NEWARK -- Sometimes you can look ahead on the concert calendar and foresee a sure highlight.

Paul McCartney is one of those definitive, "this is gonna be awesome!" knockout acts. So is Beyonce. So is Bruce Springsteen.

And so is a certain ultra-slick Hawaiian troubadour -- someone much younger, and much shorter.

Prudential Center was packed full Tuesday night in anticipation of Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour date: 15,000 fans prepped to party with an artist and backing band whose reputation for live performance has been crystallized on the world's grandest stage -- twice.

More than 115 million people watched Mars and his electrifying Hooligans troupe rock Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford back in 2014, and around the same number saw them steal the show from Coldplay in 2016. You know you're good when you've been asked to play two Super Bowls in three years (no other artist can claim this feat).

Bruno Mars performs onstage during Bruno Mars: 24K Magic World Tour. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Atlantic Records)

But it was something else to see Mars jam for a 90-minute block in Newark, to observe the five-foot-five frontman seamlessly weave bundles of swaggy funk, radio pop and crunchy rock n' roll with no real lulls or breaks in the action.

This was sheer interactive entertainment, akin to how James Brown or Michael Jackson's shows willed you to sing, cheer and get the hell up and dance.

When Mars, 31, wasn't plugged into full choreography, popping and sliding with his band to the rowdy opener "Finesse" or retro smash "Treasure," he played polished R&B balladeer, gracefully wailing and ad-libbing through the new sexy single "Versace On The Floor" or the heartsick hit "When I Was Your Man," which saw Mars embellishing the most demanding melodies with even more challenging, sky-scraping sections. I don't think I've heard a more impressive male vocal this year.

Though the singer's latest album, November's "24K Magic," is far more devoted to the bombastic party sounds akin to "Uptown Funk," and most of the accompanying tour followed suit. The theme was ... early '90s urban wear? The opener "Finesse" features a New Jack Swing-y, rat-a-tat pulse while Mars and his affable eight-piece group wore uber-vibrant "Fresh Prince" era baseball jerseys, track pants and caps. There was no costume change.

Bruno Mars performs onstage during Bruno Mars: 24K Magic World Tour. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Atlantic Records)

The deep stage was kept clean and uncluttered; no props, just a drum kit, keys station and DJ table. An array of light boxes formed different shapes and patterns from above, otherwise it was just a pack of dudes left with plenty of room to move and show off. All night there were laughs and playful jokes; during the new funky jam "Perm" Mars and half the band sat on the side of the stage, stopping the show to poke the crowd for its endless smartphone recording.

"Put this s*** on Instagram!" he yelled, cueing himself and the seated members for a bumping sit-down dance.

The sold-out crowd ate it up and were deeply engaged all night, clapping, swaying arms and singing along, from small children up through grandparents. I saw multiple three-generation families sitting in my section. And even though some songs are overtly sexual, Mars' retro-tinged presence and buoyancy is about as close of a "9 to 99" all-ages pop show as you'll find today.

Dua Lipa's pulsing opening set

The ignition turned early with Dua Lipa, a U.K. pop songstress who's already broken big time overseas. The 22-year-old's latest single, a fiery dance number called "New Rules" is the first solo female track to hit No. 1 in England since Adele, and she's earned more than 1 billion (with a "B") listens on Spotify streaming alone.

But Lipa hasn't quite found her footing in the U.S. yet and while she performed well with an array of shimmies and twirls and a strong, raspy vocal, the early crowd took a while to warm up. But by the end plenty were dancing. It's clear Lipa is winning us over -- I reviewed her headlining show at Irving Plaza back in March, where she played to 1,000 people. This night it was 15,000.

Bruno Mars' set list

Sept. 26, 2017 -- Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

"Finesse"

"24K Magic"

"Treasure"

"Perm"

"Calling All My Lovelies"

"Chunky"

"That's What I Like"

"Straight Up & Down"

"Versace on the Floor"

"Marry You"

Drum solo / "Runaway Baby"

"When I Was Your Man"

"Grenade"

"Just The Way You Are"

Encore:

"Locked Out of Heaven"

"Uptown Funk"

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.