To Bruno Mars; dare I say, you are the greatest performer of all time (after Michael Jackson of course). On Sept. 16, Mars entered into the roaring streets of New Orleans to perform his Romantic Tour.
This genuinely has been and is one of the highlights of my life. I couldn’t wait until my last class ended here in Lafayette so I could finally make my way to the Superdome. The whole day, matter of fact, the whole week, I was jumping with anticipation.
Ever since I could remember, I listened to Bruno Mars. I have to thank my mom for that. She was the first to put me onto his music and since then, I’ve been stuck to his voice on the radio. From The Hooligans to Silk Sonic, Mars is simply immaculate.
The night started at 7 p.m. DJ Pee .Wee came out on stage first, hitting the crowd with a bang. Most people don’t know who Pee .Wee is, but are familiar with his actual name, Anderson .Paak. He is also better known as Mars’ partner in Silk Sonic. All to say, this is the same person, hilariously enough.
Playing hits from each decade, going from 50s to 60s, and so on, the crowd went crazy for him. Not only for his music, but his dance moves, along with his excessive use of the “FAHH” button on his sound board. Yes, you did read that correctly. With fun music and great laughs, I wouldn’t have anyone replace Pee .Wee.
Unfortunately, his time eventually came to an end. It wasn’t until 8 p.m. that the opener came out on stage. It was Raye! I couldn’t have been more excited.
Ever since her album, “This Music May Contain Hope,” released on March 27, I have been completely obsessed with everything she does. So believe me when I tell you, I freaked out when I saw her opening for Mars by singing my favorite album ever live.
In all honesty, I could write a whole separate article about how meaningful that album is. I’ll have to save that thought for later though.
All this to say, I got to hear the queen herself sing live. I’m not sure what exactly I did to be so blessed, but I’m not complaining. What was truly special about her performance is the hope she was bringing into the room. Before one of her songs, “I Will Overcome,” she took time to acknowledge that there are some people going through a hard time in the room, covering it up to the outside world. She then dedicated that song to them right after–creating such a beautiful moment of unifying those with and without hope.
After a few songs, Raye sadly left the stage.
The music went out, lights turned off and all I could do was wait. Oh, how the excitement was literally crawling out of my skin. I was going to see Mars. In real life. Hearing him sing, right in front of me! I’m so sorry, but personally, I won at life.
And then it finally happened. It started with a video of Mars in a church, praying over his concert. Which actually shocked me; he is genuinely one of the few artists I know of that have had public prayer during a concert. It was really sweet to see his love for his fans, and his hopes for them to enjoy something you can tell he put so much work in.
Then, the screens rose up from the stage, and there he was. Guitar in hand, microphone set up in front of him, my eyes in awe.
“For just a chance, to win your heart…” the lyrics marinated into the room. “Risk It All” was the very first song he played, and you better believe I sang every word to it. Every. Word. You can tell the crowd was truly captivated by his presence.
Everyone had their eyes locked on him, never wanting to blink, just stare. All in harmony, New Orleans was drawn, taking in every moment of the night.
As he sang, the performer inside of him was brought to life. In songs where there isn’t much variation in ranges, were the songs that he would hit remarkable notes for. Yet, his vocals were the only thing transforming the room that night.
The entire time he sang, he was dancing. This was simply more than just a concert but pure entertainment. His musicality plus his rhythm made the performance simply immaculate.
With the addition of ad-libs in between songs, the angel baby cam and bits he would have with others on stage, the only word I could think of is enjoyment, which honestly isn’t enough to describe the feeling that he exhibited within the atmosphere.
All in all, Mars was unforgettable, quite frankly. Yet, there was one moment throughout the whole concert that I think tops everything. I got to see him with my grandmother, Nana. Nana and I do a lot together, almost everything. So, getting to spend one of the greatest nights of my life with her by my side was so memorable and precious to me.
Yes, Mars was the best night of my life, but this was only accomplished because of the woman I got to share it with. And to that, I would do anything to relive that moment over and over again.