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Review: Off the injured list, Usher returns to TD Garden in full force
An entertaining show spanning three decades of work made Usher's "Past, Present, and Future" well worth the wait.
Usher at TD Garden, Boston, Aug. 27
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At TD Garden Tuesday night, Usher showed that he is back in full force after a neck injury postponed the beginning of his Past, Present, and Future tour.
The two-hour performance was sensational, tying together three decades’ worth of chart-topping hits, multiple costume changes, and of course plenty of Ushbucks.
Fans were on their feet with their smartphone flashlights in the air as Usher ascended from beneath the stage and into the spotlight, in front of a giant, three-dimensional video screen that flashed his name and photos of him throughout the years.
Usher entered dressed in all-black, including a fedora and a long coat that shimmered as he made his way toward the middle of the stage. With smoke swirling around him and a beam of light coming down from the ceiling, Usher raised his hands as though he were lifting the light, and when he spread them the light expanded into a cone shape that looked like raindrops falling down.
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“Boston! How many Day 1 fans we got in the house tonight?” Usher asked, following his rendition of “Daddy’s Home.”
The crowed roared and a teenaged version of Usher appeared on the screen, dancing to his 1993 single “Call Me A Mack” from the soundtrack of the movie “Poetic Justice.” The 45-year-old Usher, standing in front of a packed crowd underneath the Celtics’ many championship banners, watched the younger version perform.
Huge pops of applause came from the crowd when Usher performed hits “U Make Me Wanna,” “U Remind Me,” and “U Don’t Have to Call.” He bounced and smiled as he performed, looking like he was truly having fun as he saluted his Day 1 fans. After the song “Caught Up,” the words “system malfunction” appeared on the screen and the timeline jumped to 2019.
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Here comes Usher, gliding across the stage on roller-skates with his sparkling outfit looking like a rolling fireworks display as he performs “Love in this Club.” There was a wall of light during “New Flame” that appeared to give off sparks every time Usher touched it.
The lights flash, and Usher disappears for a few moments after “Lovers and Friends.” He returns wearing a white tank top, jeans, and a chain while carrying the microphone on his shoulders for “Nice and Slow.”
“It’s 7 o’clock, I’m in my drop top cruising the streets,” Usher sings. “Got a pretty little thing in Boston waiting for me.”
The crowd belted the intro to “U Got it Bad.” He began singing “Climax” laying on his back with his tank top twisted around his neck. Pictures of Usher flashed of the screen, superimposed over flames, when it was time for “Let it Burn.” He went on top of the video screen for “Confessions,” pounding his fist in the air as the beat dropped.
The question “What if 2044?” appears on the screen and a fictionalized elderly version of Usher is being interviewed. He’s asked why he left the music business at age 23 to start a family and if his father’s absence played a role in his decision. The video fades out on the word “father.”
Two costume changes and several songs later, Usher explained that he felt like he was running from something his entire life and that he made decisions that led to him not being a father early on — but said that he feels that he is everything to his kids now that he wanted his father to be.
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Usher went into the pit for “There Goes My Baby” and interacted with the fans. He kissed a woman on the cheek. Another woman wearing a sash that read “It’s my birthday” had a long moment dancing and singing with Usher. Another woman hugged Usher from behind.
“Whew, I had worked up a sweat, ya’ll don’t mind if I pour myself a drink, do you?” Usher asked.
He did just that, pouring drinks and spending time with the fans as “I Need A Girl” and “My Boo” played.
He pulled out a stack of Ushbucks from a red fur coat and pretended to count them before flinging them over his shoulder and showering fans with the rest, holding his follow-through like the end of a jump shot.
Usher closed out the show with an emphatic performance of “Yeah!” It was a fitting end to an epic, career-spanning concert.
Usher performs a second show at TD Garden on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
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