michael Jackson was probably JBs biggest fan as he grew up imitating him, but the moment of Michael's genius is when he looked back to those 50s musical numbers, and maybe even before that.... That was something you'd see only in musical theaters, but Michael made it his own and transformed it into his music videos and clothing style (taking note from Fred and Gene Kelley (who's a very wonderful dancer) for example as SeventeenDayze said)

There was nothing original in music history, everything is related to its roots, even the most original albums of all time are inspired by stuff that a few bunch of people would even care to notice....

And about "decent guitarist passable drummer" hell its not like one should master all the instruments to be respected, Prince is a pro at guitar but his piano playing skills are slightly above average... and his drumming is probably weak.. same goes for Paul McCartney..... You can't be an all-instruments pro... A little something from everything.

See just like Guns said, its about which concert you're planning to see, if you go to a Radiohead concert, expect a mellow atmosphere, silent sequences and weird & psychedelic sounds all over the stage..... If you wanna see Bruno, you're just going to see one of those late 70s shows where everything is mixed.... About the music, everything evolves... everything reaches that point of "wow is that really him???" where the artist goes weird and all...

Another great post Shawy

MotownSubdivision said:

SeventeenDayze said:

I agree. Sometimes I wonder if the internet/social media is to blame for how quickly the mania about a new artist dies down. What do you think?

It certainly has contributed to artists losing their mystique, Twitter in particular. With social media there's no reasons fans to wonder about the personal lives of their favorte stars anymore sice it's all laid out for them online via not only that but other media outlets that referece Tweets, Facebook posts, and all the like for the articles they publish. Interviews also used to be a rare, special occurrence for the top stars of the past (see MJ on Oprah's show) but with the Internet, social media, and interviews being much more commonplace nowadays, it heavily reduces the impact the artist could have because every facet of their personal life from hearing them wake up and brush their teeth every morning to album leaks and revealing things about their music that by all accounts should have been a surprise. Shoot, it's because of these things that cheapen an artist's starpower that it's been about the music less and less over the years since Twitter is where they reveal their personal life and a negative side of themselves to the world which is why almost every artist is so (noticeably) polarizing as opposed to the usually very well loved artists of the past. In fact, you're more likely to hear the bad things about someone now than you are good and more often than not it stems from not their music but once again, their personal life. Social media has blurred the line between the artists' work and the artists themselves. The people behind the music have become bigger than the music.

Absolutely. I think artists of generations pasts only had dirt aired out if they were in a serious DUI car wreck, drug overdose and/or death of course. But now, a famous person just walking into a cafe has a mob of paparazzi around and then posted online is a bit too much.

I also wonder if this so-called review writer would appreciate Bruno if he were more "gangsta" I guess all men with dark skin who don't act ghetto are considered "cheesy"

[Edited 7/3/14 11:03am]