(OUTscene NW) RE-view: USHER oozes Sex Appeal and a New Audience at Seattle's Key Arena!

SCOTT

by MK Scott

I first saw Usher (Raymond) about 16 years ago, not just music, but as an actor on the CBS Soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful". His Character hooked up with Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz) as a one night stand and after Amber got pregnant she worried if the Baby was Raymond's or (her white and rich) Boyfriend's by the time the story had wrapped up, Usher had moved on and the character was recast. Usher was too busy with his music career that was skyrocketing fast!

His Album, 'My way' hit the charts and was opening for Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour. You see Usher dance and Perform you instantly go back to Michael Jackson and know he was a Major influence. You also see a little of Elvis and currently the look and sex appeal of Marvin Gaye.

When I saw the Seattle stop of his UR Experience Tour this past Wednesday at Key Arena, I knew ticket sells were low, but I had no idea that his core audience had shifted. A Majority of the audience were Asian and White with a small Minority of Black (mostly women). That isn't that bad, because Usher, like Michael Buble' is carrying on a legacy of musical influences (Sinatra/Como) as mentioned the influences of MJ and Gaye. Those Fans will never go away.


Before I go on, I must mention that his opening act, August Alsina, was a peek in the current and future of music, and not in a good way. August's musical influence was obviously Chris Brown/Justin Beiber, Tattooed and Tawdry with 2 female backup dancers that look like pole dancing. Alsina set ended as he put his hand down his pants and showed off pubes!   

The audience got bigger and wilder as Usher came out in a burst of flames with a mixed dance troupe and opened with My Way and (censored) OMG. Over great performances were Caught Up and Climax.

SCOTT

Other tracks included Love in This Club, You Make Me Wanna..., Lil' Freak, Nice & Slow, U Remind Me, Twisted, She Came to Give it to You, Dot Com, Seduction, That's What It's Made For, Confessions Parts I & II, Burn, There Goes My Baby, U Got It Bad and Superstar.

Mostly all of the audience was waiting for him to rip his shirt off, but it didn't happen. After about an hour in, he lift  up his black t-shirt to reveal the 6-pack and the audience went Nuts. 

Then Usher invited 5 random women from the audience to come up on stage for dance solos during Bad Girl. It would have nice to see one man up there. (Hey his Gay fans want to be Bad Girls too).

Then Usher did a 90 second drummer solo, Good Kisser, U Don't Have to Call, and the incredible Yeah (now-signature Davy Crockett-like hat).

The Encore was dedicated to Travon Martin, Mike Brown and the lives have been lost due to racial gun violence with the song, Without U.

SCOTT

Usher, now at 36, is best when he showcases his influence and his own body of work. When tries to reinvent himself, he falls flat. So what if won't sell out arenas, what he does is being the keeper of the flames from all the R & B greats that came before him. That would certainly be his legacy.