Bruno Mars’ Rock in Rio Concert

Bruno Mars’ Rock in Rio Concert
Rock in Rio festival started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has been referred to as ‘the biggest music festival in the world.’ This was the first time it was coming to the United States of America and Las Vegas. The festival was spread over two weekends – May 8th-9th, and May 15th-16th. The first weekend was rock-themed while the second concert was more pop. The venue of the festival was the MGM Resorts Festival Grounds, Las Vegas. I attended the pop-themed festival that featured pop artists Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars as headliners. Mars gave a great performance to close Rock in Rio’s inaugural festival in Las Vegas.

The other headliners, especially Taylor Swift, were magnificent; however, Bruno Mars and The Smeezingtons were in a league of their own. Each of their performances was energetic and breathtaking, creating a vivacious atmosphere throughout the night. Mars stepped onto the stage at around thirty minutes to midnight, opening his show with a drum solo to set the tone for the night. He was dressed in a half-buttoned tropical shirt with gold chains, black slacks, and his trademark white fedora hat. The artist displayed his drum set skills to which the crowd approved with roars. His first song of the night was the 2012 hit single ‘Locked Out of Heaven.’ He was joined on the stage by The Hooligans who danced to the song, as customary to his shows. His next song was ‘Natalie,’ which he indulged with so much energy that it seemed he was having more fun than the crowd watching.

Mars then went on to shout out other performers of the festival before turning the attention to himself and his performance. He went on with his two-hour show performing hits such as ‘Treasure,’ ‘Billionaire,’ and ‘Marry You.’ An avid entertainer, Bruno Mars maintained the crowd’s lively atmosphere with cover versions of Rhythm and Blues hits such as R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition. The Grammy Award winner then turned his attention to ballads, with a majestic acoustic show of the hit ‘Nothing on You.’ Mars then disappeared backstage, with the crowd fearful that, perhaps the show had ended. However, he returned and gave, to my opinion, the best performance of the festival. The ‘Uptown Funk’ hit performed with its trademark moves justified the one billion-plus views on YouTube. Mars’s last show of the night was ‘Gorilla’ a hit that was influenced by the rock arena of the 1980s, as fireworks exploded to bring the awesome night to an end.

The whole festival was a success with great musicians and a large and lively crowd. However, several frustrations arose, which made settling and enjoying the show a bit difficult. The organizers should have communicated enough on the no cash or credit card policy. Loading money into the required electronic wristband was frustrating because not all the ‘Top Up Stations’ were working. Beer was also very expensive – $12 for a Corona can – and water stations were missing.

Despite the few glitches, the whole show was a success, and Bruno Mars’s performance to close the show was the highlight for me. I liked his energy, especially at the opening, where he plays the drum set before introducing his first song. The crowd was also lively and energetic, and the atmosphere and lighting were magnificent.