page_title: The Moonshine Jungle Tour
section_title: Critical response
hierarchical_section_title: The Moonshine Jungle Tour / Critical response
caption_attribution_description: English: This picture was taken in the Arena Ciudad de Mexico 02/09/2014 in the tour named: "The Moonshine Jungle Tour". We can see Bruno Mars and his crew. Español: Esta foto fue tomada en la Arena Ciudad de México 02/ 09/ 2014 en el tour llamado: "The Moonshine Jungle Tour". Podemos ver a Bruno Mars y su equipo.
context_page_description: The Moonshine Jungle Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. The tour supported his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, from June 2013 to October 2014. After an official announcement on February 10, 2013, which coincided with Mars' performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, a promotional trailer and behind-the-scenes footage of the tour were released through Mars' official YouTube channel and website. Mars and his team selected Ellie Goulding and Fitz and the Tantrums as the opening acts for the first North American leg, while music video director Cameron Duddy was signed as creative director for the tour in North America. In Europe and Oceania, Mayer Hawthorne and Miguel, respectively, were selected to open the shows.
  In 2014, Mars announced an Asian leg and a second leg in North America, which featured Pharrell Williams and Aloe Blacc as the supporting acts. However, due to schedule conflicts, Williams was replaced by Nico & Vinz. Mars' well received performance at the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show led to a frenzy in ticket scalping in several states, especially Hawaii.
context_section_description: The tour received generally positive reviews from critics. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times gave the concert a rave review, affirming that Mars' energy never ran out and praising the "seemingly effortless precision" that made the performance about itself. Wood summarized, "The harder he played, the easier it appeared to get." Mike Wass of Idolator gave a positive review, as he witnessed Mars' "powerful" vocals and the band's "incredible musicianship." He highlighted Mars' "swoonworthy rendition" of "When I Was Your Man," the "rock interpretation" of "Grenade," and the Pharrell duet. Jason Lipshutz, a Billboard magazine writer, felt that one of the most stunning aspects of the concert was the catalog of number-one records left off the live show while still making it impressive. He said that Mars is a pop artist with the "whole package," comparing him to "an ace Pixar movie." Lipshutz ended his review stating that Mars was one of the best live performers at the given moment. The Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman commented that the singer kept a high level of energy during the entire concert. She added, "much work, planning, and rehearsal went in to the show, but Mars made it look easy." Lillian Altman, writing for The AU Review, felt that "the chemistry between the nine performers was phenomenal," since the band enjoyed performing together and dancing and interacting with the public. Altman confessed that it was the first time she was walking home "singing and dancing in the streets" after attending a concert or festival as she listened to Mars' tracks on her iPod.
  The Birmingham News's Mary Colurso complemented Mars' capacity to demonstrate "major charisma," his vocals, the band, and the dynamic atmosphere in the arena. Colurso commented that Mars might not have the most deep and breathtaking music, "but he certainly knows how to get the party started." Chris Richards of The Washington Post said that it was a "rare, thrilling, upside-down pop concert," because Mars did not try to recreate the gleam of his most successful tracks, instead he reshaped the songbook at his will, which Richards found amazing. The reviewer also mentioned the wide range of genres that Mars approached, including "Motown, new wave, late-’70s funk, and mid-’90s R&B" influenced by pop, which earned him various generations of admirers and fans. However, he criticized the singer for not claiming his own personality through all the "genre-jumping time travel" and for not adding the band name, The Hooligans, on the ticket. Jim Farber from the New York Daily News praised the concert as it tried to recreate 1970s era entertainment. The reviewer compared it to some acts of that period such as The Jacksons, The Tramps, and The Bee Gees. He compared the "purity, cream and range" of Mars' voice to "mid-period Michael Jackson." Farber regarded both Mars and Jackson as "pure entertainers." He noted that "it hardly seemed to matter that the show wasn't big on risk or depth."
  John Serba of Booth Newspapers said that Mars lacks "the commanding presence of a superstar;" in contrast, he gives nothing but consistency. Serba highlighted the production, which he found outstanding and diverse. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy thought the concert had avoidably "long breakdowns and interludes." Fortunately, Mars' band added energy to those. Copsey considered it a small imperfection "in an otherwise stunning performance" from a singer who was just commencing his tours and shows. The New Zealand Herald's Bridget Jones dubbed the singer a "showman," as he was not only able to write a "catchy pop song and sing it impressively," but he also gave a pageant. Nevertheless, and considering his showmanship and prestige in the industry at this point, Jones disapproved of the "comedic set pieces" that were brought from the previous tour. Every critic noticed and praised Mars' drumming and guitar solos, but also the special effects.
caption: Mars and his band at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico
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