Thank you, Jules Y., for inviting me to this Bruno Mars concert... it was way better than I expected!
At first, I didn't want to go because I'm spoiled by all of the concerts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Aloha Stadium (35,000 open-air seats), in comparison, seems less organized and more crowded than mainland venues.
Jules was always positive about getting tickets - she was so patient and lucky - and had a great plan about parking for free in the residential area. She was smart about eating before the concert because the lines are long and the prices are on the higher side. Jules knew the layout of the stadium and where to sit to avoid the setting sun.
The one thing we couldn't avoid was the line for merchandise. Yeah. Unbelievable. After waiting in a single line, people merged into a mass and pushed forward to a limited supply of souvenirs (because this was his final concert of a 200 concert tour). I pointed to the display which was a XXL black t-shirt and got it quickly! Turns out that it's not available online...wow!
We inched our way from the merchandise tables to our seats. Ahhh...it was nice to finally sit down after walking a mile to the stadium, standing in line for an hour to get in, waiting in line for the restroom, and standing in the merchandise line for 1.5 hours. Haha!
We were in the Orange Level in the L section on Sunday, 11-11-18 - we had a good view of the stage and jumbotrons. The sound wasn't too loud and we could see all of the fireworks!
There were two Opening Acts: Common Kings (from Orange County) - popular songs include "One Day", " Lost In Paradise", and "Today's A New Day" - and The Green, a local band most known for the song, "All I Need". Both reggae bands were really good!!! The crowd sang and danced with anticipation!
Finally, it was time for The 24K Magic World Tour! Bruno's clear, strong voice held out even though this was his third and final night in Honolulu. Bruno's dancing, guitar playing, and drumming were amazing. What a talented young individual! Seeing him in person made me appreciate him even more!
Note: my eyes welled up with tears during the Opening video. He paid tribute to his mom and dad and his high school friends! I enjoyed seeing his childhood pictures - especially of his days of being an Elvis impersonator - and his high school portrait! read more