Michael Buble swings into Calgary Tuesday night. (Darren Makowichuk, QMI Agency)

CALGARY - The Pengrowth Saddledome has about as much razzmatazz as a Russian hospital.

But for a few hours on Tuesday night, the arena was the closest it's ever going to get to a classy, old-school Las Vegas nightclub.

The type of place Sinatra and Martin might be seen trading barbs and popping up on stage for a quick run-through of I've Got You Under My Skin. Minus the plastic beer cups, of course.

That Michael Buble can make the cavernous Dome feel like an intimate venue is a testament to his talents as a performer.

Yet, much of his appeal has nothing to do with music.

His boyish good looks are obviously a draw for more than a few concert-goers, but he also exudes a warmth, a playful demeanour and a sharp, even mischievous sense of humour.

This unforced charm absolutely works in his favour, particularly in a live setting.

He genuinely looks like he is having a good time on stage and appears thrilled to be sharing his music with his fans.

A sold-out crowd of about 12,500 watched as Buble sauntered coolly and confidently around the stage -- punching the air, snapping his fingers and even shaking his hips to the jazzy rhythms.

Starting with the classic heartbreaker, Cry Me a River, Buble and his impeccable 12-piece big band added a Bond-theme twist to the arrangement.

Looking dapper in a black suit, crisp white shirt and black tie, the well-groomed singer addressed the crowd and admitted he had no idea what day it was.

He charmed the crowd with a Darryl Sutter/Olli Jokinen joke and talked about eating breakfast at the Eau Claire Market eatery 1886 Buffalo Cafe.

Buble then told the audience -- which was, not surprisingly, made up mostly of women -- he had become engaged to Argentinian actress and singer Luisana Lopilato since the last time he was in town two years ago.

Buble slid and shimmied as he belted out Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill's murderous tale, Mack the Knife, which unfortunately paled in comparison to Bobby Darin's inimitable 1959 version.

Buble may not quite be the second coming of Sinatra, but he's a consummate performer any way you look at it.

Opening for Buble was New York vocal group Naturally 7, which has toured extensively with Buble and was a fitting match for the Canadian crooner.

The act's R&B a cappella stylings are exquisitely honed and breathtakingly impressive.

Members Garfield Buckley, Dwight Stewart, Armand (Hops) Hutton, Jamal Reed, Roger (N'glish) Thomas, Rod Eldridge and Warren Thomas use their voices not only for harmonizing but also to replicate the sounds of such instruments as the drums, bass, electric guitar and trumpet.

The group calls their style of music Vocal Play and described it as 'becoming the instrument.'

They also consider themselves a true band and demonstrated why during a stunning rendition of Wall of Sound, which made you wonder if there weren't real instruments being played behind the white curtain that acted as a backdrop.

It's not as gimmicky as it sounds, and Naturally 7 are very, very good at what they do.