# Bruno Mars at it again...



## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

When its good .....its realy good..
here is Bruno Mars on SNL doing it UPTOWN ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO54WKs23J8

G.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

We watched it and I said to my wife, "these guys are a straight up funk band!" I admired his pop stuff for what it was and he is obviously talented, but SNL was a surprise. I doubt this will sell like his old stuff, but man, I would go see him.

Who was the guitar player?

TG


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## Cartcanuck (Oct 30, 2012)

tight....fun....creative.....and GOOOOOD!

He's a bit of Prince, a bit of Micheal Jackson, a bit of James Brown......and a whole lotta himself. 

I never get tired of seeing him perform live.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Best musical guests I've seen on SNL for ages. Those guys kicked ass.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

i saw bruno at Squamish valley music festival. he is a solid performer.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

On The second tune they did, he was a back up singer. This tune was a straight up James Brown throwback. 

TG



Cartcanuck said:


> tight....fun....creative.....and GOOOOOD!
> 
> He's a bit of Prince, a bit of Micheal Jackson, a bit of James Brown......and a whole lotta himself.
> 
> I never get tired of seeing him perform live.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Cartcanuck said:


> tight....fun....creative.....and GOOOOOD!
> 
> He's a bit of Prince, a bit of Micheal Jackson, a bit of James Brown......and a whole lotta himself.
> 
> I never get tired of seeing him perform live.


Yep, it was all of those. Although I half expected to see Morris Day come out and straighten his hair in front of a mirror. It was 1984 Minneapolis all over again.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Contrived comes to mind.

Well performed and recorded, entertaining even, like a freakishly good cover band, but not envelop pushing, ground breaking, or genre defining. 

All music is derivative, but this strikes me as just so much acting. That's better than posing, because it seems at least a little spirited, but there's something a little sterile about it.

Peace, Mooh.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I thought he was wonderful - the first song especially. I don't see myself buying any of his CDs but I really enjoy watching him perform. Such a talent, and he makes it all look so effortless and fun.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Contrived comes to mind.
> 
> Well performed and recorded, entertaining even, like a freakishly good cover band, but not envelop pushing, ground breaking, or genre defining.
> 
> ...


Mars can do original stuff, but he also has a certain reverence for covering material he admires. His Jackie Wilson medley at the Grammys a few years back was terrific. He copped the voice, the moves, the hair, the whole thing. For me, it's hommage; the same way I don't mind Bruce Springsteen doing his little Roy Orbison or Ronnie Spector mannerisms.

As well, I think it fair to say that the sort of material he did on SNL is not really the sort of packaged self-contained stuff that holds up on its own, in isolation. Material that is groove-focussed often has to be experienced in the context of a live show. I recall well a James Brown show I went to in 1980 that was much the same sort of material. But in that case, part of the appeal was that "the groove" was relentless, and just kept going and going, until there was no dry parts on one's clothing to absorb any more sweat. Individually, the numbers often didn't have a great deal to commend them. But string 'em end to end, and they're devastating.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I think Bruno Mars is a giant talent but I have to agree that funk and soul music has to be experienced live to really understand how compelling it can be. When I was first learning about all the new music of my time, I always ho-hummed at the repetition of Motown and soul - until I first heard Jason Hoover and the Epics at a local dance. It blew me away.

Then in the 70s amid the birth of Disco, I hated the boring, endless repetition of 'four on the floor' beats - until I joined a funk band. That is still the most fun I've ever had on stage.

If it weren't for those experiences, I probably would have not appreciated Bruno Mars' SNL performance. Instead, I enjoyed it. He does it all so well.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

I PVR every episode of SNL and fast forwarded up until his first performance and watched it a few times...then fast forwarded to the second performance and watched it a few times as well. Superb and great fun to watch.

That's probably the most I've watched of any episode of SNL in a LONG time.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

mhammer said:


> Mars can do original stuff, but he also has a certain reverence for covering material he admires. His Jackie Wilson medley at the Grammys a few years back was terrific. He copped the voice, the moves, the hair, the whole thing. For me, it's hommage; the same way I don't mind Bruce Springsteen doing his little Roy Orbison or Ronnie Spector mannerisms.
> 
> As well, I think it fair to say that the sort of material he did on SNL is not really the sort of packaged self-contained stuff that holds up on its own, in isolation. Material that is groove-focussed often has to be experienced in the context of a live show. I recall well a James Brown show I went to in 1980 that was much the same sort of material. But in that case, part of the appeal was that "the groove" was relentless, and just kept going and going, until there was no dry parts on one's clothing to absorb any more sweat. Individually, the numbers often didn't have a great deal to commend them. But string 'em end to end, and they're devastating.


As spectacle, okay, but I can't close my eyes and immerse myself in this. 

Hommage? Okay again, but that doesn't make it memorable for me.

A chacun à son goût, I guess.

Peace, Mooh.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Guitar player is Mark Ronson (no relation to Mick) although he was brought up by Mick Jones.His song and his album with Bruno featured on vocals.



traynor_garnet said:


> We watched it and I said to my wife, "these guys are a straight up funk band!" I admired his pop stuff for what it was and he is obviously talented, but SNL was a surprise. I doubt this will sell like his old stuff, but man, I would go see him.
> 
> Who was the guitar player?
> 
> TG


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

johnnyshaka said:


> I PVR every episode of SNL and fast forwarded up until his first performance and watched it a few times...then fast forwarded to the second performance and watched it a few times as well. Superb and great fun to watch.
> 
> That's probably the most I've watched of any episode of SNL in a LONG time.


it's funny how fast you can blast through an SNL episode now.
I finally watched the Chris Rock / Prince episode last night. it took about 20 min.
monologue, one skit (there was only one that didn't get annoying 30 seconds in), about half of the Weekend Update and most of the music. done.


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2014)

Mooh said:


> As spectacle, okay, but I can't close my eyes and immerse myself in this.
> 
> Hommage? Okay again, but that doesn't make it memorable for me.
> 
> ...


Man. Shut up and dance already? 

I love covering Mars tunes it always packs the floor. And they're fun to play. Nothing wrong with in-the-pocket funk that makes them want to dance. It can't all be avant garde noveau explore your naval headspace stuff, now can it? _Someone's_ got to have some fun.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

iaresee said:


> Man. Shut up and dance already?  I love covering Mars tunes it always packs the floor. And they're fun to play. Nothing wrong with in-the-pocket funk that makes them want to dance. It can't all be avant garde noveau explore your naval headspace stuff, now can it? Someone's got to have some fun.


I love playing Locked out of Heaven. It's fun as heck, I get to use my rotary sound, AND people dance their asses off to it.


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