|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Maya Mackey
Usher has officially arrived at Uncle status. Mr. Raymond’s 4-night stay at the new, sparkly Intuit Dome—new home of the LA Clippers—kicked off last Saturday. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the event in Club 10, one of the premier seats in the arena. The swanky club had an Instagram worthy decorative wall, with Jay Z’s infamous line in his wife’s song, Drunk in Love:
“This D’usse is the sh– if I do say so myself.”
That quote lets you know the vibes you’re about to experience in the club seats. Other Club perks include premium food options and a lounge/bar set up. It makes you feel luxurious.
I arrived with just a few minutes to spare, so my Club 10 experience was cut short. Usher started promptly at 9 pm and crooned about every song you could want him to sing.
His show, a briefly revised version of his historic Vegas residency was built into 3 acts. The first act was Past, and Usher’s inner theatre kid shined. His earliest hits were performed on roller skates with his back up dancers (who were incredible!). You might remember something similar from his Superbowl Halftime Show this past February.
During the second act—Present—Usher goes full theater mode. For his more obvious sexual tunes and a few of the classics (like Confessions), we saw Usher hump the stage in slow gyrating motions. Something that may have been sexy as all get out when I was 15 now feels really cringy at his big age of 45 (sorry Usher!). Meanwhile there was a stage upon the stage, where we saw two dancers in silhouette simulating love making. Parental warning: This is not a show to bring your kids.
The third act—Future–has Usher embracing his age and channeling the spirit of Marvin Gaye. After a brief change, he comes up from beneath the stage, donning an oversized red fur coat, reminiscent of Sesame Street’s Elmo. This where he playfully asks the crowd to sing his infamous Superstar, and ignites a competition to see which side of the stadium could sing it the best.
He does a raunchy bit where he feeds his lady fans cherries. He fixes himself a drink at the bar in the VIP section and takes us to The A, as strippers perform on poles. This man is nothing if not an ENTERTAINER. He delights in debauchery but his voice is so silky smooth and his body is so flawless that you kind of forgive the rest.
He has his DJ do a special little run of LA/California hits from Blow the Whistle to Not Like Us before shouting out the famous people in the crowd that night (namely LA Reid – the man who discovered him).
Usher eventually makes his way back to the main stage and in a blink, he’s changed again and is doing his Techno-pop hits “OMG” and “DJ Got Us Falling In Love.”
He’s slower, and it’s noticeable but again, to have abs like that in your mid -forties?! Not too much on Mr. Raymond.
His legacy is finally cemented in Hollywood, a long time coming. And, his charisma and good looks are still the star of the show alongside his impeccable catalogue and Superstar vocals.
Intuit Dome thanked Usher for a 4-night run with his own Intuit Dome embroidered bomber jacket.
His Sunday show saw the likes of LL Cool J and Boyz II Men.
The Past, Present, Future Tour is a variety show that verifies Usher’s immaculate run in R&B and “brings the A (Atlanta) to the world” as he prides himself on.
He’ll circle back to California again this November in Anaheim and I highly suggest you check it out.
