The Hooligans in Wondaland Tour received positive reviews from most critics, who praised Mars's and Monáe's performances, and said they, along with Mayer Hawthorne, are providers "of perfect pop music".
On February 15, 2011, after Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, a joint co-headlining tour for both artists entitled "Hooligans in Wondaland" was announced.
[1][2] Pre-sales tickets were made available two days after the announcement of the tour; they were sold as bundles that included a meet-and-greet with one of the artists, a signed poster, a digital EP, and a commemorative laminate.
[7] This strategy meant lower earnings in the short term but allowed Mars to build a fan base by performing shows at small, intimate venues.
[9] During the Hooligans in Wondaland concerts, Mars's and Monáe's engineers shared the consoles, and technician Ben Rothstein handled the sound gear.
[A][12][17] During the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour, Mars usually wore a fedora hat, a "plaid flannel-turned-vest" or a sleeveless denim jacket over a tee-shirt—sometimes with a Harley-Davidson design—and black jeans.
[12][14][19] Monáe then turned her back to the audience, and painted on a canvas the word "love" in yellow letters and a female figure as she sang "Mushrooms & Roses".
[12][15][16] During the performance of "Cold War", images of Mohammed Ali "bobbing and weaving", and Darth Vader with Luke Skywalker battling using lightsabers were displayed.
[20] She closed her set with a rock gospel version of "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)", before diving into the crowd, getting a "piggy-back ride" over fans or taking a "victory lap".
[15][19] "Marry You" was followed by "The Lazy Song", one of the highlights of the tour; Mars's performance included a comedic moment in which his backup singer shouted, "Oh my God, that feels great!"
[13][14][19] The show's closing number "Just the Way You Are" was performed with a different melody; Mars asked the "men in the audience to give their ladies attention", sometimes choosing a woman from the crowd and singing to her.
Chris Gray, writing for Houston Press, praised Mars's and Monáe's performances, saying the show was "assembled so perfectly, delivered so charismatically and received so warmly".
[14] Jordan Levin from the Miami Herald complimented the show, saying Mars and Monáe are "moving musical formulas forward, not with technology and spectacle, but with invention and talent".
[13] LA Weekly's Lainna Fader lauded the performances and commented, "With the addition of Mayer Hawthorne, you've got three of the truest purveyors of perfect pop music on stage together.
"[22] Angel Cheung and Alexis Greskiw from The Vancouver Observer praised the show, saying, "Monáe and Mars were the perfect combination, filled with vivacity and soul.
""[21] Shawn White, for Westword said the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour "might look like a strange bill" but "all three featured acts are purveyors of perfect pop music".
[19] Seattle Gay News's Shaun Knittel commended the live show, saying, "Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe are as good as critics say they are.
[24] Emily Barker of The Globe and Mail called Mars's set "obvious and pedestrian; so cynical and exploitative" but praised Monáe's performance, saying, "she proved herself miraculous, an unabashedly theatrical musical polyglot".
[16] The Hollywood Reporter's Lauren Schutte criticized the high cost of the ticket due to the "short running time" but noted everyone "looked more than satisfied".