Michael Buble embraces his inner Elvis during rousing Xcel Energy Center show

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
·3 min read
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Canadian crooner Michael Buble embraced his inner Elvis on Wednesday night during a highly entertaining and joyous concert in front of about 13,000 fans at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

Four songs in, he tore up the stage with “Such a Night,” sprinting up and down a catwalk that extended into the crowd and swaying and thrusting his hips during the chorus. Turns out that was just the beginning.

Buble later introduced “Fever” by sharing a story about befriending Priscilla Presley and getting her blessing to perform a virtual duet of the song with a recording of Elvis that was backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015. He then donned an acoustic guitar for a sprint through a trio of Elvis classics complete with a confetti drop at the end: “One Night with You,” “All Shook Up” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

Of course, the night was about more than just the King of Rock and Roll. The 46-year-old British Columbia native rose to fame for his throwback singing style that recalled Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the like. But Buble quickly diversified his covers and began adding originals to the mix.

With each successive tour, Buble has upped the stakes, getting funnier, savvier and more charming every time. Wednesday was no exception, with Buble nailing everything he set out to accomplish like a true pro.

Just as he did the last time he played the X, in March 2019, Buble opened with a slow-burning “Feeling Good” backed by a nimble 33-piece band and orchestra along with a pair of backing vocalists. And, once again, he followed it with his 2009 hit “Haven’t Met You Yet.”

From there, Buble did a little bit of everything, from the classics (Dean Martin’s “Sway,” Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”) to a pair of upbeat R&B/pop songs from his latest album (“I’ll Never Not Love You” and the title track, co-written by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder). His lush take on the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” turned into an impromptu audience singalong, as did the first two songs from his encore, the Drifters’ “Save the Last Dance for Me” and Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You).”

Yes, Buble can be hammy and he can get shameless in working the audience, particularly when he drops in the mildest “dirty” jokes possible. And yet, it’s impossible not to fall for this guy’s natural, radiant charm, which oozes out of ever pore.

Earlier this week, Buble — who turns 47 on Friday — made headlines after telling a podcaster he often thinks about giving up music to become a full-time dad to his four kids. But after he did a thrilling Bond theme inspired “Cry Me a River” during the encore, he donned a Wild jersey, declared his love for Minnesota (something he’s done in the past) and said he’ll keep coming back here as long as we’ll have him. He wrapped by returning to Elvis one last time for “Always on My Mind.”

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