When seated among Michael Bublé's demonstrably enthusiastic fans at one of his concerts, shows by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and more recently 'N Sync, the Spice Girls and Britney Spears come to mind. Screams, mostly high-pitched, greet the vocalist, and various items are lovingly and lustily hurled onto the stage.

Bublé, 31, has worked hard for success, starting some 17 years ago with lounge shows in his native British Columbia. Now he tours with a big band, led by San Jose native Alan Chang, and he continues to attract a growing audience with both vintage and contemporary material.

"The fun thing for me that I've noticed this tour is there's a lot more men," says Bublé by phone while en route to the Vancouver airport.

"I think that that's really healthy. I never wanted to be - I don't know what you call it, but you get my point. I think that those kind of acts (sometimes) fade away quickly and that women get tired of them quickly. It was important for me to show up and perform for those guys that were dragged to my shows, so that they'd want to come back."

These days, Bublé suspects, some men willingly come to his concerts with their girlfriends.

On Saturday, when the Canadian vocalist plays Oracle Arena in Oakland, the crowd is likely to be diverse. "It's definitely a trip," the singer says, "young, old, gay, straight, white, black, rich, poor - you'll see everybody."

According to band leader Chang, sometimes the Bublé magic rubs off on him, too. "If we go out after shows and people are waiting in line to meet Michael," he says, "they'll sometimes say, `Oh, let's get the band to sign (an autograph), too.' It's funny to meet young kids who think that Michael wrote (Cole Porter's) `I've Got You Under My Skin.' But they know all the words; 13-year-old girls know all the words to that song, which is great."

Bublé has spoken admiringly of his own idols - Presley, Sinatra, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin - noting their abilities, in some cases, to dance and act, as well as sing. Bublé tried out acting on an episode of NBC's "Las Vegas," but his real versatility is in the sweep of his music.

First, there are the standards, including "I've Got the World on a String" and "Call Me Irresponsible" (the title track on his latest CD, from 143 records/Reprise). Beyond the American Songbook, there are selections from Leonard Cohen ("I'm Your Man"), Van Morrison ("Moondance"), Eric Clapton ("Wonderful Tonight," a duet with the great Brazilian singer-songwriter Ivan Lins), etc. And finally, there are the hits Bublé has composed himself, including "Home" (from "It's Time," 2005, co-written with Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies).

"I think that, if I had only sung standards, you might see a certain demographic in the audience," Bublé says. "But I've got a No. 1 song that I wrote, that's on pop radio in America ("Everything"), and I sing everything from Queen to Marvin Gaye to Otis Redding."

He says it doesn't matter to him "when they were written, or by whom. If I can interpret them and come up with a great concept, then I do my very best."

His charisma and showmanship are impressive. Asked about the response of audiences at his shows, he says, "I'm sincere when I sing, and I'm hoping that's a part of why people respond the way they do."Michael Bublé

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