With his chill-inducing vocals and deft sense of humor, Michael Buble [ tickets ] proved to the audience at Phoenix's 5,000-seat Dodge Theater on Sunday (7/15) that he could very well be pop's next superstar.

The Canadian standards singer, augmented by an eight-piece horn section and four-piece rhythm section, covered a taste of his catalog with an amazing vocal range and an engaging stage persona.

"I drove into Phoenix this morning and I drove past 30 different tanning salons," Buble told the sold-out crowd at one point. "Who the eff goes to tanning salons in Arizona? That's like standing in a telephone booth and opening up your cell phone."

The crowd's enthusiasm for Buble was clear from the beginning. Opening with his take on Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man," the females in attendance screamed when he sang the lines "And if you want a doctor/I'll examine every inch of you."

While acknowledging that women make up the bulk of his fan base, the singer did what he could to make the men comfortable, dedicating a cover of Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs Jones" to "all of you men who have been with a married woman." At one point, he told the men, "If you're going to get dragged here like a bitch to this show," you might as well have fun.

Even the men would have to acknowledge Buble's talents as a performer: "Try a Little Tenderness" evolved from a ballad to a full-fledged big band number with a wave of Buble's arm. The aforementioned "Me and Mrs. Jones," found on his latest album, "Call Me Irresponsible," showed off Buble's vocal range and ability to hold a note.

Buble acknowledged contemporary music, as well. During "Fever," he threw in a few lines from Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack." During "Call Me Irresponsible" he beat-boxed, evoking rabid applause from the audience.

Tongue in cheek, he explained to the crowd that he is, indeed, irresponsible, citing the fact that he recently road his Vespa without a helmet to go to the corner store. He even mixes colors in the washing machine, he said.

Buble said he was thrilled to be able to continue the legacy of his idols, but added that he likes to write his own music, as well. He used that as a segue to his first hit, the cinema-worthy "Home."

The highlight of the night came just before the encore, when Buble was joined by a church choir that added punch to his stirring take on "That's Life."

Between "Fever" and "Come Fly With Me," Buble broke the "imaginary line" that separates fans from the artist, running from the stage to the back of the venue, slapping hands and signing autographs along the way.

"That's no shtick," he said. "I've done it in every show."

Set List:
"I'm Your Man"
"It Had Better Be Tonight"
"Me and Mrs. Jones"
"Fever"
"Come Fly with Me"
"World on a String"
"Always on My Mind"
"Try a Little Tenderness"
"Once in My Life"
"Feeling Good"
"Home"
"Everything"
"Call Me Irresponsible"/ "YMCA"
"Save the Last Dance"
"How Sweet It Is"
"That's Life"

Encore

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
"Song For You"