The Evolution of Usher Was on Full Display During the ‘Past Present Future’ Tour in Baltimore (Review)

Usher’s “Past Present Future” tour is a captivating journey through his illustrious career that showcases his evolution not only as an artist, but also as an entertainer.

Without realizing it, I was automatically transported back into my childhood and formative teen years while watching Usher. I felt energetic and enthralled watching the legend give his all, especially after a neck injury just a few weeks prior.

I attended Usher’s Baltimore, Maryland ‘Past Present Future’ LiveNation tour on Aug. 23 at the CFG Arena.

Truthfully, I was unsure what this tour would bring when he first announced it. He had just finished his Las Vegas residency, selling out consistently, and he just did the Super Bowl. I was wondering if he was going to bring the same Vegas show concept to his tour.

Of course, he pulled some Vegas elements into his show, but overall, it is a cumulation of his work, expanding what we may know or have seen of Usher.

Vocally, Usher is still at the top of his game, effortlessly transitioning between his smooth falsettos and powerful belts, especially during “Burn” and “Superstar.” His live vocals bring a certain depth and grit to the songs we’ve heard many times over the years.

The choreography features complex routines, on and off skates, that highlight Usher’s unparalleled dance skills and the caliber of performing needed to match the energy of his songs and his dancers complement him during those energetic performances of “YEAH!,” “U Don’t Have to Call,” “Love in this Club” and a few others, adding layers of visual excitement to the show.

Usher’s interaction with the audience was heartfelt and spontaneous, which added a layer of intimacy to the performance. He danced, sang and grooved through the audience singing “There Goes My Baby” before making his way to the VIP bar area, dancing with more fans, fixing a drink, feeding a woman a cherry and even hitting the infamous Baltimore percolator dance. All while wearing that red fur coat.

Over the past two or three years, Usher has increasingly been becoming more of a male fashion icon as he’s been taking risks, showing off his and experimenting with color. He has been doing a lot of things that seem to be true to him while also branching out in fashion and he brings that on the tour.

One of the most memorable moments is his performance of “Superstar,” where he hit that well-known falsetto notes 6-times in a row due to engaging with the left, right, center and back of the sold-out venue. It was a moment of awe that had the crowd to a standstill.

Usher found a way to weave in and out of songs that he’s created, regardless of when they dropped or which album they were on. He showed love to every project he released through the years in some way, shape or form.

The 8701 era was a time!

While I enjoyed the show, there were a few moments of confusion for me. This was mainly due to the use of AI technology where Usher used it to have past conversations with himself and future conversations with an older Usher. For future Usher, hypothetical logic was issued where he retired years before his Confessions album.

With that imaginative future timeline and after talking about the show with a friend, I’d love to know if he truly wanted to retire in 2001 and if so, what made him want to do it, or stop him from retiring.

In essence, U-S-H-E-R-R-A-Y-M-O-N-D’s ‘Past Present Future’ tour is a testament to his enduring talent and his ability to continuously reinvent himself and stay true to his roots. He curated a nostalgic yet forward-looking celebration of his long-standing legacy, one that can’t be duplicated or replicated.