Hooligans in Wondaland Tour

The Hooligans in Wondaland Tour was a concert tour that was headlined by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe, respectively, to support Mars' and Monáe's 2010 debut studio albums, Doo-Wops & Hooligans and The ArchAndroid, respectively. The co-headlining concerts were announced in February 2011, coinciding with their performances at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. In April 2011, a promotional trailer was released through Mars' official YouTube channel and a dedicated website that was designed to further promote the tour. The concerts took place in North America in May and June that year.

Hooligans in Wondaland Tour
Tour by Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe
Promotional poster for the tour
Associated albums
Start dateMay 1, 2011 (2011-05-01)
End dateJune 16, 2011 (2011-06-16)
Legs1
No. of shows29
Bruno Mars Tour chronology
The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour
(2011–12)		 Hooligans in Wondaland Tour
(2011)		 The Moonshine Jungle Tour
(2013–14)
Janelle Monáe Tour chronology
The ArchAndroid Tour
(2010)		 Hooligans in Wondaland Tour
(2011)		 California Dreams Tour
(2011–12)

Mars declined several invitations to open shows for other artists because performing in small, intimate venues, would allow him to build a fan base. Mars' set list for the tour included songs from Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and some covers while Monáe's set list included songs from The ArchAndroid, one song from Metropolis: The Chase Suite (2007), and two covers. The Hooligans in Wondaland Tour received a positive reception from most critics, who praised Mars' and Monnáe's performances, and said they, along with Mayer Hawthorne, are "purveyors of perfect pop music". The co-headlined tour was judged by NME to be among the best 25.

Background and development

On February 15, 2011, after Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, a joint co-headlining tour for both artists titled "Hooligans in Wondaland" was announced. The concert tour was performed in North America in May and June 2011.[1][2] Pre-sales tickets were made available two days after the announcement of the tour; they were available as bundles with a meet-and-greet with one of the artists, a signed poster, a digital EP and a commemorative laminate. On February 26, tickets were made available to the general public.[3] A promotional trailer was released through Mars' official YouTube channel, as well as a dedicated website to promote the tour.[4]

The tour was named "Hooligans in Wondaland Tour", after both Mars' album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Monáe's Atlanta crew Wondaland Arts Society, and a track included on her album The ArchAndroid.[5] The tour's promotional poster was inspired by the artwork of "James Brown-era all-star shows at the Apollo Theater".[6] In 2011, Mars rejected several requests to open shows for other artists and instead decided to co-headline a tour with Monáe. The show was produced by AEG.[7] This strategy meant lower earnings in the short term but allowed Mars to build a fan base by performing shows at small, intimate venues.[8] After the first show of the tour, Mars said he was nervous about the "production values" of the lights and other equipment.[9]

Sound

During the Hooligans in Wondaland concerts, Mars' and Monáe's engineers shared the consoles, and technician Ben Rothstein handled the sound gear. In addition, Derek Brener, Mars' front of house (FOH) engineer controlled several inputs and outputs, including the Stereo Auxiliary Output for the subwoofers. Brener also controlled the distressors on Mars' vocals and bass. Hall Verb was employed for drums and horns, delay and R-Verb for vocals, and compression of guitar's sound. Mars had two pairs of speaker wedges downstage center; the inner pair was mixed with Mars' voice and two background vocals while the outer pair had the band mix along with his guitar on top, according to Mars' monitor engineer Mike Graham. Alex McCloud, Monáe's monitor engineer, said the setup was very close to that used by Mars but Monáe had a wedge mix and sidefill speakers in front. Reggie Griffith, Monáe's FOH assistant, was in charge of the singer's vocals, removing some of the pitch when she leaned into the microphone. Griffith and Nate "Rocket" Wonder were responsible for mixing Monáe's tracks.[10]

Concert synopsis

The concerts were supported by Mayer Hawthorne & The County, American musician Patrick Stump and English rapper Plan B.[3][11] Hawthorne used his opening spot to play a range of material, including some of his famous covers.[12] Monáe performed the concerts in a "The Cotton Club" set, along with her 13-piece orchestra, ArchOrchestra.[13][14] She was dressed in a white shirt, black tie, tuxedo pants and a cloak covering it; and her hair was arranged in a pompadour. The ArchOrchestra included three violinists, a cellist, and two horn players; the musicians wore white and black 1960's modernist-style clothing.[15][14][16] Mars, who used a Gibson guitar during the concerts, performed with his band The Hooligans.[12][upper-alpha 1][17] During the tour, Mars usually wore a fedora hat, a "plaid flannel-turned-vest" or a sleeveless denim jacket over a tee-shirt—sometimes with a Harley-Davidson design—and black jeans.[18][15][13] The stage had square screens projecting images, lights, flashing graphic colors and video.[18][15][12] Mars' set lasted around an hour.[18]

