Usher gives fans a glimpse of his "Past Present and Future" during his tour stop in Baltimore
How do you condense 30 years of music into a one-hour and fifty-minute performance? Ask Usher Raymond. The uber-talented entertainer who recently embarked on an international tour with dates on the schedule well into 2025, performed last night at Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena before a sold-out crowd. The city was the second stop on Usher’s “Past Present and Future” tour (the tour opened at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC a few days ago) following an unscheduled cancelation of several tour dates in Atlanta last week after suffering a neck injury in the days leading up to the tour. With all the accolades Usher’s experienced over the past few years – a hugely successful two-year residency in Vegas, a largely talked about NPR Tiny Desk concert, a President’s Award honor bestowed by the NAACP, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the most watched Superbowl half-time performance ever recorded – a break from all the action would be warranted. But Usher’s a star and stars don’t dim their light because someone stops to admire them. They only shine brighter. Welcome to “Past Present and Future.”
From the earliest notes to the very last, the crowd remained on its feet and sang so loudly along to Usher's music that it often drowned him out. It didn’t seem to matter to Usher. He appeared to relish the crowd's energy. The show saw Usher going through his vast music catalog while a video board played behind him displaying images of Usher at various stages of his career. While the focus was undoubtedly Usher and his incredible show (more on that in a bit), the video board offered a peek into Usher the man. Throughout the show, Usher appeared on the screen as his past self, his present self, and even his future self. At each stage, Usher spoke about his desires for his career and whether he’d change anything along the way. “What would you do if you never had your children? Would you be the performer you are today?” “If you could do it over, would you?” “If you could speak to yourself from twenty years ago, what would you say?” These are all questions I’m sure he’s asked himself as he has navigated life in the public eye, but his pensiveness on the screen showed a thoughtfulness that is often missed or ignored when it comes to celebrity.
As for the show itself, Usher is magic. From the stage set up, to the dance routines that told the stories that Usher sang, to the interspersing of music from Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5, and even Aaliyah, to the dancing and roller-skating, to the walk from the stage to the back of the arena, to the multiple costume changes, to the video-board and the use of technology, to the inspiring messages, to the red fur (come thru red fur!), and most importantly, to the gloriousness of the man himself, Usher’s show was everything anyone could expect from a great show.
The night ended with a video preview for his upcoming concert film “Usher: Rendezvous in Paris,” which will play only in theaters September 12-15, 2024. He'll return to CFG Bank Arena tonight before heading to Boston on Tuesday. Thank you for thirty-plus years of artistry, Mr. Raymond. Keep shining!
