I have been a fan of Bruno Mars for pretty much his whole career. The first time I heard his single “Just the Way You Are,” seven-year-old me thought it was cheesy.  Having been exposed to heavy doses of classic rock (thank you, Mom and Dad) where talent and strong musicianship reign, and uninspired by modern rock, it was Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox album that first caught my attention.

Peter Gene Hernandez (a.k.a. Bruno Mars) was born October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mars’ father was a percussionist, and his mother was a singer and dancer.  Under his parents influence, Mars and his five siblings became musicians. When Mars started working in the music industry, record labels wanted him to be a Latino artist given his Hispanic heritage, while Mars aspired to be a pop artist.  The desire to be a pop artist led to him changing his name; Bruno Mars was derived from two childhood nicknames, “Bruno” for wrestler Bruno Sammartino given to him by his parents because he was a chubby baby, and “Mars” from his father due to his love of space.

In 2004, Mars was signed to Motown Records, best known for producing music for Michael Jackson and The Temptations. He later dropped the label to produce his music independently, allowing for better creative freedom. While working independently, he met his future manager, Aaron Bay-Schuck, and three years later (2009), Mars was signed to Atlantic Records.

Mars developed his writing skills and made a name for himself writing music for other top artists, such as Adam Levine and Travie McCoy, to whom he went on to feature vocals on the McCoy’s song “Billionaire.” The first big breakthrough song credited to Mars was “Forget You” by CeeLo Green. On July 19, 2010, Mars released his first single “Just the Way You Are,” which became one of his biggest hits to date, reaching number one on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was the lead single from his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The second single “Grenade” also reach number one in the United States. Other singles in this album include “The Lazy Song” and “Marry You.”

His next album, Unorthodox Jukebox, is arguably Bruno Mars’ most successful album. Its lead single, the iconic “Locked Out of Heaven” released on October 1, 2012, is Mars’ best-selling solo song. Other singles including “When I Was Your Man,” “Young Girls,” and “Treasure,” were also successful but not to the same degree as “Locked Out of Heaven.” On February 2, 2014, Mars headlined the Super Bowl XLVII half-time show, which garnered more viewers than the actual football game.

In October 2014, producer Mark Ronson announced that Mars would perform on his track “Uptown Funk.” This collaboration with Ronson is Mars’ second-best-selling single. During the Super Bowl 50 half-time show, Mars and Ronson performed the single with Beyoncé. According to critical reviews, they stole the show from Coldplay, the headliners.

His unannounced single “24k Magic,” which reached number four on the Hot 100, was released on October 7, 2016. At the same time, preorders began for the album 24K Magic. When it was released on November 18, 2016, the album had reached number one on the Billboard Top 200. The second single on the album “That’s What I Like,” became its most successful single over-taking “24k Magic,” placing at number one for a week. The third single “Versace on the Floor” is currently in the Top 40.

Christmas 2016 arrived, and I flat out said I wanted twenty one pilots tickets. Knowing my parents could not get tickets because the New York shows were all sold out, they surprised me with four tickets to the 24k Magic tour in October 2017. Even though I would have to wait for 10 months, I was so overwhelmed and so happy.

Fast-forward 10 months and nine rock concerts (seven of which include Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees) in-between, and there I was, filled with Chipotle and ready to get my groove on. I was excited and nervous because I did not know what Mars and the Hooligans, Mars’ backing band, would bring. My parents had been saying, “Bruno Mars could possibly be one of the best stage concerts we’ll ever see. His showmanship and sound are just amazing,” which made me even more excited than nervous.

The night started out with Jorja Smith, an up-and-coming blues singer from Wales. Her performance fell flat and was not well received by the audience, who were prepped for the high-energy performance from Mars. She sang her hits such as “Blue Lights,” “Where Did I Go,” and “On My Mind.” The biggest issue with her performance was her repetitive melodies, which made every verse of every song sound the same, and I, like the rest of the audience around me, was attentive for all of six minutes.

After Smith, the stage crew started setting up for Mars, and the anticipation of the audience was palpable. While some people scattered trying to get to the bathroom or find food, I was mesmerized by the movement of the roadies, transforming the stage with drum kits and amps, and finally a massive red curtain with crown. This motif has significance to his album, symbolizing Mars as the new “King.”

