The last time Bruno Mars played Los Angeles, back in 2016, he was promoting the release of his then- recently released “24K Magic.”
Six years later — and with no new album — the pop-soul superstar made his highly-anticipated return to the city to christen the newly-opened Intuit Dome on Thursday night for the first of two sold-out gigs at the 17,700-capacity arena. In his time away from California, the Hawaii-born showman has been delivering back-to-back sprawling sets in Las Vegas — both solo and as part of Soul Sonic, his Grammy-winning project with Anderson .Paak — as part of a multi-year partnership with MGM Resorts, only leaving occasionally to perform at international shows.
And he did not hold back for his big return: In the crowd were Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Angela Bassett and Kelsea Ballerini, among numerous other A-listers, and the evening concluded with a rumored-but-still-surprising duet with Lady Gaga on their duet single “Die With a Smile,” which premiered just a few minutes before Mars’ 9:40 start time earlier that night.
Unfortunately for the large number of concert-goers who left early to beat the traffic — although it was a surprisingly seamless exit the arena’s West Garage across the street — Mars saved the best surprise of the evening for last. He welcomed Gaga, who appeared behind a red piano on stage, introducing her as “the icon” and “pop royalty.” She was dressed in the similar country-inspired get-up that she dons in the song’s ’70s-themed music video, while Mars accessorized with a cowboy hat.
In the darkness of the sweltering arena, a white spotlight lit up the stage as Mars began with the slowed-down guitar intro from “Die With a Smile.” Gaga rolled into the song with fervent passion, building up to the song’s big chorus where the pair of hitmakers’ powerful vocals melt as one.
News of Gaga’s probable appearance was floating in conversation earlier that night but it was difficult to trust any prediction of what to expect. Ahead of the concert, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a routine press conference took place in the high-tech arena’s massive outdoor plaza. L.A. Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer issued a minimal warning of the Dome’s reliance on its accompanying app which is used exclusively to get inside the venue and for purchases (it’s a cashless venue).
Just as the sun was beginning to disappear into the city skyline, the arena’s app did malfunction, causing a pedestrian traffic jam at the main entrance for an hour. Despite the malfunction, ticketed guests slowly populated the arena, and Mars went on before 10 p.m.
“You know, you gotta get the app to get inside,” Mars later jokingly remarked on stage before launching into his sultry banger “Calling All My Lovelies.”
In the last week, Mars helped Mexico City celebrate the reopening of their storied Foro Sol Stadium (renovated and renamed as Estadio GNP Seguros), and this evening’s three-hour show followed the same basic setlist, featuring all of Mars’ biggest hits — from “Finesse,” “That’s What I Like,” “Billionaire,” and “Treasure,” to “Versace on the Floor” and “Just the Way You Are” — with support from his all-star backing group of instrumentalists that double as dancers. Each seat above the floor was lit up with colors matching the palette on stage, and when Mars would swivel from one side of the arena to the other, the lights would follow his movement.
The pace and flow of the concert unfolded as flawlessly as one would expect from a performer with a showcase as seasoned as Mars. There were hardly any pauses, outside of one minor distraction when Mars flagged — and then ushered (“Y’all got security, right? Jump over the [barricade]!“) — the Dome’s security team to attend to a medical emergency in the first few rows of the floor.
The crowd remained on its feet until midnight, only taking the occasional break when Mars would briefly disappear for quick outfit changes. Each time he would return, the room swelled with an amplified hunger, culminating into a full-blown sing-a-long of “Runaway Baby” and “Uptown Funk.”
“We’re making California history,” Mars said to the starry-eyed crowd. “Thank you for being here with me.”
He will perform a second show on Friday night at the Dome, just blocks away from the SoFi Stadium and the Kia Forum in Inglewood. The arena will host Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Usher and more in the coming weeks.