Monáe

The show started with an MC wearing a top hat and coat-tails.[12] Monáe was taken to stage by several dancers wearing hooded black cloaks,[13][14][12] which were later removed and the dancers wore "skintight bodysuits with glittering cuffs". At the same time, the ArchOrchestra played "space-funk" as a "James Bond and Fantasia" fusion appeared on the screens.[12] Once on stage, Monáe performed "Dance or Die" and "Faster", alternating between rapping and gospel chanting.[14][12] She also sang "Locked Inside".[19] Monáe created a "theatrical flair", fending off masked dancers.[13] Then, she put on sunglasses and performed "Sincerely, Jane" and a cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" while moonwalking.[12][14][19]

Monáe then turned her back to the audience, and painted on a canvas the word "love" in yellow letters and a female figure as she sang "Mushrooms & Roses".[13][20][16] Under dimmed lights, Monáe, accompanied by a guitarist, performed Charlie Chaplin's ballad "Smile",[15][14][19] after which she started a "pouding", "toe-tapping" performance of "Cold War" and the "funk jam" "Tightrope".[15][16][12] She closed her set with a rock gospel version of "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)", before diving into the crowd, getting a "piggy-back ride" over fans or taking a "victory lap".[15][12][19] Both songs were sung in a "crescendo".[20] As Monáe talked and wailed, her hair released itself from its pompadour, and her performance reached a climax.[14]

Mars

Before Mars started his show, he asked the crowd to put away their mobile phones.[12] He began by performing the "feel-good" theme "Top of The World", which was inspired by Michael Jackson's song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[12][14] The third song on the setlist was a rock cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" by Barrett Strong, which served as an interlude before the reggae influences on "Billionaire", a song with which the audience joined in at many performances.[15][13][14] Mars performed "Our First Time" in a sensual way with reggae vibes.[15][14] It was followed by the uptempo "Runaway Baby", which was filled with "retro rock 'n' roll".[14][16] Before Mars sang a doo-wop harmony with three members of his band, he told the audience, "This is the kind of music I love".[15][13] He then sang the romantic, The Beach Boys-influenced anthem "Marry You".[15][19]

"Marry You" was followed by "The Lazy Song", one of the highlights of the tour;[15] Mars' performance included a comedic moment in which his backup singer shouted, "Oh my God, that feels great!" and the band stopped to "goof". It also included a repetition of the verse "have some nice sex".[13][16] "Count on Me", an "ode to buddydom", was performed as a singalong in which Mars played a ukulele.[18][14] "Liquor Store Blues" was included in the set.[18][14] Mars would serenade a woman in the audience with a chorus of "Nothin' on You".[18][20] He returned to the stage and sang "Grenade" as a powerful rock song that was inspired by the Cure's "Just Like Heaven".[13][14][19] The show's closing number "Just the Way You Are" was performed with a different melody; Mars asked the "men in the audience to give their ladies attention", sometimes choosing a woman from the crowd and singing to her.[18][14][21] In some concerts, the encore was "Somewhere in Brooklyn", which had the word "Brooklyn" was replaced with the name of the city in which he was performing, along with "Talking to the Moon".[19][20][21]

Critical response

The Hooligans in Wondaland concerts received mostly positive reviews from critics. Chris Gray writing for Houston Press praised Mars' and Monáe's performances, saying the show was "assembled so perfectly, delivered so charismatically and received so warmly". Gray concluded, "finding fault ... would be like throwing rocks at the Easter Bunny".[14] Jordan Levin from Miami Herald complimented the show, saying Mars and Monáe are "moving musical formulas forward, not with technology and spectacle, but with invention and talent".[15] Robert Ham of The Oregonian said Mars had the spectators' attention throughout the concert and that he sang every note himself; Ham also praised Mars' guitar skills and dubbed Monáe's performance "exhilarating".[13] LA Weekly's Lainna Fader lauded the performances and commented, "With the addition of Mayer Hawthorne, you've got three of the truest purveyors of perfect pop music on stage together".[12] Angel Cheung and Alexis Greskiw from The Vancouver Observer praised the show, saying, "Monáe and Mars were the perfect combination, filled with vivacity and soul".[20] Shawn White writing for Westword said the tour "might look like a strange bill" but "all three featured acts are purveyors of perfect pop music".[19] Seattle Gay News's Shaun Knittel commended the live show, saying, "Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe are as good as critics say they are".[21]

