When the people in the office asked me if I wanted to go see Usher in concert, my first reaction was a small cringe. That type of hip-hop and R&B mix isn’t really my cup of tea, however the opportunity to attend my first concert at the Journal Pavilion was more than I could pass up.
At the Pavilion, the Usher fans were out in force arriving in every kind of car, from limousines to old jalopies.
The crowd was made up of a wide range of people, from young girls in Usher t-shirts to guys who were only there because their girlfriends had dragged them along. The group ranged from the young to the young-at-heart.
The show started promptly at seven with Faith Evans coming out to warm up the near-capacity crowd. After an hour, Faith felt that she had done what she was there to do and gave way to the musical styling of Nas.
Nas took the stage with a presence that only artists of his nature possess.
Whether you call it rap or hip-hop, it is a totally different kind of show from anything I have ever seen. The crowd was on their feet and bounced together to the beat. Nas got the crowd into his music with the help of about half-a-dozen hand gestures he encouraged the crowd to join him in showing off.
With a fully loaded crowd just waiting for the arrival of the headlining act, Nas left the stage for Usher to take over.
After a 10-minute break to take down Nas’ set and raise the scene for Usher, it was time for the big name to take to the stage.
As the lights dimmed, the security personnel cleared the front row, for safety reasons, and the opening pyrotechnics lit up the sky.
After the first blast from the pyro cannons, the front-row customers were allowed to return to their seats for the remainder of the show.
Usher, who is known for his dance moves, came out with four female dancers and did a choreography that would be envied by any pop star.
Usher had numerous costume changes and a big screen to show his every move to the fans further to the back.
At one point, Usher left the stage and the cameras followed him to his dressing room, or a reasonable facsimile, where he performed a song to a woman who had been waiting for him there. At another point in the show, Usher called out to a female in the crowd and invited her onstage, where she sat while he serenaded her and gave her gifts.
As a whole, the crowd, and even myself, enjoyed the show. Usher made sure to involve the audience in the best way he knew how.
With big time pyrotechnics and plenty of flashy dance moves, Usher is a show that almost anyone can enjoy, even if he or she is not a big time hip-hop or pop fan.
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April 18, 2024
