The lines are ridiculously long - a sign that the venue still hasn’t figured out how to handle crowds of 55,000. On-site food comes from make-shift stands, although via popular vendors like Chowking, McDonald’s, Yellow Cab Pizza Co., Jamba Juice and Shakey’s. (At first, because the Philippine Arena is owned by a church, I assumed it was the owner’s prerogative – but apparently, it’s the norm.) A concert where no one is buying a $15 (or, 836 Philippine pesos) beer feels unusual, but it also means those crowd screams were all genuine and not the byproduct of lubricated fans.īecause it’s located far outside Manila, the Philippine Arena gets mixed marks from music fans, according to news site Rappler, which notes that transportation to the venue is difficult, and the dining and accommodation options in the area are slim. There’s also no alcohol served at concerts in the Philippines, which admittedly took me by surprise. And while that may seem early, remember that it was a Sunday night, and going to a Bruno Mars concert is a family affair here. Mars hit the stage around 7:10 – just ten minutes after the advertised start time. I managed to make it to Night 2, and despite the huge crowds, the show moved surprisingly smooth, like a Bruno Mars chorus. The Philippine Arena holds 55,000 people - the largest mixed-use indoor arena in the world - and Mars’ first night in town was completely sold out. There’s something extra exhilarating in seeing Mars, who’s part Filipino, perform to a Manila crowd. It’s been, what? Four to five years? But I still feel the same way about you.” Then he declares, “Miss na kita, mahal!” (“I miss you, my love!”) The Hooligans then chime in, and they turn it into a melodic plea. Later, midway through “Calling All My Lovelies,” while talking through a fake, gold-plated 90s style brick cell phone (see, showmanship), he pleads, “Hey baby, I’m in the Philippines right now. But it’s on an entirely different level in Manila, as Mars peppered the entire evening with choice phrases in Tagalog, to the delight of the massive crowd. In each concert stop, Mars personalizes his banter for the crowd – a little Korean in Seoul, for example. The crowds are clearly there.Īnd they’re definitely receptive - a credit to the way Mars engages with the crowd in a way that few other performers seem to do these days. But hey, if he wants to tour right now just for the hell of it, why not. Performing a jukebox with no new songs seems something that seems premature given his youth, and the likelihood that plenty more work is coming. (The one nod to Silk Sonic is a stripped down version of “Leave the Door Open,” during an interlude where he runs through his songbook - including “Young Wild and Free,” “Grenade” and “Nothin’ on You.”) But he has already amassed a stable of megahits to fuel a greatest hits show - Opening with “24K Magic,” into “Finesse,” “Treasure” and “That’s What I Like,” and later “Runaway Baby,” “When I Was Your Man,” “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Just the Way You Are” - and “Uptown Funk” as the encore. Mars has been doing this version of his show for a while now - including a Vegas residency - so he has it down pat, and it doesn’t appear that he mixes it up much.Īnd perhaps for a reason: Mars hasn’t released a solo album since 2016’s “24K Magic,” more recently focusing his attention on his Silk Sonic collab with Anderson. In a nod to his origins, Mars sings a bit of the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” into his 2010 track “Marry You.” The singer takes a moment to perform some of his vast songwriting catalog, solo on piano. Mars pointedly introduces his band at the very beginning of the night, and gives them each a moment in the spotlight to show off their talents. There’s Mars wailing on the guitar, which he’s become quite a pro at. The equally smooth singing and dancing backup “Hooligans,” providing the necessary hype. But there’s also the three-piece brass horn section. Mars is still doing the same kind of big, diverse crowd-pleasing show – but now on an epic level. doing the kind of rollicking show he was doing with his father’s “The Love Notes” doo-wop variety show at Honolulu’s Esprit night club 30 years ago, or later as the opening act to the Magic of Polynesia in his teens. Close your eyes and imagine little Peter Hernandez Jr.
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