There’s one song by Silk Sonic that can and should only be heard live in its proper context at the superduo’s Dolby Live at Park MGM residency. “We Took Your Phones Away” is not on Silk Sonic’s debut album and may have started out as a soulful interlude Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak insert between “Skate” and “Love’s Train” at An Evening with Silk Sonic, but it also is a literal boast, as phones have been bagged at performances during the two previous stretches of dates.
These shows are dance parties meant for full engagement of body, mind and especially soul. In the world of randomness we currently inhabit, Mars and .Paak want to close the windows to social media and have all eyes on them, all ears equalized for sound and all feet moving to good-time music that evokes another period when people turned to dance music for a temporary escape from troubled times.
Silk Sonic music is organic with songs that are state-of-the-art homages to sounds of the ’70s. Vocal harmonies and Philly-soul production values hearken back to a wrinkle in time when disco beats were produced by live drummers and mirrored balls were de rigueur in nightclubs. Mars and .Paak don wide-collared shirts and fern-bar fashions for the concerts and are joined by band members for choreography inspired by vocal groups like the Chi-Lites and the O’Jays.
It’s a musical formula that’s not formulaic. Following their muse has paid off big time for Mars and .Paak, with An Evening with Silk Sonic the album debuting at No. 2 on Billboard’s album charts upon its release in November. The subsequent awards season found the duo picking up honors for R&B album of the year at iHeart Radio Music Awards in March. In April, it won in all four Grammy categories the single “Leave the Door Open” was nominated for.
Mars also won “Top R&B Tour” at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards in May for last year’s Bruno Mars at Park MGM residency. While recognition for the music and performances were well-earned, the awards shows gave Silk Sonic a chance to spread the gospel of soul to television audiences and garnered a ton of publicity. The duo’s performance of “Love’s Train” at BBMA “crushed,” according to NBC News. Silk Sonic blasted through Vegas-inspired party anthem “777” at the GRAMMYs with a Beatle-wigged .Paak getting wicked on his drum kit and Mars delivering funk riffage on a seafoam-colored Stratocaster.
Both of those performances were at MGM Grand Garden Arena and gave fans a taste of the full live band, complete with horn section. Considering the location of its Dolby Live shows, it seems like Silk Sonic adopted Las Vegas as its home city, making it enticing to come to Vegas to experience the joyful affair that is An Evening with Silk Sonic. Snatches and snippets may be available on social media, but Silk Sonic has created the ultimate retro-soul dance party that must be attended in person. Your phones are taken away for a good reason.
Dolby Live at Park MGM, Aug. 16 & 18-19, ticketmaster.com
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