"This was a night for the Usher fans"
There's no electricity like that of 14,000 voices painting the atmosphere with outstretched voices. One harmony, thousands strong and unwavering. In my time as a concert photographer, I've had many opportunities to shoot amazing artists, but it's only every once and a while that you get the chance to photograph the artist that holds your oldest music memory. I got that opportunity though this past Saturday; crossing the threshold of CFG Bang arena for the first time in almost two decades, since back when it was still called First Mariner arena. The hottest show in town was R&B superstar and music icon Usher, playing night two of his Baltimore stop on the globe spanning Past, Present, Future Tour.
This was a night for the true Usher fans; no openers, save for a crowd pumping warmup by DJ Mars, spinning every R&B and soul classic you could name, and a few you couldn’t. As you might’ve gathered by the tour name, these shows span the full length of the Usher’s three-decade career. Every hit was played, EVERY HIT. I don’t think I need to name them all, but I’ll give you the sampler:
· You Make Me Wanna
· U Don’t Have To Call
· Burn
· Caught Up
· Love in This Club
· Confessions pt. ii
That list doesn’t even cover half. On top of the music the production was stunning from end to end. The lights were a chef’s kiss of perfection, the sound was pristine, and the CHOREO… they was dancing dancing on Saturday night, period. There were so many memorable moments, from Usher’s walk through the arena floor, to him mixing a drink mid song in the VIP section, and constantly throwing wads of dollar bills into the crowd. My absolute favorite though, was the roller-skating dancers. A mainstay of the superstar’s critically acclaimed and viral sensation Las Vegas residency show, as well as a cultural touchstone of [Usher’s] hometown of Atlanta.
Capping off the night with an arena swelling performance of perhaps his most iconic song “Yeah”, Usher brought his dancers to the center of the stage for the finale, all of them unison, A-town stomping the night into embers; once again, just as he did with his showstopping Superbowl halftime performance, Usher brought “The A” and the grandeur of his legacy to the world.
Gallery Below!
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