USHER

Story By Wilmar Mejia

Photos By Javier Vicencio

When Usher wrapped up his 100-show Vegas residency called My Wa in December, he had no plans of taking a break.  In January he performed at the most watched musical event in world: the Super Bowl halftime show, and shortly after, in the first week of February he announced the aptly titled Past Present Future Tour, which included one date in Dallas, for Friday October 4.  Eight months later, demand was so high there was not one, but two shows added in Dallas.  On Saturday October 5, and Thursday October 3.  One would assume that given the weekly schedules of the mainstream American public, his shows would be a sellout on Friday and Saturday, with some empty seats on Thursday.  Whoever assumes that would be definitely wrong.

Thursday night’s show at the American Airlines Center was a massive sellout.  From the moment you drive to the area the energy was palpable, in the cars blasting their loud bass to his massive hits, in the droves of visibly excited concert goers, and the sharp dressed gentlemen and ladies geared up for the occasion, some dressed as if to party at the club, and some as if to enjoy a fine evening gala, but everyone, ready to celebrate the music of Usher.

And no one was more than prepared to celebrate the music, than Usher himself.  If anyone wanted the hits, they got the hits, almost thirty of them.  If people were craving a stage extravaganza, they got a massive one, complete with performances inside the impressive video box above the stage.  If fans wanted surprises, they got more than anyone could expect, particularly when he took some time to go to a third stage on the opposite side of the arena, to prepare some drinks from a DJ booth and hand feed cherries to some lucky fans.  And if anyone needed a reminder that Usher is one of the biggest stars on the planet, he roller skated on stage just like he did earlier in the year at the halftime show at the Super Bowl.

The roller skating was more than just a nod to the uniqueness of his Super Bowl performance,  It was also a reference to roller-rink culture that he loves.  Because as big a superstar he is right now, he is also a man, standing in front of the world, wanting to be known and loved.  And there was no amount of transparency saved for a later day when, after singing over two dozen hits with little to no talk interludes between songs, he stopped for a minute, took to the mic, and confessed.  For the first couple of hours, it seemed this would be all about the music doing the talking.  Song after song, the crowd cheered, sang and danced.  Confessions is the name of his landmark album, the last Diamond certified studio release (for selling an actual ten million copies of physical albums, remember those?) by an American artist in the 21st century (the other ones are by Britain’s Adele and one hits package by Eminem) and he played seven songs from it.  But confessions are also what Usher offered the audience, THIS audience in particular, as he told the story of how he might not have been raised in Dallas, but that this city is where he came to the world.

His emotional and soul baring speech was much more than an entertainer trying to get the crowd pumped up for yet another hit, or for the audience to be reminded of the artist’s life events with the goal of relating as “one of us”. No. This moment in Usher’s show was simply a man taking a moment to tell his story, for anyone who has ears to listen, and anyone who has a heart to care, not for him, but for themselves, for all of us, and to make from our own personal grief, a story of life celebrating life.  Finding joy in music.  Like Usher does.  And he closed the evening with a song that, as he sang to the crowd, seemed to be more about the audience than a romantic interest.  Maybe because in his life, Usher always sets out to make the audience fall in love with him, because, as he sings, he “will never be the same without you”.