Mars mission achieves liftoff at Super Bowl
28-year-old star proved he could play the big gig
Anybody worried about how Bruno Mars would do on one of the world’s largest stages had obviously never seen the young star perform live. That all changed Sunday night when tens of millions got their first chance to see why he’s one of the most exciting live acts of his generation.
Mars, 28, took his highpowered live show to Super Bowl halftime, creating what felt like an intimate show in the arena and supersizing it in what has become a defining moment for those who preceded him on the list of halftime performers in the big game.
The Grammy Award-winning singer eliminated any doubters from the second he appeared on screen in a skinny tie and gold jacket almost as dazzling as his smile. He played a deep-groove drum solo while rolling across the field on a raised, motorized platform, then joined his smoking-hot live band for a series of energetically executed hits that were clearly not lip-synched. He then seamlessly integrated the Red Hot Chili Peppers set.
“T here were a l ot of doubters and my man delivered,” Fox commentator Howie Long said after the performance.
You couldn’t disagree. There were no flubs, no negative moments that will live on at the water cooler Monday morning. And while you can argue about the entertainment value of watching shirtless Chili Peppers gambol about the stage, the 50-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famers managed to match Mars’ energy in a brief appearance that was no less memorable.
Mars trades in shared memories, taking the best of acts that have come before like the infectiousness of Sting and The Police, or the groove of James Brown, and updating them with lyrics and sounds that captured the moment. He opened by displaying the beauty of his high tenor with the sing-along-inviting Locked Out of Heaven and Treasure before transitioning to Runaway Baby.
That song, with its Brown-flavoured beat, allowed the Hawaiian-born singer to dance in homage to “Soul Brother Number One,” complete with an impressive gymnastics-style split as part of his moves. He broke down the band to silence and killed the lights for a moment, allowing the crowd’s screams to be heard at home, before transitioning to the Chili Peppers and the funky Give It Away.
The group, which included singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea sans shirts in fairly cold weather, powered through the song, then joined Mars and his eightpiece band, The Hooligans, in a quick few bars from Black Sabbath.
Mars and his band were dressed from head to toe in custom-created clothes from Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane.
Fox cut to video segments of soldiers around the world dedicating the next song to loved ones before going back to Mars. He appeared alone on a small stage in the centre of the field where he sang the ballad Just the Way You Are with the stands full of lights and the sky aflame with the biggest fireworks display in NFL Super Bowl history.
It was a powerful moment and compared favourably to past performances by stars like Prince and Bruce Springsteen.
There was never a dull moment. That’s about all you can ask from any Super Bowl halftime show.