Bruno Mars has christened a new venue in Las Vegas in what could be a warm-up for his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer performed for an intimate crowd of 3,000 people at resort casino and hotel The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’s new theater The Chelsea on December 30 — Mars’ first of eight shows at the space throughout 2014.

An energetic Mars riffed on an electric guitar, dressed casually in a black blazer and graphic tee and accompanied by his band members The Hooligans outfitted in suits and suspenders.

Once the youngest Elvis Presley impersonator when he was 4 years old, Mars delivered more than his hits. He earned a few laughs as well.

“I have so much hairspray in this shit right now, you have no idea!” he joked.

Later, he said to widespread protest, “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a man so bad, I just wanted to rip my shirt off onstage. But I’m too short and I’m too fat!”

Along with performing his hit tracks like “Just the Way You Are,” “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Treasure,” Mars performed covers of songs like Barrett Strong‘s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Travis McCoy’s “Billionaire,” as well as Aloe Blacc‘s “I Need a Dollar,” Bobby Brown‘s “Every Little Step” and Janet Jackson‘s “That’s the Way Love Goes,” among others.

Mars returns to the newly christened stage for New Year’s Eve, Feb. 15-16, May 23-24 and Aug. 22-23.

Set List:
Money Make Her Smile
Treasure
Money (That’s What I Want)
Billionaire
I Need a Dollar
 / Show Me
 / Our First Time
Pony
Ignition 
/ Marry You 
/ If I Knew
It Will Rain
 / Runaway Baby 
/ Your Love
Poison
This Is How We Do It
Every Little Step
Let’s Talk About Sex
Candy Rain
That’s the Way Love Goes / 
Waterfalls
 /When I Was Your Man
 / Billie Jean
Dirty Diana / 
Just the Way You Are

Encore:
Locked Out of Heaven