It can be easy to dismiss Bruno Mars as pandering pop-music candy. Even when you disregard the takeover of “Uptown Funk,” he’s got wedding-party crowd pleasers like “Marry You” and “Just the Way You Are,” and tunes like “When I Was Your Man” for the lovelorn. He’s covered so much pop music terrain that there’s a Bruno Mars chart-topper for every mood. Since the rise of “Uptown Funk,” there’s been 24K Magic, which, while it hasn’t been the only thing you hear on the radio, still has proven that Bruno Mars wasn’t about to fade away. It had been a while since he’d come back to Dublin, and the 3Arena was packed with a crowd of high expectations.
One thing to prepare yourself for at a Bruno Mars gig- no one’s allowed to sit down. Even the whole band doubles as backup singers and dancers, following Bruno back and forth across the stage to chastise those of us who can’t dance. Calling out the left half of the room, he and his band sit perched on the edge of the stage. “When we get over here, and you’re not dancing enough, and you’re not sweating enough, that means we gotta change it up.” It’s easy to forget how much the performer’s energy depends on the audience, so he’s not about to let us slack off. And if the rest of the gig is any indication, we didn’t let him down. There wasn’t a dip in the energy for the rest of the night.
The special effects don’t disappoint either, with laser beams slicing through the air, gold confetti saved for the encore, and searing fireballs that seem to just barely comply with safety regulations, but they do look awesome. That’s not what we’re here for, though, and the real magic comes when Bruno takes to the stage solo for “When I Was Your Man.” It’s just him under some blue stage lights, so the audience creating their own special effects; a galaxy of flashlight beams from everybody’s cellphones. He’s clearly one of the few pop stars left who doesn’t resort to lip-syncing, with vocals that reach up into the stratosphere.
The confetti finally falls during an encore of “Locked Out of Heaven” before Bruno and Co. close out the night with “Uptown Funk,” cause it's not like they forgot, and it's the only way to end an unstoppable set. By the time we leave the 3Arena, we’re all worn out from being on our dancing feet all night, but it’s worth it.