Sixteen takeaways as Michael Buble glides into 2016 at MGM Grand

By John Katsilometes

Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016 | 6:30 p.m.

You wonder while watching Michael Buble waft through an arena performance as if he were hosting a gig at the Sands 50 years ago if the guy was not born at the wrong time.

The 40-year-old singer/songwriter/showman would have fit in well with some of the legends who helped establish Vegas as the world’s entertainment capital. We know those names well, and Buble is certainly inspired by the likes of Sinatra, Martin, Davis and Darin. He talks a great game and produces such, able to deliver a song effectively even when fumbling with his in-ear monitors (and someone needs to perfect the design of those devices, because all singers mess around with them during shows) or hitting the odd flat note. He did that on occasion Friday in his “Hangover” show at MGM Grand Garden Arena, which verified that he is 1) human, and 2) actually singing.

Buble is the guy you want to pal around with, the guy who buys the shots at the bar and will grab an open mic for a few standards with a little goading. He’s just a groovy cat, and he welcomed 2016 in a very Vegas manner before 12,500 fans at the Grand Garden.

Embracing the new year, the 16 takeaways from Buble’s opening-of-’16 showcase:

16. He can make an entrance: Buble opened with “It’s a Beautiful Day” by striding in through the commoners’ aisles at the back of the arena.

15: He is at once formal and comfortably casual: Buble wore a dark-blue suit through the whole show, not shedding the jacket of making any alteration in stage attire. But his conversation was off-the-cuff (link), as he said, “Usually you practice what you’re saying to the audience, like a comedian works on his material. But what I’m saying tonight, I’m just saying. It comes from the heart.”

14: You can feel hung over without actually being hung over: “I had no alcohol last night, and today I feel like (crap),” he told the audience, adding that he wish he’d partied it up a little to feel more in sync with the crowd.

13: He thoughtfully gave away more than 12,000 bottles of water: These were to offset dehydration (see above), and the label showed Buble with a Mike Tyson-styled tattoo on the left side of his face, to evoke “The Hangover” film franchise.

12: Tyson himself had no idea his famed tattoo was being used in complementary bottle service: But his wife, Kiki, said in a text, “Cute!” and was planning to show him a photo of Buble’s mug on the bottle.

11: “Viva Las Vegas” is required fare: Buble performed his own, swank-ified Elvis impression during a rendition of the song that was more smooth than soaring. But anyone who performs onstage in Vegas should know that song (and we eagerly await Imagine Dragons’ version in 2016).

10: He can be counted on to capture a moment: This is the case even in short notice, with a warm retelling of “Unforgettable,” in honor of Natalie Cole, whose death was announced just hours before the show (the two appeared with David Foster in a PBS special recorded at the MGM Grand in 2011).

9: He dropped $400 on the Anaheim Ducks on New Year’s Day: Took the Ducks over Vancouver, and passed the ticket to an audience member … only to see the Canucks win 2-1 in an OT shootout.

8: Frank Marino, Marc Savard and Murray Sawchuck were all in the audience: Two are from Buble’s home country of Canada (Savard and Sawchuck) and one is the longest-running headliner ever in Las Vegas (Marino).

7: Van Morrison is his favorite songwriter: And Morrison’s “Crazy Love” was a highlight.

6: He gives his band proper props: Backed by 19 musicians when he employed a full string section, Buble dialed up a video graphic reading “Team Buble” that looked like a pro franchise’s logo. Then each musician in his core band was recognized with a photo and stats (instrument, hometown), similar to how a network introduces the starting lineup of an NFL squad. Pay attention, headliners. Recognize the band, somehow. If there’s a program or play bill of any sort, list them. They are the engine.

5: He is funny and sort of blue: Of the long walkway leading from the stage in to the audience, Buble observed, “I don’t know about this stage. I like it, but it’s so long. I’ve never thrust so deeply into an audience before.”

4: He is Bobby Darin-like: Probably the closest comparison to Buble is Darin, for his hip versatility and easy manner. He professed to growing up listening to Darin music, and the influence was evident.

3: He bows to the obvious: “Come Fly With Me” is one of those “must” songs, as is “World On a String,” and Buble uncorked both. For the latter, the video panel at the back of the stage showed a glowing, golden globe.

2: He says he will not play another arena show in 2016: Buble said it early in the show, that the New Year’s Day performance was a one-off as an arena gig. He has a new album in development, “And it’s really good,” in his own words. He and his wife, Luisana, are expecting their second child (a boy), which, as he said, “Proves that I have had sex.”

1: He is a genuine throwback: Sadly, they don’t make them like Buble anymore — or at least they don’t make enough of them. But the presentation of a killer band, a selection of great songs (classics and originals) performed by an expert showman is something to be applauded. And the capacity crowd did that, all night long. As the man said, Viva Las Vegas.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.