There are a lot of special moments I can say I’ve had the honor of experiencing as a celebrity impersonator of Bruno Mars over the last 9 years, but moments like the one I’m about to share are a bit more interesting. Sometimes, they’re hard to describe in words, but I’ll try my best to show you exactly what I mean.
When someone wants to have a Bruno Mars theme party event, whether it’s a 24K Gold party, a Las Vegas-style event, or an Uptown Funk-inspired celebration, so many details go into the planning, such as the decorations, food, lighting, stage, music, and last but not least, the special guest performer who ties it all together. At the events I’ve had the pleasure of entertaining at, I’ve seen people go above and beyond to make sure every little detail was as perfect as possible.
I recently had the honor of being part of one of these events, and it was for a birthday boy named Sterling, who was turning 8 and is a big Bruno Mars fan. What made this event extra special was that it marked exactly my 9th year performing as a Bruno Mars tribute artist. In 2017, I had the honor of performing for a little girl named Layla, who was also celebrating her birthday on October 8th, Bruno Mars’ birthday. So, for me to perform on October 8th of any year is extra special because of those coincidences and memories, especially when the event has a Bruno Mars birthday theme.
Earlier this year, a client reached out and requested that I come entertain at a birthday party in Rancho Mirage, California. It’s a place I’m familiar with because I’ve been out there and in the Palm Springs area many times to perform for birthdays and wedding receptions. I was looking forward to returning because I love performing there. The client let me know it was going to be a Bruno-themed event, so I knew I would be the special surprise guest. In my experience, when a client decides to theme their event around Bruno, I know how much planning and attention to detail goes into it. I’ve seen clients take these events to the next level with their creativity. Just last year, I performed at a 24K Gold Experience birthday party for a big Bruno Mars fan, where she even got some of her friends to rewrite the lyrics to “Smoking Out the Window” and perform it on stage, with choreography and all!
Anyways, back to this event. I then got in contact with DJ Southland, who would be helping me by introducing me before my special entrance and performance, as well as playing the music on my cue so I could feel out the crowd. I sent him my music, and we were good to go! Once we planned out how everything was going to start for my part of the evening’s entertainment, I was ready.
I arrived at the location, met with the clients, and was ready to perform with mic in hand! I waited for the DJ to begin the instrumental to “24K Magic.” Now, the cool thing about this event was that it was a 24K Magic “Golden Birthday Tour” ONE NIGHT ONLY birthday party, so for me to come out to this song was just perfect. After singing that, I performed “Uptown Funk.” I paused before going into the third song because, for the first time, I would actually be bringing the birthday boy up to sing along with me. His favorite song was “Count on Me,” so I called him over so we could sing it together. I let him have the mic, and he sang while I sang right next to him. It was just a nice experience. I finished by singing “Treasure,” and afterward, I began taking pictures and videos with the guests at the event.
The event was full of awesome ideas for a kid’s birthday party, especially if you’re a Bruno Mars fan. As soon as you walked in, you received a lanyard designed to look like a backstage pass for a music event. The details on it were awesome, too, showing the name of the event, “24K Magic” Golden Birthday Tour, along with all the official VIP guest pass details below it. This little detail really caught my attention. They also had a place where you could make your own jewelry, and I saw kids wearing gold necklaces and other styles. Plus, there was a place where you could get custom bandanas like Bruno wears and customize hats from Moonstruck Hat Bar.
I also saw these awesome little desserts with gold disco balls on them by Exquisite Desserts. I didn’t get a chance to try them, but I soooo wanted to! Then there was the cake. From the piano keys to the record and gold accents, I’d say this cake was well thought out and beautifully designed. There were also red roses in gold disco balls on the tables, which were a perfect touch to the event!
Before I was about to leave, the client gave me a shirt themed to the event as well. While I’ve seen a lot of events with amazing ideas, this one really brought a smile to my face. It showed me how much the family loves Bruno Mars, but also how much Bruno inspires people. It also reminded me how thankful I am to be able to perform as Bruno Mars at events and experience the kindness of the guests, families, and friends of my clients. I can tell that Bruno Mars touches people on so many levels, and I’ve been fortunate to be there when people are looking for the next best thing.
While Bruno Mars is on his Romantic Tour and people get to experience this new level of Bruno Mars, I’m sure I’ll be seeing different requests for weddings and anything having to do with romanticism. I can also imagine Latino-themed parties with mariachis performing “Risk It All” or “Dance With Me” for that vintage, classic-style vibe. The song “I Just Might” also brings an old-school feel to his new music, so I’m sure I’ll be hearing about more retro-inspired events in the near future.