In a mixed review, Emily Barker of The Globe and Mail called Mars' set "obvious and pedestrian; so cynical and exploitative" but praised Monáe's performance, saying, "she proved herself miraculous, an unabashedly theatrical musical polyglot".[16] The Hollywood Reporter' s Lauren Schutte criticized the high cost of the ticket due to the "short running time" but noted everyone "looked more than satisfied".[18]

NME's Emily Barker complied a list of the 25 best co-headlined shows, ranking the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour at number 20. Barker said the show "took its cues from the old-school".[6]

Set list

Bruno Mars Janelle Monáe's set lists for the May 18, 2011, show, respectively.[14]

Notes

  • Set lists may vary according to dates, locations or artist preference.[12][18][14]
  • Monáe usually opened with the instrumental of "Suite II Overture".[12][19]
  • Monáe's band played a portion of "America the Beautiful", on May 29, 2011, in Broomfield.[19]
  • Monáe performed "Say You'll Go", on May 29, 2011, in Broomfield.[19]
  • Mars and his band performed a cover of The Cleftones's "You Belong to Me", on June 14, 2011, in Los Angeles.[18]
  • Mars sung a portion of "Somewhere in Brooklyn" along with "Talking To The Moon" as an encore in some shows.[18][20][21]

Shows
List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue and opening act North America (Hooligans in Wondaland)[11][3]
Date
(2011)		 City Country Venue Opening act
May 1[lower-alpha 1] East Rutherford U.S. New Meadowlands Stadium —
May 4 New York City Roseland Ballroom Plan B
May 6 Stony Brook Stony Brook University Arena
May 7 Camden Susquehanna Bank Center
May 8 Boston Agganis Arena
May 10 Atlanta Fox Theatre Atlanta
May 11 Miami Beach Miami Beach Convention Center
May 17 Grand Prairie Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
May 18 Houston Reliant Arena Plan B & Patrick Stump
May 20[lower-alpha 2] Montgomery Montgomery Riverfront Amphitheatre
May 21[lower-alpha 3] Baltimore Pimlico Race Course —
May 22 Windsor Canada Caesars Windsor Plan B & Patrick Stump
May 24 Milwaukee U.S. Eagles Ballroom Plan B
May 25 Saint Paul Roy Wilkins Auditorium
May 27 Chicago Aragon Ballroom
May 28 Kansas City Uptown Theatre Mayer Hawthorne & the County
May 29 Broomfield 1stBank Center
May 30 Orem UCCU Center
June 2 Seattle WaMu Theater
June 3 Vancouver Canada Rogers Arena
June 4 Portland U.S. Theater of the Clouds
June 7 Reno Grand Sierra Resort
June 8 San Francisco Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
June 10 Coachella Spotlight 29 Casino
June 11[lower-alpha 4] Del Mar Del Mar Fairgrounds
June 12 Universal City Gibson Amphitheatre
June 14 —
June 15 Phoenix Comerica Theatre Mayer Hawthorne & The County
June 16 Las Vegas Pearl Concert Theater —

Box office score data
Date
(2011)		 City Venue Attendance Revenue
May 8 Boston Agganis Arena 5,973 / 6,215 (96%) $197,109[26]
May 10 Atlanta Atlanta Fox Theatre 4,251 / 4,251 (100%) $148,785[27]
May 18 Grand Prairie Verizon Theatre 4,905 / 6,317 (78%) $168,945[28]
May 22 Windsor Caesars Windsor 4,541 / 4,934 (92%) $198,024[29]
May 25 Saint Paul Roy Wilkins Auditorium 4,654 / 4,654 (100%) $153,582[30]
May 27 Chicago Aragon Ballroom 4,873 / 4,873 (100%) $157,154[30]
June 4 Portland Theatre of the Clouds 3,750 / 4,004 (94%) $131,250[30]
June 8 San Francisco Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 8,211 / 8,211 (100%) $307,913[26]
Total 41,158 / 43,729 $1,462,762

Personnel

Credits adapted from several sources:[10][31][32]

