A white curtain hangs suspended from the ceiling, embellished with a gold crown that reads “Mars.” The lights go out in the Sprint Center and the stage illuminates. A 5-foot-5-inch man is front and center as the curtain rises. As the crowd erupts in applause and screaming, Bruno Mars opens his 24K Magic World Tour  Aug. 9 with “Finesse,” a song that sets the tone for the duration of the concert.

I must note a couple of things before I dive into all of the reasons I will be at every other concert this awe-inspiring man puts on in Kansas City. First, I am a huge Mars fan – always have been, always will be. Second, my mom and I both tried for months to get tickets; every attempt proved unsuccessful. It wasn’t until hours before that a family friend texted me, offering up two extra tickets that she had. In a lucky break, we scored seats in the back of the floor. 

Ex-Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello opened for Mars, an act that went far beyond my expectations and preconceived notions. For the 20-year-old pop singer, this tour serves as her debut as a solo artist. Performing newly-released singles like “Havana” and “OMG,” Cabello brought energy and liveliness to the already buzzing arena. Though her set only lasted about 30 minutes, it was a great start to the night.

We waited about an hour before Mars actually took the stage. As soon as he began the set, my face was stuck in a “kid in a candy store” smile for the duration of the show. The props and lights changed between every song to reflect the mood of each; geometric shapes and primary colors flooded the screen for “That’s What I Like,” while streams of fire were released to the beat of “Grenade.” I would have happily waited five more hours between Mars and Cabello for that same experience.

Mars himself was incredible. Hands-down the best concert I’ve been to in my life. Not only were his vocals off-the-charts amazing, but his commentary in between songs was even more entertaining. His excitement and pure joy radiated for the entire concert. It was nearly impossible not to dance while screaming the lyrics to every song. His band, the Hooligans, added a funky, jazzy vibe in their matching 24K jerseys.

The setlist contained a perfect balance of slow, sentimental songs such as “When I Was Your Man” and upbeat, cheerful ones such as “Chunky.” About half of songs came from Mars’ newest album “24K Magic,” while the other half were a mix of those from “Unorthodox Jukebox” and “Doo-Wops and Hooligans.”

Meeting Mars and Cabello would be the only thing that could have made the night more memorable. The music surpassed my wildest dreams. Both acts sounded exactly like they do on their respective albums, a testament to their raw talent. Concerts are a guilty pleasure of mine, but I’m not sure I’ll ever attend one that tops this (unless it’s another Mars show). The experience as a whole is tough to beat. It’s safe to say that I will try my hardest to be at every one of Mars’ concerts in Kansas City from this point on.