Usher - Past, Present and Future Tour
Date: August 28, 2024
Location: Boston , MA
Usher’s “Past, Present and Future” Tour is my first Usher concert. The Boston concert took place at TD Garden where I previously saw Justin Timberlake’s Forget Tomorrow tour.
Last Minute Ticket and a Great Seat
I actually bought the concert ticket last minute. Concert tickets (particularly the good seats) usually drop in price closer to the date. I wanted to wait out on Usher until closer to the date because of the other concerts I had planned. And I’m glad I did!
I found a great Loge seat above the floor on the right of the stage. I’m short and did not want to deal with tall people blocking my view. I also didn’t want to deal with bumping into other people. It didn’t matter to me that I was not near Usher as long as I could see him clearly and still up close. Also because the stage is so high from the floor, I didn’t want to have a craned neck from looking up for so long from the floor.I wanted to watch Usher from all angles from a comfortable standpoint.
The venue was set up with a main stage, which expands to two walkways leading to a center circular stage. And towards the back where the last rows are, a VIP bar area is set up with a DJ.
Usher the Professional Entertainer
Even though I watched a few tik tok videos of Usher’s past concerts, I came to the concert not knowing what to expect. And I will say, Usher Raymond IV delivered an amazing action-filled show. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Usher is a true born entertainer and perfectionist. The R&B singer definitely paid great attention to detail on how he wants the concert set up and executed.
The “Past, Present, and Future” tour chronicles Usher’s journey and career as an artist and musician. He mixes story-telling, video production, dramatic sketches, choreography and live music in his show. During the show, Usher and his dancers also went through multiple costume changes marking different album eras.
Despite the meticulous production, Usher truly appreciated the fans that showed up to see him. He made an extra effort to stop to interact and engage with the fans especially when he walked across the venue from the stage to the VIP bar area. Once at the VIP area, he took time to make drinks for fans.
Concert Highlights
His setlist included “Hey Daddy”, “Lovers and Friends”, “Seduction, “Bad Girl”, “ Love In This Club”, “Climax”, “OMG”, “Good Good” and “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”.
One of the biggest highlights was “Don’t Waste My Time”. During the song, Usher roller skates across the stage with such finesse. I was amazed by how Usher and his dancers were able to choreograph a whole routine with rollerskates on a tight stage. He did not fall even once! It was better than his Superbowl performance.
Definitely the first time I saw an artist sing and roller skate during a concert. And then changing their rollerskates to regular shoes onstage!
My favorite part though was his performance of “U Remind Me”. The performance brought me back to the early 2000s as he invited the crowd to sing along. It’s one of my favorite songs and I was ecstatic to see him perform “U Remind Me” live. Usher proved he still got that swagger as he smoothly glides across the stage and moves with two of his dancers. The chemistry between him and the dancers was transparent.
Moreover, I loved “Superstar” when Usher comes out in a furry red coat and red pants with sunglasses, no shirt underneath. Usher slowly makes his way to the center stage and engages with the crowd. He shares the spotlight with his background singers and his full band playing their instruments. It was a simple yet intimate performance. His band undeniably enjoys performing with Usher.
I also enjoyed his sequence performances of “U Don’t Have to Call” and “Caught Up”. Both songs required intense choreography. With his movements in sync with his dancers, Usher clearly demonstrated he can still dance. Prior to the concert, he previously injured himself and had to cancel his Atlanta show. The way he was dancing in Boston, Usher did not look like he was recovering from an injury. He was dancing and singing effortlessly. He continued to show his amazing dancing ability in “My Way” and “U Make Me Wanna”.
In addition to dancing, the “Past, Present, Future” tour proves Usher is still a talented vocalist. His voice truly carried across the venue. Usher clearly sang his heart out during “Burn”, and “Confessions”. In my opinion, Usher displayed his strong vocal range during “U Got It Bad”. I could feel his emotions and angst during the whole song. His voice is so tender and powerful at the same time. A genuine R&B crooner.
Surprise Guest Appearance
After Usher finished singing “My Boo”, Ella Mai made a surprise guest appearance singing her hit song “Boo’d Up”. The crowd were ecstatic to see her. It was my first time seeing her perform live too! Ella is an amazing performer and vocalist. She knows to feed off the energy off the crowd. They were singing along with her. Ella was clearly happy to be there. She and Usher shared great chemistry onstage.
I did wish Alicia Keys was the surprise guest so they would sing “My Boo” together. But was happy to see Ella.
Usher the Sex Symbol
I will say Usher’s show is the sexiest and the most risque concert I’ve ever seen. There were times during the show where my eyes widened and my mouth dropped.
Usher turned the heat up when he started performing “Nice and Slow” with just a white tank top and jeans. He slowly moved his body Magic Mike style where he danced around the microphone. It was very provocative and sultry. The intensity increased as he started bumping and grinding on the floor and taking off his tank top. It left the crowd screaming. I thought I felt my heart skipped a beat a few times.
Usher only continued to increase the temperature when he started singing “U Got It Bad”. He kept his tank top off, showcasing his incredible abs and perfect body physique. I could definitely see the sweat pouring down his body up close. While his vocals excelled in the song, Usher did a slow dance movement with his hands that showcased his sexy upper body.
Not going to lie. I actually enjoyed the whole thing!
Encore and Verdict
Usher fittingly closed the show with “Good Good” and “Yeah”. He wore a Celtics jersey to honor Boston. Even though it was the finale, Usher’s energy had not slowed down. He and the dancers performed an intense choreography. He still motivated and excited the crowd with his last two songs.
Overall, I enjoyed every minute of Usher’s “Past, Present, and Future” tour. I was up on my feet and dancing the night away. Usher knows how to command the stage.He is super talented. He clearly did not show any signs of slowing down. I will definitely be attending his concert if he comes back to a city near me.
I highly recommend checking out Usher’s concerts if he is ever in your area. But maybe leave the kids at home. The show gets very spicy!