Notes
  1. Mars' band references can be seen in the Personnel section under Band
  1. The May 1, 2011 concert in East Rutherford at the New Meadowlands Stadium was a part of "The Bamboozle", but Monáe was not part of the show.[22]
  2. The May 20, 2011 concert in Montgomery at the Montgomery Riverfront Amphitheatre was a part of the "Jubilee CityFest".[23]
  3. The May 21, 2011 concert in Baltimore at the Pimlico Race Course was a part of the "Preakness InfieldFest".[24]
  4. The June 11, 2011 concert in Del Mar at the Del Mar Fairgrounds was a part of the "San Diego County Fair".[25]
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References
  1. Lipshutz, Jason (February 15, 2011). "Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae Announce Joint Tour". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  2. Wete, Brad (February 15, 2011). "Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae announce 'Hooligans in Wondaland' tour". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  3. Reevers, China (February 16, 2011). "Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars, Mayer Hawthorne Announce Tour". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  4. "Bruno Mars: Hooligans In Wondaland Tour Commercial". YouTube. April 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  5. Goodman, William (February 16, 2011). "Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae Announce Tour Dates". Spin. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  6. Barker, Emily (July 13, 2013). "Double Header – 25 Blistering Co-Headlined Tours". NME. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  7. Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (May 18, 2011). "Mars Attacks!". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  8. Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (January 6, 2014). "From Cereal To Super Bowl: The Evolution of Bruno Mars". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  9. R. Weingarten, Christopher (May 11, 2011). "Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae Chat Backstage". Spin. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  10. "Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae Tour with DiGiCo SD8s". Front of House. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  11. Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour in North America:
  12. Fader, Lainna (June 13, 2011). "Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars, Mayer Hawthorne Announce Tour". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  13. Ham, Robert (June 6, 2011). "Bruno Mars oozes confidence and charm in 'Hooligans' tour (review)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  14. Gray, Chris (May 19, 2011). "Last Night: Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae At Reliant Arena". Houston Press. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  15. Levin, Jordan (May 31, 2011). "Review: Bruno Mars". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  16. Morrow, Fiona (June 4, 2011). "Bruno Mars oozes cynicism, but Janelle Monae dazzles". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  17. McCollum, Brian (April 8, 2015). "Phredley Brown sets solo course amid Bruno Mars success". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  18. Schutte, Lauren (June 15, 2011). "Bruno Mars: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  19. White, Shawn (May 31, 2011). "Review: Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe at 1stBank Center, 5/31/11". Westword. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  20. Cheung, Angel; Greskiw, Alexis (June 5, 2011). "Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae take audiences on jazzy '50s-inspired journey". The Vancouver Observer. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  21. Knittel, Shaun (June 17, 2011). "Bruno Mars leads the Hooligans in a night of unforgettable talent". Seattle Gay News. Vol. 39 no. 24. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  22. Lipshutz, Jason (December 17, 2010). "Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars to Headline 2011 Bamboozle". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  23. Flanagan, Ben (February 16, 2011). "Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae to headline Jubilee CityFest in Montgomery". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  24. Bernstein, Rachel (March 14, 2011). "Bruno Mars, Train to headline Preakness InfieldFest". Daily Record. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  25. Varga, George (June 9, 2011). "Bruno Mars speaks: Up to the stars". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  26. "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores". Billboard. June 23, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  27. "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores". Billboard. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  28. "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores". Billboard. May 28, 2011. Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  29. "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores". Billboard. June 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  30. "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores". Billboard. June 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  31. Billboard Magazine Cover: Jill Scott. Billboard. July 2–9, 2011. p. 22. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  32. "Cory Fitzgerald Pilots impression X4 to Mars". Lightsoundjournal. August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  33. D'Auria, Jon (September 1, 2016). "Jamareo Artis: From Bruno Mars to Solo Orbit". Bass Player. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  34. Frere-Jones, Sasha (February 14, 2011). "Mars Attacks!". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  35. Bailey, Hannah (February 10, 2014). "Member of Bruno Mars' band debuts solo performance". The Daily Helmsman. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  36. Inge, Brittany (November 18, 2016). "Artist Highlight – Dwayne Dugger II". The (Non)Starving Artists. Archived from the original on June 11, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  37. Wick, Denis. "On Tour With Bruno Mars and Trumpet Life Lessons". DANSR. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  38. Scordilis, Dean (July 15, 2015). "Interview with letlive.: Patience, Character, And Strength". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
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