With his “Past Present Future” tour, Usher revealed a confession that wasn’t connected to his classic 2004 album of a similar name. According to the storyline of the show, Usher is a cyborg sent from the future to become an R&B phenomenon. He relentlessly powered through the first concert of his two-night run at Enterprise Center. So much so that Usher being a cyborg is easier to believe than the idea that a mere mortal of a certain age could pull off the type of show he delivered for what appeared to be a sold-out crowd Friday night.
After a lively and interactive session with DJ Mars, Usher emerged on stage around 9:10 p.m. By 9:40 he had sung seven songs without missing a step of high impact choreography, made four wardrobe changes, twisted and turned his way through two roller-skate segments and performed the chair routine from his “You Make Me Wanna…” video. With the exception of a crowd participation moment that carried on too long involving him randomly feeding women cherries, the pace of the show rarely let up. In less than two hours, more than 40 songs were performed – and the setlist provided a full scope of Usher’s 30-plus year legacy.
Usher was just 13 when he began his music career in the early 1990s. He would have been considered an anomaly in just about any other musical era, but urban music was jam packed with youth acts in the 1990s – including Aaliyah, Tevin Campbell, Another Bad Creation, Lil Vicious, Monica, Brandy, Immature acle and Kriss Kross.
His sophomore album “My Way,” set him apart from his young musical peers – and made him a superstar with sales that exceeded 7 million copies in the United States alone. He now has more than 100 million albums sold and 8 Grammy awards. Along with the title track, he performed “Make Me Wanna…,” and “Nice and Slow” during “Past Present Future.” And while it was curated with his greatest hits in mind, Usher dedicated at least one track from each of his nine studio albums over the course of the show and managed to squeeze in a few selections for the hardcore and day one Usher supporters.
He started in the industry as a child performer, but the vibe for “Past Present Future” was “grown and sexy”– even before Usher took the stage thanks to Mars who declared Usher “The King of R&B.” Wearing an impeccably structured white suit that felt like an upcycle of Michael Jackson’s attire in the “Smooth Criminal” video, Usher opened his set with a “Coming Home” and “Hey Daddy,” and spent the rest of the night proving Mars right.
The wrap-around stage and top tier audio visual elements that included a computer generated guide named Celeste that segued into autobiographical sketches were much appreciated added value. So was the magnificent costuming. But Usher could have performed the same set on a bare stage in a withered t-shirt and sweatpants and blown the crowd away just the same.
As the title of the tour suggests, the show is an encyclopedic overview. Each of the segments – past, present and future – had their own highlights. And there were moments of fashion that were as captivating as the performance. In addition to the opening suit, the post-apocalyptic ensemble that seemed inspired by “Book of Eli” and the bedazzled show stopping final look that featured a blinged out racer jacket and black pants were the best of them.
As far as the best of the performances – it depends on the preferred Usher. If it is singer/dancer Usher, then “My Way,” “Make Me Wanna” and “Caught Up” and “You Don’t Have to Call” were favorites. Pop star Usher fans enjoyed “OMG,” DJ Got Us Falling in Love and the “Without You” finale. R&B Usher lovers connected with “Confessions II,” “U Got It Bad,” “Superstar,” “Nice and Slow,” “You Remind Me,” “My Boo” and “New Flame” and “Lovers and Friends.” Several selections could have cross pollinated for crooner Usher, but “Climax,” “There Goes My Baby” and “Without You” were best in show. Skater Usher fans were surely impressed by “New Flame (Chris Brown cover),” “In the Club,” “Don’t Waste My Time” and “Tell Me.” Club banger Usher devotees got a kick out of “Yeah,” “Love in This Club,” and “Good Good.”
The cherry audience participation moment and/or the stripper segment could have been abbreviated to make room for the likes of “Bad Habits” and “Trading Places” and a few other deep cuts. Had that been the case, the show would have been flawless.
Hearing “Call Me a Mack” during an Usher show in 2024 was a blissfully nostalgic moment that reminded everyone how far he has come. Usher became emotional when the fans shouted and applauded so vigorously that it could probably be heard from City Hall after “Super Star.”
“I want to take this moment to be present with y’all,” Usher said. “I want to acknowledge all of you and the fact that you have loved this music as long as you have. This has been a 30-year career for me..”
Last night it felt as if he’s just getting started.
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