After about 45 minutes, the lights finally went down and the stadium was completely black. The audience started screaming and chanting for Mars while backing vocalist Philip Lawrence started encouraging the crowd to get louder. Then Mars and the Hooligans launched into an upbeat version of “Finesse,” a song off of 24K Magic. The entire audience was singing along on their feet.

Mars immediately transitioned to the lead single “24K Magic.” The incredible beat of the music was highlighted by fireworks, and Mars and his Hooligans looked like they were having the time of their lives grooving to the energetic beat of the song. It was obvious that they were so excited to be performing their music for their fans, and the crowd loved it.

Subsequently, Bruno thanked everyone for coming to his concert and expressed how grateful he was that we had all come out to enjoy our night with him. “Treasure” and “Perm” followed. “Treasure” featured the amazing brass section with Kameron Whalum on trombone, Dwayne Dugger on saxophone, and James King on trumpet. The backing brass also featured with “Perm.”  Their rocking beat was punctuated with fireworks, a dance interlude, and crude, but funny antics and remarks by Mars. This included a band formation at each corner of the stage where Mars and the Hooligans posed and told the audience, “Put this s— on your Instagram.”

“Chucky” was next, and I had to close my eyes because the lights were flashing like a strobe light. While the effect made everything look like it was moving in slow motion, they made me very uncomfortable, so much so that I felt like I could possibly have a seizure. To the audience’s delight, “That’s What I Like” was next. The audience sang along, with such catchy lyrics such as “Shopping sprees in Paris; Everything 24 karats.” The crowd was excited that the song was performed so early in the concert.

Fans had their arms waving for “Straight Up & Down” and flashlights on (in my case, the Zippo lighter app). The song was followed by “Versace on the Floor,” Mars’ current hit single. With the recent release of the music video, the audience seemed to be in awe when this song started. For me, I felt a little uncomfortable because my parents were sitting next to me, and the lyrics are explicit.

Finally, the time came for Mars’ music from his Doo-Wops & Hooligans and Unorthodox Jukebox days, when Bruno Mars was inspired by Elvis, musically and with his image. He even did his hair like Elvis. He brought his electric guitar out for an exhilarating version of “Marry You,” a song about you know, getting hitched in Vegas. “Calling All My Lovelies” came next, which was slow and not as upbeat as the rest of the set. At this time, like quite a bit of the crowd, I sat down to take a moment. However, this break was only momentary because guitarist Phredley Brown and bassist Jamareo Artis took the lead with the song “Runaway Baby.” The whole crowd were on their feet following Mars’ directions on getting lower, and higher, just like the The Isley Brothers in 1959 when they inspired a crowd with their famous song “Shout.” The song was highlighted by a long dance interlude, and it was a clear highlight of the concert beside “Perm.”

Mars ended the main setlist with slow songs including “When I Was Your Man,” “Grenade,” and “Just the Way You Are.” All the songs were made memorable by the audience shining flashlights (and my “lighter”) in unison swaying back and forth. Audience members sang every word to each song. Bruno took piano lead on “When I Was Your Man,” while Hooligan pianist John Fossit took the lead on “Just the Way You Are.” When the show ended, he thanked the Hooligans (Did I mention his brother Eric is the drummer?) for being such an amazing backing band.

After the concert “ended,” people wondered why Mars had not played his two biggest songs. All I could hear after the lights went up were “ENCORE! ENCORE!” It was about three minutes until Mars and the Hooligans ran back on stage. The memorable riff of “Locked Out of Heaven” was playing as the Hooligans came out on stage. It began with a bang, and it seemed almost every single person in Nassau Colisseum sang the words to this amazing version of the song. During the bridge, the crew exploded confetti cannons, and tons of beautiful, golden confetti showered the crowd with “24k magic.”

Finally, there was “Uptown Funk.” It started out with a brass solo and walking bass line; no one in the audience knew what would happen. It could have been really great or really horrible. But, It … Was … Amazing! Once the crowd heard the recognizable backing vocals, they knew what they were getting into. The audience was alive, singing this song, backed by the Hooligans backing vocals, and dancing in sync along with Mars’ amazing rhythms. The brass section was a stand out!

I went home believing what my mom had said earlier; that really was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. My mother, who has been to many more concert than I, said it was one of the best stage shows she has seen in her life.

Overall, a Bruno Mars concert is an experience – auditory, visual, and physical. It is one that is worth paying for. It is a show I could see over and over again if I could. It really was one of the best shows I have ever seen.