Concert Review: Silk Sonic Las Vegas Residency
VIA Bruno Mars Instagram
Once you stepped through the doors of the MGM in Las Vegas, you felt as if you were transported in time to an era of retro glitz, glamour, and most importantly funk. The venue shimmered with a purplish hue and light reflected off an extravagant large disco ball that embodied the glamourous ambiance of the night. The audience was hustling with excitement and even more so with the lack of cell phones to keep one preoccupied.
When the lights dimmed and the red velvet curtains rose, the audience was greeted with an epic view of the dynamic duo side by side: Anderson on the drums and Bruno on the bongos. The concert started off with a bang with a high-energy drum duet between the two which then transitioned to the much expected Silk Sonic Intro hosted by the legendary Bootsy Collins via a projected screen. After the elusive Bootsy Collins Intro was 777. A perfect-fitting song that excitedly captures the Vegas party-gambling culture. 777 transitioned into the soulful, warm, romantic single Skate.
From Skate, was the ultimate sultry song Love’s Train (my personal favorite) originally by Con Funk Shun. When Bruno Mars called this the “Sexiest Party Of The Year” he was not messing around and this song kicked off the passion and allure. Silk Sonic embodied the romantic sultriness like classics Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Teddy Pendergrass.
The concert perfectly layered different periods of funk, R&B, and soul fabricating a retro masterpiece.
There were many references and odes to James Brown. From the Runaway Baby dance sequence to even an interlude that contained the Pay Back riff.
The Michael Jackson references were Off the Wall. The choreography greatly alluded to Michael’s classic movies, from the sound breaks of silence and snapping, to solo spotlights, to crotch-grabbing. Bruno’s solo performance of That’s What I Like inhabited Jackson-inspired choreography very similar to that of Smooth Criminal. Bruno even sang a snippet of Remember the Time in a mash-up of That’s What I Like.
The choreography was impeccable and ranged also from different eras of R&B and funk. From the new jack swing dance style to dance choreography that alluded to the funky freshness of Soul Train and even Prince.
Throughout the concert, the instrumentals were very intricately layered to produce that nostalgic yet retro sound. One interlude contained an epic trumpet solo that started off with Everybody Loves The Sunshine by Roy Ayers which then evolved into a spontaneous funky heartfelt solo. Towards the end of the show, a guitar solo took Rainbow Connection and morphed it into a deep rock groovy performance.
VIA Anderson.Paak’s instagram
The outfits felt like a classic ode to classic flashy and funky artists such as The Isley Brothers, The Gap Band, Elvis, and James Brown. Mars and .Paak brought out the rhinestones, flared pants, and more importantly, .Paak had on his Gucci glasses, his bright smile, and his wig.
Anderson's charisma, light-heartedness, wittiness shined through his solo performance of Am I Wrong and Come Down featuring Mars on the drums.
VIA Bruno Mars Instagram
The entire night was lit up by both by Mars and .Pack’s artistry and professionalism as performers, producers, instrumentalists, and singer-songwriters. But perhaps the most special part of the night was the undeniable chemistry, connection, and friendship that Bruno and Anderson have and share when performing together.
Overall the night was one that took you back in time to experience the glamour, prestige, and funkiness of eras such as Mo-town and the artistry such as the likes of Prince, Michael Jackson, and James Brown. Silk Sonic has crafted a masterpiece of an album, residency, and more importantly a retro culturally and musically rich phenomenon that will go down in history.
